Atul Hegde, founder and chairman of YAAP Digital, has passed away following a heart attack on Tuesday morning. He was 54. Hegde died at around 8 am after suffering a heart attack as per reports. He has spent more than three decades in India’s advertising, marketing and digital industry, holding leadership roles across agencies before founding YAAP.
Hegde began his career in advertising in the mid-1990s at Havas, where he served as Director of Client Services for nearly eight years. In 2003, he joined Vyas Giannetti Creative as Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw agency operations and business strategy for four years.
In 2008, Hegde took over as Chief Executive Officer of Ignitee Digital Services and has led the company for more than seven years, contributing to the growth of its digital marketing capabilities.
In 2015, he co-founded Rainmaker Ventures, an early-stage technology investment firm, where he has invested in and mentored startups. A year later, he founded YAAP, which has expanded into an integrated digital marketing and technology company with operations in India and overseas. Alongside YAAP, he has also served as a director at Oplifi, Yaap FZE in the UAE and Brand Planet Consultants India.
In recent years, Hegde has led YAAP through a phase of business expansion. The company has reported improved financial performance in FY26, with profit after tax nearly doubling from the previous year. Earlier this year, YAAP has also announced plans to launch a small and medium enterprise initial public offering on NSE Emerge to raise around Rs 80.11 crore.
Hegde has been recognised as an early advocate of digital-first marketing in India. He has also remained involved with entrepreneurs and early-stage startups through investments and mentoring.
His passing has come as YAAP has been preparing for its next phase of growth.
