Ashok Prasad, co-founder of agri-services firm Unnati, died on Monday following a cardiac arrest. He was 51.
"It is with deep sorrow that Unnati Agri informs of the passing of its co-founder Ashok Prasad, who passed away on May 11, 2026, following a sudden cardiac arrest," the company said in a statement.
Prasad co-founded Unnati, operated by Akshamaala Solutions Pvt Ltd, along with Amit Sinha in 2017. The company runs a technology-enabled agri-input distribution platform that connects manufacturers, retailers and farmers across multiple states.
At Unnati, Prasad played a key role in strengthening the company’s growth, institutional capabilities, and long-term strategic direction. The company credited him with helping build a large-scale agri-input distribution network serving farmers through digital channels.
Commenting on the loss, co-founder Amit Sinha said, “Ashok was far more than a co-founder to me. Over the last two decades, we shared not just a professional journey, but a deep friendship built on trust, resilience, and a common belief that technology can meaningfully transform Indian agriculture. Much of what Unnati stands for today carries his imprint, from the values we built the organization on to the long-term vision we continue to pursue. His absence is deeply personal for all of us, and he will be profoundly missed.”
The New Delhi-based company has received angel funding from investors such as Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, current and former Paytm executives Vikas Garg, Shankar Nath and Renu Satti, as well as Tata Industries executive director KRS Jamwal.
In March 2025, mid-market private equity firm Zephyr Peacock India also invested.
A management graduate from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Prasad began his career in the telecommunications sector with companies including Ericsson, Nokia and Nortel.
In 2008, he joined Paytm as general manager for business development, where he worked for less than a year. Prior to co-founding Unnati, he served as regional head at Tata Teleservices for under two years.
Prasad joins a list of startup founders who have died prematurely. In January, Icertis co-founder Samir Bodas died at 61.
Last year, Neeraj Tyagi, CEO of angel investing platform We Founder Circle, died of a cardiac arrest. In May 2025, digital lending startup Loantap's co-founder Vikas Kumar died in an accident in Bengaluru.
In January last year, Amit Banerji, the founder of managed workspace provider TableSpace, also died following a heart attack.
