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Tag: Narayan Devanathan

  • Dentsu India unveils ‘Roaring Bengal’ report

    Dentsu India unveils ‘Roaring Bengal’ report

    MUMBAI: Dentsu India, in strategic partnership with The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC&I), has launched the inaugural Roaring Bengal Report – a bold declaration positioning Bengal as the keystone of dentsu’s ambitious growth strategy for Bharat, beginning with the East.

    More than an insight report, Roaring Bengal represents a decisive shift in dentsu’s India roadmap, placing Bengal not at the periphery, but at the core of its multi-regional ambition. By unlocking the region’s powerful mix of culture, commerce, and creativity, the report signals dentsu’s commitment to building with Bengal, for Bengal, and from Bengal.

    Since 2017, Bengal has received investment proposals worth Rs. 13.55 lakh crore, underpinned by over 6,000 acres of ready industrial land and a progressive policy environment. The state is rapidly evolving into a national force across sectors such as green energy, smart infrastructure, fintech, artificial intelligence, and digital skilling – all contributing to a purpose-driven, innovation-led growth trajectory.

    With a projected Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Rs. 18.74 lakh crore by 2025, Bengal is among India’s fastest-growing consumer economies. The Bengal Silicon Valley is further accelerating the state’s digital economy, attracting substantial investment in future-facing technologies such as AI, IoT, and fintech.

    Report link: https://www.dentsu.com/in/en/reports/asset_single_article___the_roaring_bengal_report

    Narayan Devanathan, president & chief strategy officer, South Asia, dentsu said, “Bengal is not just part of our Bharat strategy, nor are we merely dipping our toes into the East. We are making a bold, long-term commitment. With this report and our partnership with BCC&I, we are planting our flag in a region where legacy meets leap – a centre of gravity for what is next. The Roaring Bengal Report is not commentary; it is our call to co-create Bengal’s future.”

    Abheek Biswas, AVP, consumer insights, dentsu India added, “This is a moment of inflection. From AI clusters and clean energy investments to inclusive skilling, Bengal is building with precision and purpose. The Roaring Bengal Report does not just map this momentum. It aligns us to it, firmly and fearlessly.”

    BCC&I is a long-standing catalyst for industrial growth in the region, welcomed the report’s launch. “This collaboration couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Arnab Basu, president, BCC&I. “Bengal is rising with intent, and the Roaring Bengal Report is more than insight: it is a navigational tool. It invites businesses to anticipate Bengal’s future and act on it today. Dentsu’s global expertise, paired with sharp regional relevance, makes this alliance both timely and transformative. This collaboration arrives at exactly the right moment. Bengal is building at scale, and the Roaring Bengal Report is more than insight; it is a roadmap. It equips brands to look beyond today and anticipate Bengal’s future. Dentsu India brings global scale with razor-sharp local relevance – a potent combination to deepen impact across industry, government, and civil society. Now is the time to act, and this report lights the way”, he added.

    Harsha Razdan, CEO, South Asia, dentsu commented, “This is not just a report. It is a roadmap backed by resolve. We are here to build real impact with Bengal, and our approach is deeply action-oriented. We will embed Eastern insights into Dentsu Lab India to shape innovation strategies at scale. We will convene co-creation workshops in Kolkata and across the state, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and creators to solve real-world challenges. And we will double down on skilling and capability-building efforts to empower Bengal’s next generation to lead in technology, media, and innovation. These are not gestures or slogans. They are measurable, mission-driven commitments. With Bengal, we are not just imagining the future. We are committing to building it together.”
     

  • Dentsu India charts the Martech map to decode digital dominance

    Dentsu India charts the Martech map to decode digital dominance

    MUMBAI: In a world where marketing meets machines, Dentsu India has launched its latest industry report, ‘Martech Landscape in India’, offering a deep dive into the nation’s ever-evolving Martech ecosystem. With digital transformation accelerating across industries, the report unpacks how businesses can harness AI, first-party data, and hyper-personalisation to drive real impact.

    The study comes at a time when India’s digital advertising market is projected to grow at a 19.09 per cent CAGR, touching Rs 59,200 crore by 2025. Driven by government initiatives like ‘Digital India’, Martech adoption is reshaping customer engagement, streamlining operations, and maximising ROI.

