Brands
Naveen Durgaraju elevated as head of gen AI at Dneg
MUMBAI: Dneg has elevated Naveen Durgaraju to head of generative AI, a move that reflects both the company’s growing focus on AI-led creativity and Durgaraju’s unusually wide-ranging professional journey.
The appointment marks a fresh chapter for Durgaraju, whose career has comfortably straddled technology, business strategy and creative expression. At Dneg, he will be tasked with shaping the studio’s Generative AI vision, helping blend advanced AI systems with cinematic storytelling and production workflows.
Before stepping into this role, Durgaraju built his foundation across global organisations such as Infosys and Belgium-based Proximus Group. There, he worked on business analysis, product ownership and telecom core systems, gaining hands-on experience in large-scale, complex technology environments.
What sets him apart, however, is his parallel creative track. He has been closely associated with platforms such as Pepperscript and Leadstart, also known as One Point Six Technologies, where he honed his skills as an author and creative professional. This rare mix of analytical depth and narrative instinct has shaped his multidisciplinary profile.
Colleagues describe his career as one that refuses to stay in a single lane. From enterprise technology to publishing, and now to generative AI in visual effects, Durgaraju has consistently moved at the intersection of logic and imagination.
His elevation comes at a time when generative AI is rapidly redefining how stories are conceived and produced in the entertainment industry. With Dneg leaning into that shift, Durgaraju’s blend of technical expertise and creative sensibility positions him to help turn algorithms into artistry.
In an industry often split between left brain and right brain, his journey suggests there is plenty of room for both.
Brands
Komerz acquires Glassbox to launch creative commerce model in India
Brand storytelling meets AI-driven distribution as Komerz targets $345bn digital market
MUMBAI: London-headquartered commerce platform Komerz has acquired brand and marketing consultancy Glassbox, creating a single integrated system that blends creativity, distribution, and measurable sales.
The move introduces a new “creative commerce” model, combining AI-powered infrastructure, brand strategy, and performance measurement within one platform. By connecting upper-funnel brand building with lower-funnel conversion and repeat purchases, the combined entity aims to provide brands with a seamless growth engine.
Komerz Global CEO Ramesh Krishnamurthy said, “Creative commerce must operate across the funnel. Contextual content, data-led activation and distribution must function as one accountable growth engine.”
Komerz global COO Siddharth Shankar added, “Creative without distribution is theatre. Distribution without brand equity is discounting. Bringing both together lets brands build equity while driving measurable growth.”
Glassbox, founded in 2021 by Geetanjali Bhattacharji and Anil Nair, works across brand strategy, marketing transformation, and integrated communications. Bhattacharji said the integration reflects how “brand building must evolve from episodic campaigns to always-on, data-informed commerce frameworks.”
Komerz, valued around $330 million, operates across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America. The acquisition will help multinational corporations manage complex global portfolios while enabling challenger and D2C brands to scale across India’s digital commerce market, projected to reach $345 billion by 2030.
With this deal, Komerz is strengthening its global “creative commerce” footprint, following its recent acquisition of US retail measurement firm Pathformance, and positioning itself at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and technology.
