JioStar Names Bhaskar Ramesh to Lead Digital Entertainment Sales

JioStar Names Bhaskar Ramesh to Lead Digital Entertainment Sales

JioStar has appointed Bhaskar Ramesh as head of entertainment sales, digital, strengthening its commercial leadership as competition for streaming advertising intensifies. He will report to Kevin Vaz, CEO, entertainment.

Ramesh joins after a long stint at Google, where he was part of the India leadership team and worked across categories including technology, retail, financial services, consumer goods and automotive. His remit there included digital transformation mandates that bridged traditional and online channels, as well as monetisation and product strategy for YouTube’s business in the market.

At JioStar, he will be responsible for driving digital entertainment revenues and shaping a more data-led advertising structure. The company said the focus will be on measurable outcomes and deeper partnerships with marketers at a time when brands are demanding clearer attribution and performance metrics from media investments.

The hire comes as streaming platforms face a dual challenge: growing audiences while building sustainable revenue models. Subscription growth alone is proving insufficient in a price-sensitive market, pushing companies to refine ad-supported offerings and hybrid models. Leaders who understand both technology stacks and advertiser expectations are therefore becoming central to strategy.

Vaz said the appointment reflects that priority. “I believe that the future of streaming will be built as much on smart monetization as on engaging content,” he noted. “It was important for us to identify a leader who understands how data, technology and creativity come together to deliver perceptible outcomes for our partners.”

For agencies and brands, the signal is equally clear. Sales leadership is no longer limited to inventory management. It increasingly involves packaging audiences, measurement tools and creative integrations into solutions that resemble business consulting as much as media buying.

Ramesh’s background suggests familiarity with that evolution. During his time at Google, he worked closely with marketers on growth mandates and represented India in global strategy conversations. Earlier roles at Godrej Group, Marico and Reliance Broadcast Network exposed him to P&L responsibility, brand building, operations and expansion.

Such cross-functional exposure is becoming increasingly relevant for digital media companies. As advertising shifts toward accountability, leaders are expected to speak the language of finance, technology and storytelling simultaneously.

For the broader ecosystem, appointments like this underline how streaming businesses are reorganising around monetisation sophistication. With large events, premium shows and everyday viewing migrating online, the opportunity is significant — but so is the scrutiny on returns.

Ramesh will step into the role as platforms, advertisers and regulators continue to debate measurement standards, privacy considerations and data access. Navigating those variables while maintaining revenue momentum will likely define the next stage of growth.

He holds a postgraduate diploma in management from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research.