    The Martech landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by key trends that are reshaping digital marketing strategies. AI and automation are revolutionising the industry, with predictive analytics and AI-led tools enhancing decision-making and customer engagement. As privacy regulations tighten, brands are increasingly turning to first-party data strategies, making owned data a crucial asset for personalised marketing.

    Meanwhile, omnichannel and vernacular marketing are gaining traction, enabling brands to connect with diverse audiences through regional languages and voice search. The rise of e-commerce and digital retail is further fuelled by AI-powered personalisation, which is transforming the online shopping experience. Additionally, Tier 2 and 3 cities present untapped opportunities, as digital adoption surges beyond metro hubs, opening new avenues for growth and brand expansion.  

    The report underscores that Martech is no longer an option but a core business strategy. However, challenges such as integration complexities, data privacy concerns, and skill gaps must be tackled to unlock its full potential.

    Dentsu CEO for South Asia Harsha Razdan said, “I have always believed that technology is most powerful when it simplifies complexity. Martech is a great example of that – it helps businesses make sense of vast amounts of data and turn it into meaningful customer experiences. Today, it’s not about whether businesses use Martech, but how well they integrate it into decision-making and customer engagement. In India, we’re at that turning point. The companies that get this right will build stronger customer relationships and more resilient businesses. But success isn’t just about having the right tools – it’s about knowing what to focus on. This report is designed to help businesses cut through the noise, focus on what works, and turn Martech into real business impact.”

    Dentsu president & chief strategy officer for South Asia Narayan Devanathan added, “As the dots between media, creative, and customer experience connect more intimately, Martech has become the spine that unites these disciplines – enabling powerful, data-driven connections that drive meaningful outcomes. India’s Martech landscape is evolving rapidly, redefining how brands engage with consumers. By viewing Martech as the backbone of their business strategy, brands can unlock smarter solutions that fuel growth and impact. We’re proud to introduce this report as a valuable guide for brands looking to navigate and thrive in this ever-changing market.”

    As India’s Martech revolution picks up pace, Dentsu’s latest report serves as a roadmap for brands looking to navigate, adapt, and thrive in the digital-first era.

  • dentsu India’s CCO Narayan Devanathan resigns

    dentsu India’s CCO Narayan Devanathan resigns

    MUMBAI: After an eleven-year-long stint at the network, dentsu India chief client officer (CCO) Narayan Devanathan has resigned.

    Devanathan moves on from the agency to pursue his interests outside the advertising industry. The existing teams at dentsu India will continue to drive and oversee client-centric solutions led by the market’s key leadership – Divya Karani, Amit Wadhwa and Anubhav Sonthalia, the agency said in a statement.

    Commenting on Narayan’s decision, Dentsu India interim CEO Peter Huijboom said, “Narayan’s leadership has played an instrumental role in successfully aligning dentsu India with the company’s global ambitions of becoming the most integrated advertising network in the world. His relentless commitment towards providing the finest solutions to our clients is commendable and I wish him all the best on his new endeavour.”

    “There is a solid winning leadership in place, led by Divya Karani, Amit Wadhwa and Anubhav Sonthalia – that continues to serve our clients with excellence, perfection, and passion. Our ambitions for India are on an upward trajectory and we are moving ahead full throttle,” he added.

    Devanathan added, “My association with dentsu goes way beyond the varied roles that I have held within the network. Dentsu has been a life-shaping experience for me and the decision to take this big leap to pursue my interests outside the advertising industry was a tough one but something I am keenly looking forward to”

    “The network is a rich powerhouse of expertise; the enormity of exposure it offers is way beyond many milestones. As I look back, I am filled with gratitude to have been closely working with many of the best talents and industry leaders within the network,” he further said.

  • dentsu International names Narayan Devanathan as chief client officer for India

    dentsu International names Narayan Devanathan as chief client officer for India

    Mumbai: dentsu international has announced the creation of a new market leadership role of chief client officer (CCO) and elevated Narayan Devanathan to this position for India. Most recently, Devanathan was dentsu Solutions CEO, dentsu India president of strategy & integration, and dentsu Creative APAC lead for strategy & consulting.

    The development is seen as a key part of the dentsu India 2.0 transformation agenda. While a CEO for dentsu India is being recruited, Devanathan will report into global CEO media and global clients and interim co-CEO for India Peter Huijboom.

