Dentsu strengthens global innovation network with India launch of Dentsu Lab

Dentsu has launched Dentsu Lab in India, expanding its global innovation network. The Lab was officially opened in Mumbai on July 15, 2025. With this, India joins other Dentsu Labs in Tokyo, London, and Warsaw.

Founded in 2014 by dentsu’s global chief creative officer Yasuharu Sasaki, Dentsu Lab focuses on innovation in AI, immersive technology, and human-centred design. It has developed solutions that address business challenges and create societal impact. The launch of Dentsu Lab in India is a strategic move, positioning the country as an important hub for innovation and a key partner for clients operating across 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 and chief innovation officer - South Asia, dentsu.  He will lead the Lab’s innovation plans across sectors, working with clients, startups, and partners to develop solutions focused on user needs and business 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.

Speaking about the launch, 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 and Media Brands, South Asia, dentsu and Narayan Devanathan, president and chief strategy officer, dentsu South Asia jointly commented, “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.”

“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,” they reiterated.

Gurbaksh Singh commented, “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 physical lab spaces now open in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Gurgaon, Dentsu Lab India provides a platform for clients to ideate, prototype, and collaborate with experts in design, coding, data, and culture.