JIOSTAR APPOINTS PRANAV KUNKALIENKAR AS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

JioStar has named Pranav Kunkalienkar as associate director – corporate communications. He joins after managing communications and PR for IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals. With earlier experience at Disney Star, MSLGroup and several sports organisations, Kunkalienkar brings a background spanning sports media, communications strategy, marketing and consulting.

JioStar has appointed Pranav Kunkalienkar as associate director – corporate communications, strengthening its leadership in strategic communications with a professional whose career spans sports media, public relations and business strategy.

Kunkalienkar joins the organisation after serving as manager – corporate communications and PR at Rajasthan Royals, the Indian Premier League franchise, where he worked from March 2025 to February 2026. During his tenure with the team, he led communications initiatives related to the franchise, managing media relations, public relations campaigns and messaging tied to the club’s operations and broader engagement with fans and stakeholders.

His role involved shaping narratives around the franchise’s activities during the IPL season as well as its wider off-field initiatives, an increasingly important aspect of communications for modern sports organisations seeking to maintain strong brand identities beyond the playing arena.

Reflecting on his departure from Rajasthan Royals, Kunkalienkar shared a message on LinkedIn that highlighted the emotional significance of his time with the franchise. In the post, he described the difficulty of leaving an organisation where personal connections were as meaningful as professional achievements.

“If I’m honest, I’ve been rewriting this in my head for days. It’s difficult to say goodbye to a place where the work mattered, but the people mattered more,” he wrote. “As I wrap up my chapter with Rajasthan Royals, I don’t first think about campaigns or coverage reports…”

The message underscored the collaborative environment within the team and suggested that the experience extended well beyond the metrics and milestones typically associated with communications work.

Prior to joining Rajasthan Royals, Kunkalienkar spent more than three years with Disney Star as assistant manager – corporate communications (sports), working with the company between 2022 and 2025. In that role, he contributed to communications initiatives linked to the broadcaster’s sports portfolio, supporting messaging and public relations efforts connected to some of India’s most prominent sports properties.

His experience at Disney Star provided exposure to the intersection of sports broadcasting, corporate communications and large-scale media operations, equipping him with insights into how sports content is positioned within the broader entertainment and media landscape.

Earlier in his career, Kunkalienkar worked at MSLGroup as a senior account executive, where he handled communications mandates across multiple clients. The role gave him experience in agency-side public relations, including media engagement, campaign planning and strategic communications support.

Beyond the media and public relations sector, his career also includes roles at KOOH Sports Private, Rendezvous Sports World and Universal Hunt. In these organisations he worked across marketing, business development and consulting functions, building a multidisciplinary understanding of the sports and business ecosystem.

This varied professional background has allowed Kunkalienkar to develop expertise across communications strategy, stakeholder management and brand storytelling, areas that are increasingly central to organisations operating in the highly competitive sports and media sectors.

His appointment at JioStar comes at a time when media companies are placing greater emphasis on integrated communications strategies to manage reputation, engage audiences and communicate corporate narratives across multiple platforms.

For JioStar, bringing in a communications professional with experience across sports franchises, media broadcasting and agency public relations reflects the evolving demands of the industry, where storytelling, brand positioning and stakeholder engagement have become core strategic priorities.

As Kunkalienkar begins his new role, the move marks the next step in a career shaped by the dynamic intersection of sports, media and corporate communications, sectors that continue to grow increasingly interconnected in the modern entertainment landscape.