Disney International has appointed former Google Pay managing director Sajith Sivanandan as executive vice president and head of Disney+ Hotstar to oversee its overall business operations in India, and chart a product roadmap for the over-the-top (OTT) streaming service.

Sivanandan will assume his new role in Disney+ Hotstar from October and will dual report to Rebecca Campbell, chairman of Disney’s International content and operations group, as well as K Madhavan, president, Disney Star. Prior to this appointment, Sivanandan was managing director and business head of Google Pay and Next Billion User Initiatives for its APAC region.

He started his career with Star TV in India and managed the North India market for Channel V.

“His deep experience in the region, combined with his strong leadership and business management skills will greatly benefit Disney+ Hotstar as the platform embarks on its next phase of growth," said Campbell.

As executive vice president, Sivanandan will also work closely with local leadership in international markets along with the Disney+ team in the US.

“Sivanandan’s wealth of experience that he has gained over the years makes him the best person to lead Disney+ Hotstar on this journey,” said Madhavan.

“Disney and Star are brands with an incredibly rich history of innovation, user focus and storytelling, and Disney+ Hotstar brings those attributes together flawlessly. The opportunity to come back home to where I started my career and to work alongside a very talented team to serve Disney+ Hotstar users in India," added Sivanandan.