India’s 1st lockdown agency- Atom celebrates 5 years with 40% Y-o-Y revenue growth

Atom Network was launched during the peak of the Covid -19 pandemic, thereby earning the title of India’s first ever lockdown agency. Interestingly, many of the ad agencies seeded during the same period withered in a few years, but Atom thrived. It even went on to become a part of a global independent network within a few months of its launch. Abhik Santara, Founder and CEO of Atom says, “We have registered a 40-50% y-o-y revenue growth.”

Enthused with millennial energy and GenZ confidence, the ad agency recently celebrated its fifth anniversary; while consistently tackling the challenges they encountered within traditional network models in the past. Santara adds, “Our leadership team doesn’t just show up for the annual review—we’re in the trenches with our clients, sleeves rolled up and fully invested.”

With growth on track and armed with several clients who are on a retainer model, atom is now training its focus on the mother of all awards, Cannes Lions, with its biggest bet so far--  Reliance’s Pink Star Rating’ In a candid chat, Abhik Santara tells IMPACT why he calls Atom the next generation agency, throws light on his Cannes ambitions for this year and explains how he can sleep peacefully at night only to wake up restless every morning.

Q] You launched Atom in such an uncertain environment, did you feel you will survive half a decade back then?
From the moment we decided to strike out on our own, we had a clear sense of direction. While Covid was an unexpected, and highly unwelcome guest, the shake-up it caused in marketing structures actually gave us a few unexpected tailwinds. As consumer buying journeys took a dramatic plot twist, our positioning only became more relevant—and frankly, a little ahead of its time. Our moat of building long-term brand equity without compromising short-term performance has paid off handsomely—both in business growth and in attracting top-tier talent.