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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.
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Hyundai and TVS Motor partner to develop electric three wheelers
Joint development pact targets last mile mobility with localisation push
MUMBAI: Three wheels, one big ambition and a charge towards the future. Hyundai Motor Company and TVS Motor Company have signed a joint development agreement to co-create electric three-wheelers (E3Ws), aiming to crack India’s complex last-mile mobility puzzle. The collaboration moves beyond concept talk into execution mode, building on the E3W prototype first showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The goal now is clear, design, develop and commercialise a purpose-built vehicle tailored to Indian roads, riders and realities.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will lead design and co-development, bringing its global R&D muscle and human-centric engineering approach to the table. TVS Motor, meanwhile, will anchor the product on its electric platform, leveraging deep three-wheeler expertise and local market insight. It will also handle manufacturing and sales in India, with an eye on exports down the line.
The timing is strategic. India remains the world’s largest three-wheeler market, where affordability, durability and adaptability often outweigh sheer innovation. The upcoming E3W aims to strike that balance combining advanced technology with practical features such as adaptive ground clearance for monsoon-hit roads, improved thermal management for tropical climates, and flexible interiors suited for passengers, cargo or emergency use.
A key pillar of the partnership is localisation. Major components will be sourced and manufactured within India, a move expected to strengthen the domestic supply chain, create jobs, lower costs and improve after-sales support.
The shift from prototype to production will involve rigorous testing, certification and refinement to meet regulatory standards and consumer expectations. Dedicated cross-functional teams from both companies are already in place to accelerate timelines.
At a broader level, the tie-up reflects a growing trend in mobility, global players partnering with local specialists to navigate emerging markets. For Hyundai and TVS, the bet is that combining scale with street-level insight could unlock a new chapter in sustainable urban transport, one that runs not just on electricity, but on relevance.
