As Sanjog Gupta takes over as CEO of ICC, capping a decades-long career at Star TV, very few know how he was hired fresh out of college by Uday Shankar, the then CEO of Star India and the current Vice Chairman of JioStar India.
A journalist-turned-broadcast titan, Uday Shankar, Vice Chairman, JioStar, didn’t just lead one of India’s most influential media companies. He cultivated a formidable league of professionals who’ve gone on to shape the industry across digital, broadcast, sports, and global tech platforms. Many of them entered the media world as outsiders, armed with curiosity, hunger, and a willingness to break rules.
Under Shankar’s mentorship, especially during his time at Star India, these individuals were groomed, challenged, and elevated into industry transformers. Today, they are CEOs, global heads, founders, and key decision-makers at the helm of India’s and the world’s most influential media and tech organisations.
Here’s a look at leaders who came as outsiders into Uday Shankar’s system and are now shaping the next phase of media:
Sanjog Gupta
New Role: CEO, International Cricket Council (appointed July 7, 2025)
Instrumental in redefining sports broadcasting in India.
Sanjay Gupta
Current Role: President, Asia Pacific, Google
Joined Star India as COO in 2009, eventually becoming MD in 2016. His leadership spanned the transformative Hotstar years and deeper integration with sports, entertainment, and regional content. Former CMO at Bharti Airtel. At Google APAC from 2020 to 2024, he drove the tech-media convergence story.
Gaurav Banerjee
Current Role: MD & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India
A newsroom native turned media executive. Grew Star Plus, Hotstar, and regional brands. His 16-year stint at Star culminated in key content and growth leadership. Took over Sony India in 2024.
Kiran Mani
Current Role: CEO, Digital, JioStar
Joined during the Star-Jio merger transition in late 2024. Former CEO of Viacom18 and Google veteran. Entered Indian media via strategic shifts enabled by Uday Shankar’s ecosystem.
Ajit Mohan
Current Role: Chief Business Officer, Snap Inc.
Founding CEO of Hotstar from 2012 to 2014. Former head of Meta India. Began in editorial at The Wall Street Journal before moving into digital-first media strategy under Uday Shankar’s mentorship.
Ishan Chatterjee
New Role: CEO, Sports, JioStar
Joined as CBO, Sports Revenue, SMB and Creators in 2024. Former MD, YouTube India from 2016 to 2024, with a focus on monetisation, creator growth, and content expansion.
Sushant Sreeram
Current Role: Head of Marketing and SVOD, JioStar
Formerly led Amazon Prime Video’s marketing and subscriptions. Also held leadership roles at Xiaomi and HolidayIQ. Now shaping the marketing vision across JioStar’s platforms.
Gayatri Yadav
Current Role: Group CMO and EVP, Strategic Initiatives, Reliance Industries
Star India marketing head from 2011 to 2019. Known for brand building and strategy. Also serves on Paani Foundation’s board. Drove telecom and digital brand campaigns at scale.
Akash Saxena
Current Role: CTO, JioStar
Built Disney+ Hotstar’s tech backbone. Now leads unified tech across JioStar's streaming, broadcast, and infrastructure. Former CTO at Viacom18, Craftsvilla, and TinyOwl.
Gautam Thakar
Current Role: Global CEO, EdTech, Prosus
Led Star Sports’ growth phase. Ex-CEO of LivingSocial and eBay India. Part of baazee.com’s founding team. Returned to lead Star India in 2017 and joined Prosus in 2023.
Nitin Kukreja
Current Role: CEO, Allen
Pioneer of Star’s sports strategy and Hotstar’s live formats. Formerly involved in sports investments. Now driving media-scale innovation in education.
Prateek Garg
Current Role: MD, Marigold Park Capital Advisers
M&A and strategy expert. Part of Star-Disney’s core Asia-Pacific team, launching digital ventures like Hotstar. Joined Marigold Park in 2023 to lead investment strategy in media-tech.
Amit Chopra
Current Role: Co-Founder, Avanzia Global Pvt Ltd
Former CEO and MD of Esme Consumer and Director at Way2News. Revenue leader at Star since 2013. Formerly with Hindustan Media Ventures. Now focused on advisory and entrepreneurship through Avanzia.
This list is not in any particular order.
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