Dentsu expands global innovation ecosystem with the launch of Dentsu Lab in India
Dentsu has launched Dentsu Lab in India, marking a major expansion of its global innovation network into one of the world’s most vibrant and fast-evolving markets. The Lab was officially launched in Mumbai on July 15, 2025. With this, India joins a growing constellation of Dentsu Labs in Tokyo, London, and Warsaw. The move further strengthens dentsu’s commitment to building innovation hubs where creativity meets code, and where bold ideas are designed to scale.
Founded in 2014 by dentsu’s Global Chief Creative Officer Yasuharu Sasaki, Dentsu Lab has consistently redefined what innovation can achieve. It has pushed the boundaries of AI, immersive technology, and human-centred design to deliver award-winning solutions. These innovations not only solve business challenges but also generate lasting societal value. The launch of Dentsu Lab in India marks a strategic leap forward. It recognises the country as a global innovation engine and a key partner for clients working at the intersection of business, technology, and culture.
At its core, Dentsu Lab is dentsu’s innovation solution – created to design human experiences that move hearts, impact business, and shape a better society. With the launch in India, dentsu is deepening that commitment. The Lab offers clients in the region and beyond a powerful new platform to shape the future of their industries. It brings together emerging technology, culturally rooted creativity, and human-centred thinking. The India launch also reinforces dentsu’s global ‘Innovate to Impact’ brand proposition, helping brands move faster – with purpose and precision.
Leading this charge in India is Gurbaksh Singh, Chief Creative Officer & Chief Innovation Officer – South Asia, dentsu. A champion of experimentation and purpose-led design, Gurbaksh will drive the Lab’s innovation agenda across sectors by working closely with clients, startups, and partners to create solutions that are rooted in empathy and engineered for growth.
To mark the launch, Dentsu Lab in India has unveiled a series of globally and locally developed prototypes that reflect its commitment to experimentation, cultural relevance, and real-world impact. From Tokyo, the Lab brings Tokonoma, an AI-powered installation that transforms handcrafted Japanese pottery into real-time music, and Unlabeled, a fashion-tech concept that uses camouflage patterns to evade AI surveillance and challenge machine-based bias.
From India, the Lab showcases homegrown innovations such as Garuda Rakshak, a drone-powered public safety solution; Motorola Deep Connect, which addresses remote connectivity gaps through emotionally intelligent tech design; and the globally acclaimed Unfiltered History Tour – an AR-powered museum experience that subverts colonial narratives through immersive storytelling.
Yasuharu Sasaki, Global Chief Creative Officer, dentsu, said: “Innovation, at its best, is not driven by speed or scale alone, but by purpose. In a world where technology is accelerating rapidly, we must not forget that true progress begins with understanding people. We believe every idea must begin with empathy because when we place human needs at the centre, we create solutions that are not only intelligent, but deeply meaningful. India holds a special strength – a harmony of emotional insight, cultural richness, and technical excellence. With Dentsu Lab in India, we are bringing this strength into our global network. Together, we will create innovation that is grounded in humanity and designed to serve both business and society with lasting impact.”
Dentsu Lab offers a creative R&D service that connects technologies and contexts across diverse touchpoints, including events, sports, gaming, immersive installations, retail innovation, proposition design, new product development, data visualisation, AI, mobile, IoT, rapid prototyping, and extended realities (AR, VR, MR). These capabilities allow the Lab to work fluidly across industries, bringing together technologists, designers, strategists, and cultural thinkers to deliver future-ready, impact-led solutions.
Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative & Media Brands, South Asia, dentsu and Narayan Devanathan, President & Chief Strategy Officer, dentsu South Asia, said: “Throughout history, India has stood at the crossroads of imagination and invention. From ancient knowledge systems to modern engineering marvels, India brings something truly special to the Lab – the ability to blend logic with intuition, tech with touch, data with empathy. Our culture teaches us to see the world not just as it is, but as it could be. With brilliant engineers, thoughtful designers, academics, and storytellers around us, we believe Dentsu Lab in India will be a crucible of possibility; a world where ideas come to life with purpose and humility.
“It is our promise to our clients and partners that here in India, innovation will not only be efficient, but empathetic. Not only intelligent, but inclusive. And through the Lab, we will build solutions that uplift industries, inspire people, and improve the world around us.”
Gurbaksh Singh said: “We are not here to theorise about innovation. We are here to build it – fast, bold, and with intent. At Dentsu Lab in India, every challenge is a live brief, and every prototype a shot at solving something real. We draw from India’s first-mover mindset and a strong foundation in creative R&D to engineer ideas rooted in human connection and cultural relevance. From drones for public safety to emotional tech that bridges remote gaps, to wearables that push back against machine bias – everything we create exists to make a measurable difference. This Lab gives our ideas the tools, the talent, and the freedom to grow. We keep it simple, but we don’t think small. Our strength lies in blending creative ingenuity with emerging technology to deliver outcomes that create meaningful change, not eventually, but now.”
With dedicated physical lab spaces now operational in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Gurgaon, Dentsu Lab in India is built as a living, breathing platform for clients to ideate, prototype, and co-create alongside experts in design, code, data, and culture. The Lab’s work spans industries, and is engineered to help brands move from ‘WHAT NOW?’ to ‘WHAT NEXT?’ through bold experimentation, smart prototyping, and applied R&D.