Sidharth Rao, a respected member of Indian advertising, who contributed to a surge of the digital industry in India, passed away on 21 April.
Rao co-founded digital agency Webchutney in 1999, which was acquired by Dentsu in 2013. Dentsu Webchutney went on to win the creative agency of the year at Cannes Lions 2022.
He partnered with Madhu Sudan to launch a mar-tech venture called Punt Partners last year, having left Dentsu in 2021.
A statement issued by Punt Partners said, "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and founder, Sidharth Rao. He suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on the 21 April at his home in Karjat. Sid's sudden demise has left us all in shock, and we request everyone's time to grieve the loss of our beloved friend, son, brother, husband and colleague. Sid's family is especially thankful for all the condolences and messages of support during this time."