    “India is a key part of the global dentsu story, and Narayan, in turn, is a key member of the India leadership team,” said Hujiboom. “As we embark on the next leg of the dentsu India 2.0 journey, he will be focusing his energy, expertise and experience in helping bring together the capabilities of 3200+ dentsu talents seamlessly to make dentsu our clients’ partner of choice. With this appointment as CCO for India, Narayan will be moving away from his other roles in India and APAC with immediate effect.”

    Devanathan will be responsible for driving a renewed focus on client-centric solutions and will partner Amit Wadhwa (Creative Service Line CEO), Divya Karani (Media Service Line CEO) and Anubhav Sonthalia (CXM Service Line CEO) to deliver the best of dentsu’s solutions across the spectrum of business challenges that clients face in an ever-changing world while making our business easier to navigate for our clients.

    “Through relentless customer-centricity, outcome-driving solutions and next practice consulting, our aim for dentsu India 2.0 is not just to transform ourselves but to transform our clients’ business – sustainably, for good,” stated Devanathan. “To this end, we will deploy the power of creativity, a consummate understanding of people and data, and keep our eye on the only prize that matters: meaningful progress for our clients, their customers, and society.”

  • Amit Wadhwa promoted to CEO at dentsu Creative India

    New Delhi: On the back of its global organisational redesign, dentsu international on Tuesday created a new structure for its creative service line in India. The restructuring will bring together some of India’s best agencies along with their digital & PR capabilities – all from the house of dentsu – under one umbrella to provide a more collaborative and aligned offering to clients.

    The brands that will come together as part of this redesign as dentsu Creative include Dentsu Webchutney, Taproot Dentsu, WATConsult, Perfect Relations, Isobar, Dentsu One, Dentsu India and Dentsu Impact.

    With the eventual consolidation under the two strong global brands – dentsumcgarrybowen (dentsuMB) and Isobar, dentsu Creative will provide digital-native, brand-led, customer-centric, creative, and strategic solutions to clients, effortlessly, it added.

    In India, the dentsu Creative service line will be led by chief executive officer, Amit Wadhwa, who will be responsible for the integration, coordination, and implementation of the overall strategy for dentsu Creative in the market. He will lead the dentsu India creative service line leadership team, reporting to Anand Bhadkamkar and the regional dentsu Creative leadership. 

    Sidharth Rao, in addition to his current responsibilities, will now also be in charge of the brand dentsuMB Group in India as its CEO. He will work with the leadership team on dentsuMB’s brand strategy for the market. Shamsuddin Jasani, who continues to oversee the Isobar brand in South Asia as its managing director (MD), will also take on an additional role at dentsu Creative. He will now work with the regional and global leadership teams to support the Isobar practice area and will work closely with the Isobar Global leadership team on the same. 

    CEO India, Anand Bhadkamkar, said, “This global restructure is about consolidation of capabilities across our brands and businesses to bring the best of our services to our clients and provide those specialisms without any hassles. The idea is to ultimately stand true to our #OneDentsu strategy and thus, transform into a sharper and leaner business partner to brands. The changes in the India leadership team only reflect a step ahead in bolstering and scaling up our market ambitions. Amit, Sid, and Shams are amongst the strongest creative leaders not just within dentsu but across the industry; and with the kind of experience and knowledge backing them, I am certain that they will steer dentsu towards excellence not just in India but beyond.”

    The network has also elevated Narayan Devanathan as president – strategy & integration for India. In addition to his current role as CEO, dentsu Solutions, he will now support and achieve dentsu’s strategic objectives by defining, implementing, and driving growth and other vital initiatives for the market. He will continue to report to Anand Bhadkamkar for his additional responsibility as part of the India market leadership team. Meanwhile, Narayan will now also don a regional hat as APAC head for the dentsu Creative Strategy & Consulting practice. 

    “Narayan has been instrumental in driving integration across our units and, as part of the South Asia integration initiatives, he will be supporting the Sri Lanka team in strategy and integration across the two markets. He will now be moving away from his current additional role as chairperson, Creative Service Line for India, and will take up a regional leadership role as APAC lead – strategy & consulting Practice in the creative service line. In this role, he will be working with the Regional and Global leadership teams within the creative service line to help develop the area of Strategy & Consulting Practice in the APAC region,” Anand added.

  • DAN India launches proprietary tool ‘DAN Explore’

    DAN India launches proprietary tool ‘DAN Explore’

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network’s science team has launched its first proprietary tool ‘DAN Explore’ which captures the trend of changing audience behaviour and understands the nuance of various consumer cohorts across media touchpoints, backed by behavioural triggers and psychographic understanding. 

