Mumbai: Atul Hegde, Founder and Chairman of YAAP Digital and a veteran of India’s advertising and digital marketing industry, passed away on Tuesday morning following a heart attack. He breathed his last at around 8 a.m. He was in his early fifties.
Hegde’s sudden demise leaves a significant void in India’s advertising, marketing and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over a career spanning more than two decades, he earned recognition as a digital-first business leader, entrepreneur and investor, blending advertising expertise with a deep understanding of technology, content and evolving consumer behaviour.
He was best known for founding YAAP, which he built into an integrated digital marketing and technology company with operations across India and international markets. Under his leadership, the company expanded across content, influencer marketing, digital media, data and technology-led marketing solutions.
Beyond YAAP, Hegde played an active role in India’s startup ecosystem. Through Rainmaker Ventures, which he co-founded, he invested in and mentored early-stage businesses, reflecting his commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation. He remained closely associated with the country’s evolving digital economy and emerging ventures.
Before launching YAAP, Hegde spent several years in branding, communications and digital marketing, experiences that shaped his vision of creating an independent, technology-enabled agency network.
In recent years, he had been steering YAAP through a key phase of expansion. The company reported strong financial performance in FY26, with profit after tax nearly doubling year-on-year, while Hegde outlined an ambitious vision of building a homegrown, full-stack, technology-powered agency network.
Only recently, he had spoken about YAAP’s next growth phase, driven by artificial intelligence, proprietary technology, strategic acquisitions and geographic expansion. His vision was to integrate data, content, creativity and technology as brands increasingly looked for end-to-end marketing solutions.
Hegde was also widely respected as a thought leader who closely tracked shifts in digital culture, branding, technology and consumer behaviour. Outside the boardroom, he was known for his passion for sneakers and contemporary culture, interests that became part of his distinctive public identity.
His passing comes as YAAP was entering a new phase of growth and expansion. Colleagues, peers and the wider marketing fraternity will remember Hegde not only as the entrepreneur behind YAAP, but also as a visionary who consistently championed a more technology-led, innovation-driven and globally ambitious future for India’s marketing industry.
