Hotstar chief executive joins Facebook India

Social media company Facebook has named Ajit Mohan, head of Indian video streaming platform Hotstar, as the new managing director and vice-president of its Indian division.

The role of managing director in India marks a newly-created position for Facebook, which said in a statement that India represents “one of its largest and most strategically important countries”.

Mohan has served as chief executive of Hotstar, which is owned by pay-television broadcaster Star India, since April 2016.

The appointment comes with Facebook having last month struck a deal with LaLiga to show Spanish top-tier football in the Indian subcontinent for three seasons, from 2018-19 to 2020-21.