USISPF Welcomes JioStar Vice Chairman Uday Shankar and Caterpillar CEO Joseph Creed to Board of Directors

Washington, District Of Columbia, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Uday Shankar, Vice Chairman, JioStar and Founder Director of Bodhi Tree Systems and Mr. Joseph E. (Joe) Creed, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caterpillar Inc. to the Board of Directors.

USISPF Welcomes Uday Shankar and Joseph Creed to the Board of Directors

Uday Shankar, a global media mogul and industry leader, co-founded Bodhi Tree Systems with James Murdoch in 2020. The platform leverages Mr. Shankar’s track record of building iconic brands—grounded in a deep understanding of the Indian consumer, a sharp eye for talent that drives operational excellence, and a sophisticated grasp of digital ecosystems—to grow companies across media, education, and other consumer-facing sectors in the Indian Ocean region, with a focus on India. Through Bodhi Tree, he has led strategic investments in JioStar (formerly Viacom18), India’s largest media and entertainment company, and ALLEN Career Institute, the country’s leading education business.

As Vice Chairman of JioStar, Mr. Shankar oversees its sports, streaming, and broadcast verticals. He also shapes the strategic vision for JioHotstar, which, with over 200 million paying subscribers, ranks among the world’s largest streaming platforms.

Joe Creed took the reins as CEO at Caterpillar on May 1. He joined the U.S.-headquartered machinery manufacturer in 1997 and is a member of Caterpillar’s board of directors. In this role, Mr. Creed leads a global team of nearly 113,000 employees in 63 countries. He is tasked with laying out the company’s strategic vision, driving profitable growth with a focus on operational excellence, and expanding current offerings with a focus on services and sustainability.

Speaking on Mr. Shankar and Mr. Creed’s appointment, USISPF Chairman, John Chambers said: “I’m honored to welcome both Uday and Joe to the board. Our partnership with Caterpillar enters an exciting new chapter under Joe’s leadership, and it’s a privilege to welcome Uday back in this new role. The strength of the U.S.-India relationship is reflected in the extraordinary talent and global perspective these two leaders bring—one from the world of media and entertainment, the other from engineering and machinery. What unites them is a shared commitment to innovation, excellence, and a deep belief in the power of collaboration to drive progress across our two great democracies.”

“Uday has built a reputation for innovating on legacy media brands with an eye for digital innovation and disruption, while serving one of the most dynamic and challenging media markets – India. In all his endeavors, Uday has kept the Indian consumer at heart” said Dr. Mukesh Aghi USISPF President and CEO.

Mr. Shankar is widely credited with transforming India’s media and entertainment landscape over a career spanning three decades. He helped launch Aaj Tak, India’s first 24-hour news channel, introducing the breaking news format to Indian television. As CEO of Star India, he led one of the industry’s most successful turnarounds—expanding the network’s reach to over 700 million viewers through regional content, socially relevant programming, transformative sports coverage, and the launch of a pioneering digital streaming service, Hotstar. Later, as president of 21st Century Fox Asia and The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific, he shaped content and distribution strategy across one of the world’s most dynamic media regions.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Shankar said, “It gives me great pleasure to extend my long-standing association with USISPF. The India–U.S. relationship has never been more consequential, especially as the world navigates a rapidly evolving geopolitical and economic landscape. I look forward to partnering with USISPF and its partners to deepen collaboration between our two nations, particularly in the areas of media, technology, and education, where shared values and innovation can unlock transformative opportunities.”

Mr. Creed is a Caterpillar veteran, having spent nearly three decades across multiple divisions of the corporation, which is celebrating its Centennial in 2025. He was named the company’s Chief Operating Officer in 2023 and has also served as Chief Financial Officer for Caterpillar’s Energy & Transportation segment, Senior Vice President of Caterpillar Finance Services, and Senior Vice President of both the Oil & Gas and Marine division and the Electric Power division. 

“We’ve had a long and successful partnership with Caterpillar since our beginnings, and I am excited to begin a new phase with Joe, who represents Caterpillar’s global excellence and long history of manufacturing, infrastructure development and cutting-edge technology in India,” said Dr. Aghi. “I am confident that under Joe, we will continue to fortify our mission of nurturing strong commercial bonds between the United States and India.”

As Caterpillar embarks on its second century, Creed is dedicated to honoring the company’s rich legacy, leveraging new technologies that will drive its future and focusing on its greatest competitive advantage, Caterpillar’s people.

“I am honored to join the Board of Directors and continue Caterpillar’s long-term collaboration with the forum,” said Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed. “I look forward to working with fellow leaders to support the success of the economic relationship between the United States and India.”

About USISPF

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India. As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership in Washington, D.C., and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organizations, the diaspora, and the governments of India and the United States. 

Press inquiries

USISPF
https://usispf.org
Ankit Jain
[email protected]
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2550 M St NW
Washington, DC 20037, USA

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