Dentsu Launches Innovation Hub ‘Dentsu Lab’ in India

Dentsu Strengthens Global Innovation Network with Launch of Dentsu Lab in India

Japanese advertising and marketing powerhouse Dentsu has expanded its global innovation ecosystem by launching Dentsu Lab in India, officially inaugurated in Mumbai on July 15, 2025. This addition positions India alongside other prominent innovation hubs in Tokyo, London, and Warsaw, underscoring the country’s growing significance as a centre for creativity, technology, and cultural insight.

A Strategic Expansion Rooted in Human-Centred Innovation

Founded in 2014 by Dentsu’s global chief creative officer Yasuharu Sasaki, Dentsu Lab is an innovation platform dedicated to developing AI, immersive technology, and human-centred design solutions. The Lab’s mission is to design experiences that resonate emotionally, drive business growth, and contribute positively to society.

By launching Dentsu Lab in India, the group strengthens its commitment to ‘Innovate to Impact,’ a global proposition helping brands move faster and with greater purpose. The India Lab integrates emerging technologies with culturally rooted creativity and user-focused thinking — tailored to solve real-world problems and foster sustainable growth.

Leadership and Vision for the Indian Lab

Heading the India operations is Gurbaksh Singh, Chief Creative Officer and Chief Innovation Officer for South Asia at Dentsu. Singh will lead innovation efforts across industries, collaborating with clients, startups, and partners to co-create solutions that address user needs and business challenges.

Gurbaksh Singh said,

“Dentsu Lab in India is not here to theorize innovation but to build it—boldly, rapidly, and intentionally. India’s dynamic mix of cultural richness and tech expertise powers our efforts to create solutions rooted in human connection and impact. Whether through drone safety systems or emotional AI addressing connectivity gaps, our prototypes exist to solve real problems today.”

Showcasing Global and Local Innovations

To mark the launch, Dentsu Lab India unveiled a collection of pioneering prototypes from both global and Indian contexts, demonstrating its commitment to experimentation and impact:

• From Tokyo:
• Tokonoma — an AI-driven installation converting handcrafted Japanese pottery into live music, blending tradition with AI art.
• Unlabeled — a fashion-tech initiative creating camouflage patterns to evade AI surveillance, addressing machine bias and privacy concerns.
• From India:
• Garuda Rakshak — a drone-based public safety solution aimed at enhancing urban security.
• Motorola Deep Connect — technology facilitating remote connectivity with emotional intelligence, bridging communication gaps.
• Unfiltered History Tour — an Augmented Reality museum experience that challenges colonial narratives through immersive storytelling.

These diverse projects exemplify the Lab’s ethos of leveraging technology to create culturally relevant, empathetic, and commercially viable innovations.

Dentsu’s Holistic and Cross-Industry Approach

Dentsu Lab operates as a creative R&D service hub, seamlessly connecting across sectors such as events, sports, gaming, retail innovation, AI, IoT, data visualization, and extended realities (AR, VR, MR). It unites technologists, designers, strategists, and cultural thinkers to co-create future-ready solutions that possess real-world applicability.

Dentsu Creative and Media Brands South Asia CEO Amit Wadhwa and dentsu South Asia President and CSO Narayan Devanathan expressed,

“India has always been a crossroads of creativity and invention—from ancient wisdom to modern innovations. This synergy of data, empathy, design, and culture primes the Lab as a powerhouse of possibility. Our promise is that Indian innovation will be both intelligent and inclusive, grounded in purpose and impact.”

Labs Now Operational Across Key Indian Cities

In addition to the Mumbai flagship space, Dentsu Lab has opened physical innovation centres in Bengaluru and Gurgaon, providing clients a collaborative environment to ideate, prototype, and experiment alongside experts across disciplines.

Global Perspective on Innovation with Local Impact

Yasuharu Sasaki reflected on the launch, saying,

“True innovation is neither about speed nor scale alone—it is about purpose and empathy. Every idea starts with understanding human needs. India’s unique balance of emotional insight, cultural depth, and technical skill enriches our global network. Together, we will create meaningful innovation to serve business and society.”

Why This Matters for India

The launch of Dentsu Lab in India highlights the country’s rising stature not only as a tech hub but as a nurturing ground for human-centred creative solutions that address evolving cultural and business challenges. This expansion promises to accelerate innovation across sectors, boost startup collaboration, and enable brands to engage consumers with relevant, future-ready experiences.