Headline

Creative Director | 20+ Yrs | AI-Powered Design & Ad Innovation | Times Internet (TOI, ET) | UI/UX · Branding · Digital Campaigns

About

I lead the national creative function at Times Internet — the team behind ad innovation across Times of India, Economic Times, Maharashtra Times, and Navbharat Times. My five-person team is the sole creative resource for 150+ sales professionals across India, delivering innovation banners, digital campaigns and microsites. Over 20+ years I've worked across agencies (DraftFCB Ulka), tech (Yahoo, Wipro, Intelliswift), events (360° Times Group), and now India's largest digital media company. I've shipped work for 50+ brands across India, the US, and the Middle East — including on-site engagements in Los Angeles, Dubai, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. What I'm focused on now: building AI-Driven Design creative workflows. My team actively uses Midjourney, RunwayML, Claude, Gemini, Ideogram, GenVR, Seedance, HeyGen, and ChatGPT — not as experiments, but as production tools that have cut our turnaround by roughly 30%. I also develop proprietary innovation ad formats — parallax, contextual, and sync banners — that are key pitch differentiators for the Times Internet sales team. MBA from Woolf Academy & UpGrad (2024–2026). Certified in AI in Marketing (University of Virginia). Certified Usability Analyst (Human Factors International). Always up for conversations about creative leadership, AI in advertising, or what makes a banner worth looking at.

Location

Mumbai

AI stack

cursor

opencode

Work experience

Creative Head Spotlight at Times Internet Limited at Times Internet, Jan 2018 - Present · 8 yrs 8 mos, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, The single creative team for all of Times Internet's ad sales — Times of India, Economic Times, Maharashtra Times, Navbharat Times, and other group properties. Five designers. 150+ sales professionals across India depending on our output. What we deliver: - Innovation banners (mobile interstitials, parallax, contextual, desktop sync formats) — these aren't standard IAB units. They're proprietary concepts built to win pitches and command premium rates. - Full campaign creatives, microsites, and landing pages for marquee clients across categories — auto, tech, FMCG, OTT, real estate, and consumer electronics. - Microsite designs for TOI and ET when the product team needs creative input. Built an AI-first production workflow using Midjourney, RunwayML, Claude, Gemini, Ideogram, GenVR, Seedance, HeyGen, and ChatGPT. This isn't experimental — it's how we work daily. Result: ~30% faster turnaround — animation that used to take hours in After Effects now ships in minutes, and a five-person team producing more formats than ever. The innovation formats we build have become a core part of how the sales team pitches premium inventory nationally. Mentor five designers with a focus on AI adoption, creative experimentation, and format innovation.

Creative Head at Intelliswift Software, Inc., Jun 2015 - Jan 2018 · 2 yrs 8 mos, Mumbai Area, India, - Team Leadership: Led a team of 15 UI designers and UI developers, delivering designs for websites and mobile apps. - Creative Department Management: Oversaw the creative department, ensuring high-quality output and innovative solutions. - Client Relationship Management: Managed client relationships and provided creative direction for ongoing projects. - Business Development Collaboration: Partnered with the business development team to acquire new business relationships. - Offshore Operations Oversight: Supervised offshore operations, including travel to the USA (LACOE office) for UX solutions and project closure. - Global Project Engagement: Conducted UX discussions in Dubai for the Khaleej Times project, ensuring seamless execution and client satisfaction. - Deliverables Accountability: Responsible for delivering wireframes, designs, and UX solutions for both websites and mobile apps.

Creative Consultant at Crayons Advertising Ltd. (Ultraviolet Digital), Oct 2014 - Jun 2015 · 9 mos, Mumbai Area, India, - Team Management: Supervised a team of 5 creative professionals, overseeing day-to-day tasks and guiding the team through the creative development process. - Design and Development: Created wireframes, designed websites, and developed UI for mobile apps. Provided direction for Facebook posts and other social media content. - Client Interaction: Interacted directly with clients to understand project briefs, ensuring clear communication and timely project delivery. - Cross-functional Collaboration: Partnered with cross-functional teams to execute product development and niche positioning. - Project Involvement: Participated heavily in all stages of the process – planning, development, design, and brand promotion on digital platforms.

Tech Lead - UI Designer | Mobility at Wipro Infotech, Jun 2013 - Jun 2014 · 1 yr 1 mo, - Mobile Solution Development: Translated business needs into user-friendly mobile solutions with swift interactions and enhanced device capabilities. - Wireframe to Visual Design: Responsible for converting wireframes into compelling visual designs. - Seamless User Experience: Coordinated with clients, UX designers, solution architects, and developers to ensure a seamless user experience. - User-Centric Approach: Focused on delivering mobile solutions that provide a good overall user experience by leveraging device capabilities.

Creative Designer at Yahoo! INDIA, Sep 2010 - May 2013 · 2 yrs 9 mos, Mumbai, India, - Ad Mock Development: Created ad mocks according to briefs in collaboration with a concept partner. - Web Banners and Micro Sites: Designed and developed engaging web banners and microsites. - Sales Team Collaboration: Partnered with the sales team to achieve quarterly targets by designing materials for new business pitches.

Education

Masters of Business Administration, Business Administration and Management, General, upGrad.com

Professional Education, Become a UX Designer from scratch, IxDF - The Interaction Design Foundation