    Dan Explore will be the first tool in the market which examines the difference in media consumption habits across TV, digital, out of home, mobile and other touchpoints in the consumer’s  journey.  And it will also help marketers combat the challenge to determine when, where and how best to reach their audiences.

    Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia chief data officer Gautam Mehra says, “With data and smartphone prices being more ubiquitous, India has seen a distortion in the traditional path to purchase of the digitised consumer. While traditionally there have been challenges in brands understanding nuances in audience traits of the various subsets of their consumers, the growing needs of clients and brand strategists alike have inspired us to probe further in assuming ways to extracting these rich insights.”

    “The influence of sophisticated techniques like artificial intelligence, on the backbone of heightened processing capabilities has now made deeper understanding of audiences across various touchpoints very real. Through our access of deep rooted APIs with our partners in traditional and new media and our proprietary data sources, we have endeavored to decode audience behaviours across various platforms to capture a unified audience view to solve brand challenges,” he added.

    Commenting on the same, Dentsu Brand Agencies South Asia group executive and strategy officer Narayan Devanathan said, “There have been two ‘fights’ in the communications business one that’s been around for a couple of decades now and the other of more recent making. The first is between media and creative. The separation of these two components has resulted in a gap in how a media planner sees the audience and how a brand planner sees the consumer. The second is between big data and creative. What we seem to have forgotten in all these ‘fights’ is that everything we do is in the interest of best matching consumers and brands. What that requires is a connecting of the dots so that we understand people as people not only as consumers of media or brands. DAN Explore opens up countless ways to connect the dots precisely because it collects all kinds of dots about people and their lives. From passion points to brand and media consumption, from offline to online behavior, from individual to group affinities. In doing so, it does what data is supposed to do in the first place – help explore and find unexpected, inspiring insight.”

    The tool is also integrated with Dentsu’s proprietary data sources like SVG Columbus’ app inventory and M1 Panel.    

    The aim of DAN Explore is to paint a much more detailed and nuanced portrait of consumers than has been available to date. The tool is not only meant to bolster media and communication strategies for the network’s clients but also to inspire creative themes.

  • Dentsu Impact appoints Aditya Kilpady as national planning head

    Dentsu Impact appoints Aditya Kilpady as national planning head

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Impact, the creative agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has strengthened its strategic planning function by roping in Aditya Kilpady as the national planning head.

    Kilpady will report to Amit Wadhwa, president of Dentsu Impact with a dotted line reporting to Narayan Devanathan, group executive and strategy officer, Dentsu Brand Agencies, South Asia.

    Commenting on his new role, Aditya Kilpady says, “Marketers are expecting an integrated and synergistic approach to improve business and overall effectiveness. In this respect, collaboration is so crucial. Dentsu Impact has triggered a transformation with a singular vision to innovate the way businesses and brands are built. By bringing synergies in integration and seamlessness in ‘one solution’, I am looking forward to create a fantastic future for brands with my client and network partners.”

    Aditya comes in with over two decades of cross-cultural experience across verticals and geographies. His previous stints have been with Contract India, Bates Malaysia & Singapore, FCB China & India, and Pratama Indonesia. He has been involved in strategic thinking that impacted bottom-lines of Indian and multi-national companies and been awarded for marketing effectiveness at EFFIEs and AMEs.

    Talking about Kilpady’s joining the team, Devanathan mentions, “Over the past few years, there has only been one mantra behind Dentsu Impact’s stellar delivery to and beyond client expectations—a tight-knit group of talented people who believe in teamwork, and in together innovating the way brands can be built. Aditya is a stellar addition to the team—as much for his attitude as for his aptitude and experience. He will be instrumental in helping the agency create brave new solutions for a brave new world.”

  • Dentsu Creative Impact strengthens team with several senior level hires

    Dentsu Creative Impact strengthens team with several senior level hires

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Creative Impact, creative division of Dentsu Aegis Network, has made a host of new talent acquisitions.

    The beefing up of the team has happened across functions, ranging from strategic planning to account management and creative. The appointments come in the wake of the recent client wins such as Maruti Suzuki, Carlsberg and a set of soon-to-be announced brands.

    In the creative function, the agency has roped in Sundar Iyer as copy ECD. Iyer will form the creative leadership team along with ECD Sumitra Sengupta and Art ECD Deepak Singh, whose appointment was announced a few months back. Both Iyer and Sengupta join in after their recent stints at JWT.

