logo
Dinesh Ratnam returns to iQIYI as senior MD for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore

Dinesh Ratnam returns to iQIYI as senior MD for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR: Chinese streaming platform iQIYI has named Dinesh Ratnam as senior managing director for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
In his new role, Dinesh will oversee operations in the three markets, focusing on growing subscribers, expanding local content, building partnerships and boosting audience engagement.
This is a return to iQIYI for Dinesh, who previously helped launch and grow its presence in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.
He later became senior director for international business before leaving in 2023 to head Warner Music Group's Malaysia and Singapore operations.
Dinesh said it feels like a true homecoming, noting iQIYI's significant growth over the years with its strong catalogue of Chinese dramas, Korean series, anime and local productions.
"I'm excited to build on this momentum and tap into the immense creative potential of Southeast Asia.
"The demand for Asian content is at an all-time high, and we are well-positioned to deliver compelling stories that connect deeply with our audiences," he said in a statement.
During his time at Warner Music, Dinesh led the label through a period of commercial success, with multiple hit releases, cross-border chart performance and success, and industry awards for their artists.
Under his leadership, the company strengthened its role as a trusted partner for brands looking to integrate music into culturally relevant storytelling.
With over 15 years of experience across the streaming, content, and technology sectors, he brings a unique blend of regional market expertise and global strategic insight.
He has held senior roles at iflix, Catcha Group and started his career in investment banking with J.P. Morgan in London and San Francisco, advising on over US$25 billion worth of transactions in the technology, media and telecommunications space.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

OpenAI in talks for share sale at US$500bil valuation
OpenAI in talks for share sale at US$500bil valuation

The Star

time31 minutes ago

  • The Star

OpenAI in talks for share sale at US$500bil valuation

If the deal goes ahead, it would elevate OpenAI's on-paper price tag by roughly two-thirds. — Reuters NEW YORK: OpenAI is in early talks about a potential sale of stock for current and former employees at a valuation of about US$500bil, people briefed on the investment discussions said, marking an enormous gain in value for the artificial intelligence leader. The company is targeting a secondary stock sale in the billions of dollars, the people said, asking to remain anonymous because they weren't authorised to discuss the matter publicly. Existing investors, including Thrive Capital, have approached OpenAI about buying some of the employee shares, the people said. If the deal goes ahead, it would elevate OpenAI's on-paper price tag by roughly two-thirds. Its previous valuation stood at US$300bil in a US$40bil financing round led by SoftBank Group Corp, making it one of the largest privately held companies in the world. Representatives for OpenAI and Thrive declined to comment. The latest move follows news last week the startup had secured US$8.3bil from a syndicate of investors for a second tranche of that US$40bil financing, which was oversubscribed by about five times, according to one of the people briefed on the discussions. OpenAI managed to snag that funding ahead of schedule, the person said. Major US startups often negotiate share sales for their employees as a way to reward and retain staff, and also attract external investors. The firm run by Sam Altman is looking to leverage investor demand to provide employees with liquidity that reflects the company's growth, according to one of the people familiar with the negotiations. In recent months, OpenAI lost several members of its research staff to Meta Platforms Inc as the latter firm aggressively recruited top talent from Apple Inc and other competitors for its 'superintelligence' AI team, offering pay packages in the nine-figure range. A secondary sale for OpenAI could serve as a way to incentivise staff to remain at the company who are being offered lavish compensation. — Bloomberg

Lotte Chemical losses within expectations
Lotte Chemical losses within expectations

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Lotte Chemical losses within expectations

Maybank IB Research expects the company to begin registering depreciation of about RM700mil annually in financial year 2026. PETALING JAYA: Lotte Chemical Titan Holding Bhd is expected to be loss-making in the foreseeable future, as polymer-naphtha spreads remain subdued. The chemical group posted a core net loss of RM160.5mil for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 (2Q25), taking its cumulative core losses to RM300mil for the first half of the year (1H25). Revenue for 2Q25 dropped 19.2% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM1.44bil, mainly due to lower average selling prices (ASPs) of its products. The losses suffered were within expectations of analysts and dark clouds remain on the horizon. 'Based on our internal sensitivity analysis, Lotte Chemical's net profit breakeven high-density polyethylene-naphtha spreads need to be at least US$500 per tonne (currently: US$355 per tonne). 'In our view, it still faces a double whammy, as we do not foresee polymer prices to improve anytime soon as ASPs are expected to remain under pressure with a persistent supply glut and margin squeeze from elevated naphtha prices,' said Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB) in a report on the company. The research house also expected the company to begin registering depreciation of about RM700mil annually in financial year 2026 (FY26) while still experiencing losses as subdued selling prices are unlikely to cover production costs. 'We expect Lotte Chemical's net losses to widen in FY26 by 18% y-o-y,' the research house added. It expected Lotte Chemical to post a core net loss of RM604mil in FY25 and net core loss of RM712mil in FY26. CGS International (CGSI) Research noted Lotte Chemical's overall plant utilisation in 1Q25 and 2Q25 was unchanged at 46%, with Naphtha Cracker No. 1 at Pasir Gudang, Johor, shut down since Dec 15 last year leaving only the group's Naphtha Cracker No. 2 operating. Its new ethylene (Line) project in Indonesia was physically completed by mid-2025 and is currently undergoing commissioning and the creditor reliability test (CRT). Lotte Chemical expects the Line naphtha cracker to achieve commercial operations date by the October or November this year upon which depreciation of will commence and the interest expense related to the US$2.4bil project finance loan can no longer be capitalised and has to be expensed into its profit and loss statement. 'We expect the Line naphtha cracker to incur cash operating losses in the current market environment even with the partial use of propane/butane feedstock. 'However, after Line clears the CRT and achieves commercial operations date, it is possible it will dial down its utilisation rate, or even shut down altogether to reduce cash losses,' CGSI Research stated in a report. It added the instalment payments on the nine-year project finance loan will commence from June next year and require Lotte Chemical to take new debt to service the installments. Upside risks include Lotte Chemical potentially monetising the Line naphtha cracker to a trade buyer, CGSI Research said. The research house has retained its 'reduce' recommendation on the chemical group with a lower target price (TP) of 38 sen a share and based on 0.1 times its price to book value. Maybank IB has maintained its 'sell' call on Lotte Chemical with an unchanged TP of 39 sen pegged to 0.1 times the FY25 book value per share.

Yinson Production loan buyout done
Yinson Production loan buyout done

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Yinson Production loan buyout done

PETALING JAYA: Yinson Production has successfully completed the buy-out of the project loan related to floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) Atlanta from Brava Energia S.A. In a statement, the comprehensive FPSO solutions provider said at the time of the completion of the transaction, the principal amount outstanding under the project loan was approximately US$408.8mil (RM1.7bil), for which the company paid a total cash consideration of US$255.5mil plus US$1.9mil in accrued interest. 'The transaction was funded with cash on hand and the company expects to raise new debt financing for the FPSO in the future,' it said. Yinson Production acquired FPSO Atlanta from Brava through a purchase option in 2023, partly funded by the project loan provided by Brava.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store