MAM
Havas launches its global e-commerce vertical Havas Market in India
Mumbai: Havas Media Group (HMG) India, the media agency conglomerate of Havas Group India has announced the launch of Havas Market, a full-service e-commerce offering that aims to empower consumers in their shopping journey, providing meaningful e-retail experiences and generating incremental business for brands. Globally, Havas Market was launched in October 2020.
To lead this division, HMG India has appointed Sharukh Lakhani as lead – Havas Market. With over 11 years of experience across various segments in the e-commerce space, Lakhani has expert knowledge of the brand, retailer and agency sides of the ecosystem. From start-ups like CouponDunia to established brands like Unilever & GNC, he has been instrumental in building successful e-commerce businesses on the back of strong partnerships with key platforms including Amazon, Flipkart, 1mg, and Healthkart, according to the agency. Lakhani joins from Wavemaker where he led the e-commerce media strategy for clients including Mondelez and Sun Pharma.
Lakhani will closely work with Provit Chemmani, who leads the e-commerce expansion globally for Havas Group, Havas Media Group India head of digital services Rohan Chincholi, and a team of specialists across research, insights, performance media, content & analytics, said the agency.
Commenting on the launch, Havas Group India Group CEO Rana Barua said, “With the launch of Havas Market, India is poised to become a leader in creating meaningful shopping experiences. The division will give clients access to real-time market intel to help them form better decisions on the back of data and technology. I’m excited about the Group’s ambitious plans, forging into new avenues, that not only strengthen our capabilities but also ensure upskilling of our people and processes, thereby providing a seamless and integrated experience to our clients.”
“The current e-retail landscape in India is very competitive and complicated for the consumer,” Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi said.
“From fashion, beauty, electronics and mobile, to food, healthcare and entertainment, each product category has witnessed significant growth in e-commerce spending. India already has close to 200 million+ online transacting users. Given Havas Media Group India’s diversified client portfolio, we identified a great opportunity to develop an in-house e-commerce practice. With Havas Market, we want to become the go-to-market entity in the industry, offering an end-to-end solution and optimising clients’ e-retail business. I’m confident with Havas’ existing capabilities and the stellar team of experts, we will be able to scale the vertical to even greater heights.”
Havas Market will provide a comprehensive understanding and analysis across all sales channels, including 50+ marketplaces, social commerce, direct to consumer, and digital to retail, using a unique methodology that goes beyond media. It will further include capabilities ranging from insights & research, retail & content management, paid media, sales analytics and more. With India experiencing tremendous e-commerce growth fuelled by pandemic-accelerated digital adoption and a rapid expansion in internet services, Havas Market provides a competitive edge from its ability to deliver one-stop e-commerce solutions to manage brands’ economies of scale.
“Consumers today are constantly on the lookout for ease and convenience in their purchase journey. Havas Market will help brands rethink the retail journey and, in turn, reach an engaged audience. The approach will be guided by Havas Media Group’s Converged data partnership & Mx process that uses connection, context and content to create the most meaningful experience for consumers,” Rohan Chincholi commented.
Brands
IICT partners with Gativedhi to bring studio production tools to students
New MoU lets students explore AI-driven production pipelines for AVGC-XR
MUMBAI: The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has teamed up with Gativedhi Technologies to give students a front-row seat to modern studio production. The collaboration will integrate Gativedhi’s AI-powered production intelligence platform, Shotrack, into academic programmes, letting students experience the workflow systems used by animation, VFX and gaming studios.
Under the MoU, faculty, students and researchers will get hands-on access to Shotrack through beta programmes, pilot deployments and academic evaluations. This will allow them to explore simulated production pipelines, understand asset management, track tasks and monitor schedules, essentially seeing how complex projects come together behind the scenes.
Shotrack is designed to tackle a key industry challenge: when multiple studios work on the same project, differing internal systems often create bottlenecks, slow approvals and complicate version control. The platform provides a unified production environment, enabling smoother collaboration across distributed teams while generating operational insights and predictive analytics to optimise crew allocation, forecast schedule risks and manage costs.
The collaboration also opens doors to Gativedhi’s wider ecosystem. Upcoming tools include StudioTrack, for studio operations management covering budgeting, recruitment and IT infrastructure, and WorkTrack, which measures workflow efficiency and team productivity across industries.
IICT plans to embed these tools into programmes covering animation pipelines, VFX workflows, gaming production and media project management. Students will also benefit from guest lectures, masterclasses, workshops, internships and research projects that connect academic learning with real-world studio practices.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar, said the partnership provides “An environment where production pipeline tools can be explored, tested and refined while students gain insight into how large-scale productions are organised.”
Gativedhi Technologies founder & CEO Senthil Kumar added, “This collaboration introduces students to real-world studio management tools and helps us improve our platform with academic feedback.”
With Shotrack in classrooms, India’s future animators, VFX artists and gaming producers will get a taste of studio life long before they step into one.
