Cosmos-Maya hires Disney, Viacom exec

India- and Singapore-based animation studio Cosmos-Maya has expanded its senior team in Mumbai with the appointment of former Disney and Viacom exec Priti Karandikar.

Priti Karandikar

Karandikar joins the Cosmos-Maya ranks as senior VP, new business and will focus on new digital media, growing the company’s licensing and merchandising strategies and EdTech content creation. She will report to CEO Anish Mehta.

Karandikar has more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, having held a number of senior positions. She spent almost a decade in the consumer products division at Disney, where she was part of the brand-building efforts in India and served as assistant manager and marketing executive.

Karandikar then went to Viacom 18, where she formed part of the core L&M team and serves as sales director, managing five key categories for its kids’ portfolio across India and servicing brands including Colgate, Kellogg’s and Perfetti. She most recently served as the head of brand and communication at the Piramal Foundation in Mumbai.

The appointment is in line with Cosmos-Maya’s expansion plans and its focus on increasing reach for both its owned and acquired brands.

Mehta said: “It is a very exciting time to be in the kids’ audiovisual space. With the sheer increase in consumption, proliferation of platforms and new technology coming in every day, the market is robust and full of opportunity. My hearty welcome to Priti, as she joins us in a new growth phase as a business. With Priti heading up business development, we envisage a more holistic approach to brand monetisation, with all divisions working in tandem to drive revenues.”