Brands
Yaap Digital acquires 60.2 per cent stake in Gozoop in over Rs 150 crore deal
Strategic tie-up keeps Gozoop independent while building scaled ad ecosystem
MUMBAI: Yaap Digital Ltd has acquired a 60.20 per cent stake in Gozoop Online Pvt Ltd, marking a significant consolidation move in India’s independent advertising landscape.
The acquisition, executed through a share purchase cum shareholders’ agreement, forms the first tranche of a broader deal to acquire 100 per cent of Gozoop in phases. The initial stake was picked up for Rs 36.96 crore, giving Yaap majority control and making Gozoop its subsidiary.
Overall, the transaction is valued at over Rs 150 crore, with additional components including a Rs 7.66 crore share swap expected to close within 90 days. Payments related to excess net working capital are slated for completion by July 2026.
Despite the ownership change, Gozoop will continue to operate as an independent brand, retaining its leadership, identity and culture. The focus, both companies say, is on collaboration rather than consolidation.
Founded nearly two decades ago, Gozoop has built a reputation for its people-first approach and long-tenured leadership team, a rarity in an industry often shaped by global network buyouts. Yaap, on the other hand, brings scale and a tech-led marketing ecosystem spanning content, data and performance solutions.
Together, the companies aim to create an integrated network that blends creativity, media, data and technology, offering clients both agility and scale. The partnership also signals a broader ambition to position Indian agencies as global contenders rather than local participants.
With the deal underway in phases, the coming months will be key in shaping how this alliance translates into a unified yet flexible advertising powerhouse.
Brands
OpenAI hires Nitin Bawankule as head of enterprise sales, India
Former AWS, Google and Disney+ Hotstar leader to drive AI adoption at scale
MUMBAI: OpenAI has appointed Nitin Bawankule as head of enterprise sales for India, strengthening its leadership bench as it deepens its push into one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets.
Bawankule, who will join in mid-May, brings more than two decades of experience across cloud, media, and digital ecosystems. Most recently, he served at Amazon Web Services, where he led multiple high-growth verticals and helped accelerate enterprise adoption of cloud and AI solutions in India.
Announcing the move, OpenAI head of enterprise sales, India Nitin Bawankule said he is looking forward to helping organisations transition from “isolated AI pilots to company-wide transformation” and embedding AI into everyday workflows to unlock productivity and better decision-making.
Before AWS, Bawankule held senior leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company, where he led ad sales for Disney+ Hotstar and television networks, driving revenue growth across major sporting and entertainment properties. He also spent over eight years at Google, including a stint as country director for Google Cloud in India.
His appointment comes at a time when Indian enterprises are rapidly scaling AI adoption, moving beyond experimentation to integrating AI into core business functions. OpenAI’s decision to bring in a seasoned enterprise leader signals its intent to capture this opportunity and build deeper partnerships across industries.
With a strong track record in navigating major technology shifts, Bawankule is expected to play a key role in translating AI’s promise into practical, business-ready solutions for Indian companies.
As the race to operationalise AI gathers pace, OpenAI’s latest hire suggests it is gearing up not just to participate, but to lead from the front in India’s enterprise AI story.
