iWorld
JioCinema partners with The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Mumbai: JioCinema, the Indian streaming platform of Viacom18, hosted the Semi-Final Round of Judging for the 52nd International Emmy Awards in Mumbai. The event featured an esteemed panel of industry luminaries, including Tisca Chopra, Ranvir Shorey, Bhavani Iyer, Nitya Mehra, Ranjeet Thakur, Rahul V. Chitella, Suparn Verma, Kirti Kulhari, Sonali Kulkarni, Sameer Saxena, Abhinay Deo, Divya Dutta, Sandhya Mridul, and Oni Sen.
Commenting on being part of the jury, actor Ranvir Shorey said, “The association with the academy is going to be one of the biggest feathers in my cap. As an actor constantly on the lookout for compelling stories, it’s incredibly rewarding to see deserving content and talent being recognized, no matter their scale. Being part of the esteemed jury panel for the International Emmy® Awards 2024 is an honour, and I’m thrilled to contribute to an association that bridges the gap between local and global storytelling, giving diverse voices a platform to shine.”
Actor Tisca Chopra added, “As a first-time jury member at the International Emmy® Awards, I am truly honoured to be part of this incredible journey. It’s a privilege to witness the creativity and dedication of such talented individuals and to celebrate their outstanding work. It’s great to see platforms like JioCinema supporting the industry on local and global.”
Actor Sonali Kulkarni said, “I’m honoured to be a part of the jury for this year’s International Emmy® Awards. As someone rooted in regional cinema, Hindi commercial cinema and international films – I’m proud to see content from across the globe gaining deserved recognition on this prestigious stage. I look forward to contributing to this celebration of excellence and seeing more content shining worldwide.”
The Semi-Final round of Judging is a key part of the Academy’s annual event which aims to recognize excellence in television produced outside the United States. With categories ranging from Arts Programming to Drama Series, and from Non-Scripted Entertainment to Kids programming, the competition is fierce and celebrated.
e-commerce
ONDC names Vibhor Jain MD and CEO; Rohit Lohia joins as CBO, Manoj Thakur as CTO
Leadership formalised as open commerce network sharpens focus on scale and user value
The Open Network for Digital Commerce has formalised Vibhor Jain as managing director and chief executive officer, cementing a leadership transition at India’s ambitious open commerce platform as it pushes for scale and relevance.
Jain, who had been serving as acting chief executive officer since April last year following the exit of Thampy Koshy, steps into the role with effect from 7th April , according to a report by The Economic Times. He previously served as chief operating officer at the government-backed network, which enables buyers and sellers to transact across applications through an open, interoperable system.
Setting out his strategy, Jain underscored the network’s differentiated architecture. “Going forward, we are concentrating on what open, interoperable infrastructure can uniquely enable, things that no single platform has the incentive or the architecture to do,” he said.
He added that the immediate priority is to widen ONDC’s impact across user cohorts often underserved by platform-led commerce. “My priority is to deepen the value ONDC creates for the people it exists to serve: kisaans, karigars, kiranas, gig workers, first-time investors, and daily commuters across India,” he said.
Jain also flagged leadership reinforcement within the organisation, noting that ONDC has “a strong and exciting leadership team in place”, with Rohit Lohia joining as chief business officer and Manoj Thakur as chief technology officer.
With over 18 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship and consulting, Jain brings a track record in technology-led, large-scale transformation programmes and internet businesses. At ONDC, he has been closely involved in shaping strategy and operations as the network seeks to move digital commerce away from platform-centric models towards an open network approach.
Before ONDC, Jain worked with JUMO, where he helped set up the fintech firm’s India operations, and led the India launch of Mobike, handling regulatory, policy and operational aspects of its market entry. Earlier, he co-founded Atlanta Healthcare, an air quality management company, and spent more than a decade in consulting roles at Andersen and EY, advising governments on public policy and technology-driven reforms, including work on the Aadhaar programme and tax systems.
The mandate is clear but the path is complex. As ONDC attempts to rewrite the rules of digital commerce, Jain now carries the burden of turning open architecture into mass adoption, in a market still dominated by platform power.
