Ajit Andhare and Anshul Ailawadi Take Key Leadership Roles at JioStar

As part of its leadership overhaul, JioStar, the joint venture formed by Reliance Industries Limited, Viacom18 Media, and The Walt Disney Company, has announced two significant appointments to lead its entertainment and content strategies across platforms.

Ajit Andhare has been named head of the combined studio business at JioStar. In this role, he will oversee the production and distribution efforts across the joint venture’s entertainment avenues, bringing a streamlined approach to content creation. Reporting to Alok Jain, who heads the entertainment cluster for JioStar, Andhare’s vast industry expertise positions him to drive innovation in studio operations.

Andhare previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Viacom18 Studios for over six years and held the same position at Viacom18 Motion Pictures for more than five years before that. With a background that spans leadership roles at Unilever and extensive experience in business strategy, creative content development, and marketing, Andhare’s diverse skill set will be instrumental in shaping JioStar’s studio offerings. An alumnus of the Indian School of Business and the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, he brings a track record of driving impactful growth and thought leadership across the media and entertainment sectors.

Meanwhile, Anshul Ailawadi has been appointed head of Youth, Music, and English content at JioStar. Ailawadi will also report to Alok Jain as part of the entertainment cluster leadership team. He brings a wealth of experience from his time as Business Head of the Youth, Music, and English Cluster at Viacom18, where he led growth for brands like MTV India, MTV Beats, Comedy Central, Vh1, and Colors Infinity.

Before taking on leadership roles at Viacom18, Ailawadi served as the strategy and project lead in the Group CEO’s office and has also worked with the Tata Strategic Management Group and CNBC TV18. A Columbia University and National University of Singapore alumnus, he has a passion for international affairs, motorcycling, and Urdu literature.

These appointments come as JioStar positions itself as a powerhouse in the media and entertainment landscape, following its landmark merger. With their combined expertise, Andhare and Ailawadi are expected to play pivotal roles in steering the company’s content strategies and delivering innovative entertainment experiences to audiences across platforms.