    On his new role and expectations, Iyer said, “Great work can only come from collaboration, which seems to be inherent to the way this agency functions. It’s a place that doesn’t have to unlearn to be ready.”

    Sengupta added, “Two months, and Dentsu Creative Impact has already broken my preconceived notions about it. It’s a great place to work at this time. The client is open to innovations, actually demanding it and I’m working at the best place that can provide it.”

    On the account management side, Dentsu Creative Impact has roped in Arvinderjit Singh as vice president, who along with vice president Hindol Purkayastha, will bolster the function and bring in greater depth and strength.

    Speaking about his new role, Singh said, “The sands of engagement as a creative partner have shifted and our industry is going through tremendous change. Working with an agency like Dentsu Creative Impact that not only recognises change but embraces it, is very exciting.”

    Purkayastha added, “It’s rare we get a chance to build and create internal ecosystems to mirror our client needs. This is exactly what we are doing around our clients. I am also excited on utilising Dentsu’s strengths in digital and new media to create advertising that actually touches people’s lives.”

    In strategic planning, Shveta Singh has been appointed as vice president. She will work with strategic planning senior vice president Kartikeya Srivastava. Shveta said, “For me, crossing over the digital divide was the next logical step because the future will have no such divide. A new approach to strategic planning is the need of the day. And, Dentsu came across as the right place with the right vision and a set of people who are already breaking the mould of traditional agency planning.”

    Talking about the new team additions, Dentsu Creative Impact Group CEO Narayan Devanathan said, “Great work happens when people commit to constantly raising the bar. At Dentsu Creative Impact, we’re doing that by first raising the bar on the talent we’re bringing together, across functions. Across Creative, Account Management, Planning, we have a first-rate second rung in place at Dentsu Creative Impact to sustain the momentum that we have going now.”

    Echoing a similar sentiment Dentsu Creative Impact branch head senior vice president Amit Wadhwa said, “It’s been great going for Dentsu Creative Impact especially in the last year or so, and one way we can really continue this upward journey is when we have the right people around. And when we were looking to expand our team this was precisely the thought in our head. We are excited about the fresh thinking and energy that all these guys bring and I am looking forward to working with all of them.”

  • Dentsu Creative Impact ups Narayan Devanathan as CEO

    Dentsu Creative Impact ups Narayan Devanathan as CEO

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network has promoted Narayan Devanathan as Dentsu Creative Impact CEO. 

     

    In his new role, Devanathan will lead the growth of the full service creative agency, Dentsu Creative Impact across qualitative and quantitative parameters. He will continue to be based out of Gurgaon.

     

    As part of his expanded role, he will also head the agency’s two specialist units, Dentsu Mama Lab (dedicated to better connecting brands with mothers through original insights) and Citizen Dentsu (the social communications division).

     

    Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin said, “Devanathan, with his tremendous experience in building brands, is now tasked with building Dentsu Creative Impact into a strategic and creative power-house that partners our global and local clients in the new, dynamic era of advertising that we are entering. Dentsu Aegis Network clients deserve the best talent on their brands and as a part of that commitment we have placed Devanathan, amongst our best managers, in the role of heading this operation.”

     

    “There are a lot of words that are currently being bandied about in terms of where the future of advertising lies. I believe the road to the future lies in a return to simpler times. Where the focus is on creating a happy place that helps people generate fabulous ideas. That’s probably still the best way to deliver value to clients, and success to our people. And those are the two metrics I’m going to raise the bar on,” added Devanathan.

     

    Dentsu APAC CEO Rohit Ohri said, “In his four years at Dentsu, Narayan partnered me in the agency transformation process in India as national planning director. Understanding client’s marketing problems and finding the most effective solutions for them has been Narayan’s core strength. Insightful and intuitive, he is a natural advertising person. I believe that under his leadership, Dentsu Creative Impact G will scale newer heights.”

     

    His experience in the advertising industry spans over 20 years across two of the most distinctive markets in the world. He has worked across capacities in planning and creative with leading advertising agencies in India and the United States. Prior to Dentsu, he was CSO, Euro RSCG India (now Havas Worldwide) and senior planning director at Ogilvy & Mather India. Before he moved back to India in 2007, he had also worked with the US-based Cramer-Krasselt and Admerasia, New York.