OpenAI names Netflix's Akash Iyer as Social Lead for India team

OpenAI India has appointed Akash Iyer as the Social Lead on Friday.

Iyer, sharing his appointment in a post on his LinkedIn, wrote, “This is a meaningful moment for me: I'm joining OpenAI as Social Lead for the India team.”

“It’s an incredible opportunity. But more than that, it’s a deep responsibility to be able to contribute to the mission of building AGI for the benefit of humanity,” he added.

Iyer is one of the initial team members, possibly the second employee after Pragya Misra, who leads public policy and partnerships at OpenAI India since its official announcement of establishing its first corporate office in the country’s capital city, New Delhi.

Before joining the India team of the ChatGPT maker, Iyer spent nearly seven years at Netflix India, where he managed social marketing, brand and editorial strategies for films and series.

Earlier, he worked at BuzzFeed India as a senior producer and consulting producer, leading video innovation and audience engagement. He also held creative and leadership roles at Sportskeeda, where he led the video content team and at The Glitch, producing shows for MTV.

According to media reports, the company, in an announcement, stated that opening an office in India reflects its support for the Indian government’s IndiaAI mission and commitment to partnering with the government to build AI for India, with India.

The company has reportedly begun hiring to expand its local team, it said in a statement. It posted three sales jobs in India and it could list more in the future, the reports noted.