iWorld
DNEG expands global footprint with new Toronto Studio
Mumbai: DNEG- visual effects (VFX) and animation studio for the creation of feature film, television and multiplatform content- has announced plans for increasing its Canada-based VFX and animation operations and talent pool.
With surging worldwide demand for its content across all platforms, DNEG is planning a new studio in the Greater Toronto Area that will initially employ up to 200 people, including many new technology positions. It will also expand its existing Vancouver and Montreal offices, and add a new studio for its Feature Animation division in Vancouver.
DNEG also has North American operations in Los Angeles. North American expansion and investment will bolster DENG’s leadership and multi-platform capabilities as a modern-day content production powerhouse for major Hollywood and independent studios and production companies, it said in a media statement.
DNEG chairman and CEO Namit Malhotra said, “We are also continuing to build out our studios in Vancouver and Montreal to support our upcoming slate of VFX projects, and extending our highly successful Feature Animation team to Vancouver as they move into production on five new animation projects. Growth in our Canadian talent and capabilities will help us strategically align with the demands of the entertainment industry and seize upon our new growth initiatives and content creation opportunities.”
The new Toronto studio will create up to 200 new jobs, initially in a remote-work capacity. Roles will encompass visual effects for film and episodic projects, feature animation, and technology positions. Opportunities will be posted at DNEG.com.
DNEG Global CTO Paul Salvini added, “I’m excited that DNEG is bringing these new opportunities to the visual effects and technology communities of the Greater Toronto Area. This is a great chance for technologists working in AI, machine learning, UX and across a broad spectrum of technology areas to refocus their talents on helping to create incredible imagery for some of the world’s biggest feature films and episodic series. We are not fixed on candidates having previous film or media industry experience – we’re looking for passionate and curious technologists who are excited at the prospect of a new challenge.”
DNEG will be creating up to 300 new roles across its Vancouver and Montreal offices, including up to 100 new positions in Vancouver for its Feature Animation team, to support their upcoming slate of animation projects. Opportunities will be posted at DNEG.com.
iWorld
Tips Music CEO Hari Nair to step down
Girish Taurani and Sushant Dalmia to jointly steer the company as the hunt for a new chief begins
MUMBAI: A leadership shuffle is under way at Tips Music. Hari Nair, the company’s chief executive, will step down on April 30 as the music label begins the search for a successor.
The company said Girish Taurani, executive director, and Sushant Dalmia, chief financial officer, will jointly oversee operations during the transition while the board identifies a permanent replacement.
Nair joined Tips Music in 2023 and set about reshaping the veteran music label into a more digital, data-led enterprise. During his tenure, the company secured licensing and partnership deals with global platforms including Sony Music Publishing and TikTok, while renewing agreements with Warner Music Group.
Drawing on earlier experience in technology and entertainment, including a stint at ByteDance, Nair pushed the organisation towards a performance-driven culture. He built a brand partnerships division and introduced proprietary software systems aimed at strengthening digital distribution and data capabilities.
Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, credited Nair with embedding a data-led culture within the company and driving revenue growth in line with shareholder commitments.
In his resignation note, Nair said that after helping transition the label into a modern, digitally focused and process-driven organisation, the time had come to pursue his next leadership challenge.
The leadership change comes as the broader Tips Films group shows signs of financial stabilisation. In the third quarter of FY26 the company reported a net loss of Rs 2.86 crore, narrowing sharply from Rs 14.2 crore in the previous quarter. For the nine months ended December, losses stood at Rs 12.37 crore.
Yet revenue told a more volatile story. Income from operations slid to Rs 4 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 56 crore in the preceding quarter, taking total operating income to Rs 4.56 crore.
For a company built on a catalogue of more than 34,000 tracks and decades of Bollywood hits, the next chief will inherit both a digital engine and a volatile music market. The playlist may be familiar, but the next act at Tips Music is only just beginning.
