Ad veteran Bobby Sista passes away

Bobby Sista, an advertising veteran passed away on Saturday, July 27, at Breach Candy Hospital after a long illness. Born Shambhu Venkatrao Sista, he played a key role in shaping modern advertising in India.

Sista began his advertising career in the early 1950s, inspired by his father, Venkatrao Sista, who founded Sista Sales and Publicity Services in 1934. He gained experience working at Suhrid-Geigy and Reader's Digest before joining his father's agency. After his father’s death in 1951, Sista took over the agency, renaming it Sista Advertising and later AdArts. The agency was acquired by Saatchi & Saatchi in 1998.

Throughout his career, Bobby was active in the advertising community, frequently participating in industry discussions in Mumbai and Hyderabad. He received many awards for his contributions, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) in 2015.

Sista was a dedicated philanthropist. In 2002, he founded "Population First," an organisation focused on addressing social issues, empowering women, and promoting gender equality. One of its notable initiatives is the Laadli campaign, which aims to empower girls.