Naveen Sharma

• Kroop AI is a pioneering startup specializing in deepfake detection and Generative AI. Our core mission is to safeguard digital integrity by developing advanced AI solutions that detect and mitigate the risks of manipulated media. Beyond detection, Kroop AI harnesses the power of Generative AI to enable seamless content creation. Our innovative tools empower users across industries—pharma, media and entertainment, advertising, education, and e-commerce—to generate high-quality, realistic digital content with ease.
• As Chief Operating Officer & Director at Kroop AI, I lead India operations across our two cutting-edge product lines — AI avatar video creation and deepfake detection. On the Generative AI side, I have successfully onboarded marquee clients, including one of India’s largest pharmaceutical companies for patient interactions, major BFSI players for customer communications, and a leading e-commerce giant for product explainer videos using our AI avatars. On the deepfake detection front, I secured partnerships with two of India’s largest chipset manufacturers to power on-device deepfake detection in their AI PCs, and collaborated with a global cybersecurity leader to integrate our solution into their app, reaching over 27 million users worldwide.
• Oversaw day-to-day operations to keep organization running smoothly while meeting business goals.
• Negotiated contracts and agreements to secure favorable terms and maximize profits.
• Enhanced company reputation by establishing strong relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders.
• Drove revenue growth with the successful launch of new products and services to meet customer needs.
• Identified and pursued business development opportunities to grow organization and increase revenue.

• Since 2020, I have led the movement to establish medical and industrial cannabis projects in India, working closely with politicians and bureaucrats across multiple states to drive policy reforms and regulatory approvals. As a key force behind IndusCann’s expansion in India, I have facilitated groundbreaking partnerships with premier research institutions like CSIR, ICMR, and IIIM, paving the way for clinical trials on cancer, epilepsy, and sickle cell anemia. With a world-class R&D team spanning Canada, Spain, and India, IndusCann is leveraging Indian genetics from the Kush and Himalayan regions to develop innovative, high-impact medical cannabis solutions. My efforts have helped unlock the potential of this industry, ensuring millions of Indians gain access to affordable, research-backed cannabis-based treatments.

Key Achievements:

• NDPS amendments to facilitate state governments to form rules framework for medicinal & industrial cannabis cultivation & processing
• Strategic partnerships & Alliances of Induscann with top research institutes & drugs regulatory bodies in India like CSIR, ICMR, IIIM etc.
• Successfully setting up a research lab in Jammu in collaboration with CSIR & IIIM to study & research on Himalayan cannabis strains
• Strategic alliance with HP government for the cataloguing of all strains present in Himachal Pradesh to find out the strains in each region having best industrial value
• Strategic alliance with HP government to set up seed banks in their top agriculture & horticulture universities for research
• Awareness campaign to set the right narrative and educating people about importance of cannabis industry & its potential

• Managed high-impact programs across IT, digital transformation, food processing, and sustainable agriculture, collaborating with government bodies, global organizations, and corporate partners to drive growth, process optimization, and innovation.
• Program Management & Digital Transformation: Led revenue record digitization for the Digital India campaign and implemented cost-saving models in food processing, optimizing resources and efficiency.
• International Expansion & Market Entry: Established Monex International’s India operations, securing a Government of India partnership for aquaponics initiatives and launching pilot projects nationwide. Represented Monex at Vibrant Gujarat, enhancing brand recognition.
• Revenue & Investment Growth: Increased Monex’s profit margins by 16% and revenue by 28% through strategic pricing, cost efficiency, and cross-selling, strengthening market presence.
• Government & Corporate Partnerships: Managed pilot projects with the Australian Government, partnered with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, and worked with multiple Indian state governments.
• Technology & Product Development: Led GIS-based revenue record digitization (AutoCAD, Quantum GIS, ArcGIS), optimized multimedia streaming solutions, and introduced business models for higher ROI.
• Leadership & Operations: Directed multi-functional teams (40+ professionals), overseeing project execution, investment strategies, and stakeholder coordination.

