Building India's Next Big Marketing Network

ATUL HEGDE's Yaap readies for IPO, leveraging momentum, tech bets and a bold ambition to build India's next marketing powerhouse By Noor Fathima Warsia

-  Noor Fathima Warsia

ATUL Hegde is a man on a mission, and Yaap is the agency with a plan. Right now, both revolve around making the most of the momentum in India's fast-evolving marketing services sector. As the company prepares to file for its IPO, the move signals a journey of steady, deliberate growth and an ambition to build India's next independent marketing powerhouse.

Laying the Foundation for Scale

Yaap has been registering a 50 per cent year-over-year growth. “Let me emphasise that our base is still small,” the agency's founder and director, Atul Hegde, clarifies. “This year, we are targeting approximately Rs 200 crore in top-line revenue. While a 50 per cent growth rate is impressive, it is based on a small base, but our ambitions are significantly higher.”

The pandemic was a defining period for the agency. “We did not have any layoffs or salary delays. We experienced zero disruption, despite having no business for five months,” he recalls. The digital boom that followed was a growth catalyst that Yaap was prepared to ride.

Hegde attributes this momentum to Yaap's fundamentals, which are talent retention, a peopleand client-first approach, and forward-thinking investments. The organisation is built to self-correct, with strengths across regions and service lines balancing any short-term dips. “There is no single silver bullet, but multiple small steps. We are closing this financial year with a growth rate of approximately 70 per cent. Momentum is critical in business, and we are experiencing that now.”

IPO as the Natural Next Step