Kanishk Khanna appointed Creator Business Strategy Lead at JioStar

JioStar, the newly formed joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Viacom18 Media, and The Walt Disney Company, has appointed Kanishk Khanna as its Creator Business Strategy, Outreach, Creator Partnership, and Monetization head.

With over a decade of experience in the media and entertainment industry, Khanna brings a wealth of knowledge in strategic partnerships, content creation, and business development.

Before his role at JioStar, Khanna was the Director of Media Partnerships for APAC at Snap Inc., where he led key strategic initiatives across the region from May 2022 to October 2023. His expertise in developing impactful partnerships and nurturing media relations played a pivotal role in driving Snap’s expansion in the APAC market.

Prior to that, Khanna spent over seven years at YouTube as Head of Content Partnerships for Hindi, where he built strong relationships with creators, film, and TV partners, and played a critical role in content strategy for the platform.

Khanna also has a rich background in marketing and brand management. He served as the Assistant Vice President of Marketing Services at NDTV Good Times, overseeing all marketing, PR, and brand extension activities. He also worked at Viacom18 Media Private Limited as Brand Manager for MTV Marketing, further honing his skills in partnership development and stakeholder management.

Known for his strategic leadership and expertise in business development, Khanna’s appointment comes at a crucial time for JioStar as the company seeks to establish itself as a leading player in India’s fast-growing digital and broadcast entertainment ecosystem. His role will focus on enhancing creator partnerships, developing monetization strategies, and driving outreach efforts to expand JioStar’s digital presence.

Khanna’s previous leadership roles and diverse experience across various media platforms position him as a key asset in JioStar’s ambition to shape the future of content creation, partnerships, and monetisation in India.

This strategic joint venture, valued at ₹70,352 crore, consolidates popular brands like Star, Colors, JioCinema, and Hotstar, with RIL controlling a 56% stake, Disney holding 36.84%, and Viacom18 contributing 46.82%. The merger will manage over 100 TV channels, produce more than 30,000 hours of content annually, and serve a vast digital subscriber base of over 50 million.

With an additional ₹11,500 crore investment from Reliance, JioStar is poised to become a dominant force in India’s entertainment sector.