• A top-performing Engineering Manager known for reengineering troubled projects and driving strategic analysis for high-impact programs. Skilled in managing multi-functional technology teams of up to 40 resources, mentoring talent, and leading the development of innovative software systems. Adept at delivering scalable solutions while balancing business and technology leadership to drive transformational change. Provided business analysis for projects worth up to $100 million, defining requirements, success criteria, KPIs, and milestones. Successfully showcased completed features at international forums like CES & MWC 2012, demonstrating expertise in cutting-edge technology solutions
• Led cross-functional teams for successful product development, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to specifications.

• As a key contributor to Samsung’s pioneering efforts in the Interactive TV domain, I played a crucial role in developing personalized and socialized Interactive TV solutions in collaboration with Samsung Digital Media Solution US Lab. Following the successful launch of Interactive TVs in the US and Europe, I spearheaded the SMART TV program for Samsung India, driving strategic alliances through market research, analysis, and networking. I managed the end-to-end app development lifecycle, from testing and certification to final approval and launch on the App Store, ensuring a diverse selection of 100 apps for the Indian market. Engaging directly with clients, I identified potential content partners, analyzed business use cases, and effectively conveyed the SMART TV and App Store concept. Notably, I persuaded Samsung, a traditionally conservative company, to open its SDK to the public, enabling broader app development and fostering innovation through a nationwide app contest. My efforts contributed to the successful rollout of Interactive and SMART TVs across multiple global markets.

• Contributed to the development of Xillion, a specialized chipset family designed specifically for SMART TVs. My role focused on video encoding and decoding on the chipset, where I worked on enhancing playback efficiency and improving multimedia processing. I also contributed to improving up scaling quality and supporting advanced display technologies such as HDR, high refresh rates, and wide color gamuts. These chipsets were optimized for smooth content streaming, faster response times, and efficient power management to deliver an immersive viewing experience. Additionally, I supported the integration of robust connectivity features, enabling seamless interoperability with smart home ecosystems and streaming platforms. Through these efforts, Xillion leveraged cutting-edge semiconductor advancements to redefine SMART TV performance.

• Designed and optimized an image stabilization filter to reduce motion artifacts in codec-based applications, ensuring smoother video playback. Implemented motion estimation techniques to detect shifts and applied adaptive filtering for real-time correction. Integrated the solution within the encoding/decoding pipeline with optimized memory handling and parallel processing. Validated across various resolutions and frame rates, achieving improved video clarity and reduced motion blur with minimal latency.

• During my tenure at Celstream, I was actively involved in the development and optimization of various video codecs on Thomson's hardware platforms. My work primarily focused on enhancing compression efficiency, real-time performance, and hardware acceleration to ensure high-quality video playback across different applications. I played a key role in fine-tuning MPEG-2, H.264, and emerging HEVC codecs, optimizing them for low-latency streaming, reduced power consumption, and improved processing speeds.
• One of my notable achievements was the successful implementation of adaptive bitrate streaming, which significantly enhanced the viewing experience by dynamically adjusting video quality based on network conditions. Additionally, I contributed to hardware-software co-design, enabling seamless integration of video codecs with custom hardware accelerators, thereby boosting overall performance. This work not only strengthened Thomson’s capabilities in the broadcast and multimedia industry but also contributed to the advancement of digital video compression technologies.

• At Wipro, I worked on video codec development, RTOS-based applications, and performance optimization for embedded systems. I contributed to implementing and fine-tuning industry-standard video codecs, ensuring high-quality compression and playback efficiency. My work involved optimizing these codecs for real-time processing, leveraging hardware acceleration and SIMD techniques.
• In RTOS, I developed and optimized time-critical applications, streamlining task scheduling and memory management for deterministic performance. Additionally, I focused on performance enhancements, reducing latency, and improving computational efficiency across embedded platforms. These efforts played a crucial role in delivering high-performance multimedia and streaming solutions during this period.