Abhijit Avasthi

Based in Mumbai

Abhijit Avasthi is the Founder of Sideways, an interdisciplinary creative collective that makes it easier for people to adopt products, services, and ideas at scale.

A Metallurgical Engineering graduate from Banaras Hindu University, Abhijit took an unlikely turn to advertising; eventually joining Ogilvy in 1999. He stayed there for the next 15 years, serving the last six as National Creative Director, and contributed significantly to the agency’s milestones. During his tenure, he helped shape some of India’s most iconic brands, including Cadbury, Fevicol, Asian Paints, Perfetti, Bajaj Pulsar, Star TV, and Google.

In 2015, Abhijit launched Sideways to move beyond traditional silos. Born from the belief that modern marketing problems require solutions at the intersection of disciplines, Sideways functions as a curious mix of a consulting firm, technology solution provider, ad agency, and product design studio. To deliver on this, his 70-person team includes technologists, engineers, industrial designers, and management consultants, alongside brand planners, writers, and art directors. To date, the firm has worked with over 100 clients, including Pidilite, Google, P&G, Sleepwell, Nykaa, Meesho, Borosil, and Federal Bank. Sideways also creates original IPs through Sideways Play, a division that designs and sells innovative games and toys.

Abhijit has won over 300 International and National awards and served on major juries such as Cannes and Clio, among many others. But what he is most proud of is having visited 24 out of the 28 states in India, and his gigantic, tightly-knit family, which includes 35 first cousins!

Social Media Handles:

- LinkedIn - Abhijit Avasthi

- Instagram - @abhijitavasthi

Website: sideways.co.in