eNews
JioCinema hires three power-packed tech leaders
Mumbai: Even as user experience has been improving and attaining global standards on its OTT platform, JioCinema, Viacom18 has taken steps to take it a notch higher by roping in three top techies on its tech team.
Coming in as chief product officer & ad tech platform lead is Bharath Ram with rich experience at Flipkart (as product & engineering lead), Instagram (core product ad team in the US) and Amazon Prime Video (personalisation lead).
The second tech lead to join is Vijay Sheshadri who has come in as chief technical advisor. Sheshadri’s core strengths lie in enterprise security, e-commerce, and large-scale distributed system with experience as an engineering fellow at Swiggy, at Amazon and at Symantec where he built several enterprise security solutions and cloud infrastructure services. Vijay was the lead architect for Symantec’s reputation-based security technology, which won the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in 2010.
The third hire Shoury Bhardwaj has taken on the role of engineering leader for app experience, search, recommendations, data and app backend platforms. He has 12 years of experience at Flipkart, where he worked on key areas such e-commerce. In his most recent role, he led the product and engineering teams for new business initiatives.
A company press release said these appointments aim to bolster tech expertise, agility, and market responsiveness, supporting the company’s swift expansion and commitment to providing exceptional digital experiences.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bharath, Vijay and Shoury to the Viacom18 family. Their expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we embark on the next phase of our ambitious growth journey. These appointments reflect our commitment to building a world-class tech platform that can deliver the best of content and an unparalleled experience to our consumers,” a company spokesperson was quoted in the press release.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
