Siddharth Dabhade, Chief Business Officer at Lemma, is a strategic leader in the ad-tech space with deep expertise in AI-driven advertising and programmatic DOOH. With a strong foundation in technology and business, he now leads the global growth of Lemma’s OOH and CTV business. In this engaging interview, he shares insights on the future of AI in marketing, the rise of programmatic DOOH, and his personal mission to empower others through financial literacy.


Can you share the key milestones of your career journey and how they’ve shaped your path?

Coming from the small town of Ujjain, I made it into IIT Bombay with a good rank. Achieving this in an environment where few believed someone from Ujjain could get into IIT was a huge breakthrough for me. It showed me that with determination and effort, I could achieve anything.

After IIT Bombay, I also made it into IIM Calcutta, ranking among the top 15 in my class. Being at the top of such a prestigious school was a major confidence booster.

I then entered the tech industry, working for IBM and Microsoft. I later switched industries, moving into ad tech, which was another big milestone. I joined Google India in a senior role when the company was scaling in India.

After seven years at Google, I became Managing Director at Criteo, another milestone, leading an MNC in the Indian market.

From there, I moved into senior roles at MiQ and now at Lemma. I’ve been fortunate to continually build my leadership skills, knowledge, and network in this dynamic industry.

 

Having worked with major tech-driven companies, how do you see AI and automation shaping the future of advertising and marketing? 

AI is going to change marketing and advertising in fundamental ways.

• All manual work is going to get automated.
• Creatives, copy writing will be done by AI in a few minutes.
• Code writing is now getting fully automated.
• AI agents will work on behalf of humans/companies and will be able to complete the majority of simple and complex tasks without human supervision.
  

How do you see DOOH evolving in the next few years, and which are the three key trends driving this shift?

All OOH will transition to digital in the coming years, leading to significant growth in DOOH in India. In China, 90% of OOH is already DOOH.

In the future, all DOOH will be bought programmatically, as programmatic reporting helps eliminate ad fraud and simplifies management and execution.

OOH media will continue to drive brand impact and building, but it will also need to deliver measurable outcomes, as more marketers demand ROI from their marketing spend.

How is programmatic technology reshaping DOOH and influencing advertising strategies?

Programmatic technology is driving the growth of DOOH by:

Eliminating ad fraud.
Integrating DOOH into global platforms like Google, Tradedesk, and Lemma.
Enabling dynamic creatives that enhance impact.
Allowing programmatic DOOH to sync with macro trends like the stock market and petrol prices.

Lemma offers a programmatic DOOH solution that delivers outcomes. This is a game changer, as traditional OOH media creates impact but doesn’t deliver ROI. Lemma bridges that gap.

On a lighter note, what inspired you to write about personal finance, and the most valuable lessons you’ve learned? 

I’ve been interested in personal finance because I wanted to understand how money works. I took a finance course at IIT Bombay and later scored the highest in finance-related courses at IIM Calcutta. This helped me realize I have a strong aptitude for it.

I started investing early in my career—almost from the beginning—and over the years, gained extensive practical experience. I’ve been a reasonably successful investor. This is my way of giving back to society. I believe that if people learn to manage their finances well, they can eliminate many of life’s challenges and live better lives. This is my motivation and one of my purposes.