In a time when the digital wave was just beginning to reshape India’s business landscape, a young dreamer named Abhinav Sehgal decided to surf it—against the current. From a modest home-based startup to establishing a global footprint, the story of Abhinav Sehgal, Founder of SEO Designs Pvt. Ltd. and DigiUprise, is nothing short of inspiring. But make no mistake—his journey isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a raw, real, and remarkable testament to what passion, persistence, and a refusal to quit can achieve.
It all started with two people and one big idea in a small room. Abhinav, fueled by a relentless drive to make an impact in the digital space, founded SEO Designs Pvt. Ltd.—a digital marketing agency that, over time, grew into a robust organization with over 50 team members and a presence in Delhi, Dwarka, Chandigarh, and even Japan. For him, entrepreneurship wasn’t just about profit—it was about purpose. It was about creating value and building a platform that could empower others.
Turning Crisis into Opportunity
When the world shut down during the COVID-19 lockdown, many saw despair. Abhinav saw an opening. Seizing the moment, he partnered with VLLDOIT and successfully took SEO Designs into the Japanese market—an unconventional move, but one that paid off. At the same time, he launched Learn Earn Guru, a platform designed to provide affordable and accessible digital marketing training. More than 15,000 students enrolled. The impact was palpable. But the path was far from smooth. A copyright clash over the phrase “Learn and Earn” with Facebook forced him to take the hard decision of shutting down the platform.
Reinventing with DigiUprise
Instead of giving up, he pivoted. He rebranded the initiative as DigiUprise and took it offline—launching training centers in Tagore Garden and Rajouri Garden. The response was overwhelming. Today, DigiUprise is a go-to hub for hands-on, industry-relevant training, equipping students with tools and confidence to thrive in India’s top companies.
Learning from Failure
Not every venture met the same fate. Abhinav’s foray into e-commerce with Vaani Coffee began with promise but ended in hard truths. High commissions from marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon and logistic nightmares chipped away at margins until the business could no longer stand. But in that failure, Abhinav found clarity. “It was painful,” he admits, “but it taught me that not every idea needs to scale, and not every risk is worth the cost.”
Changing the Digital Marketing Mindset
Despite having served over 300 clients and managing advertising portfolios worth ₹1–2 crore per month, Abhinav noticed a troubling trend. In India, digital marketing was often reduced to “festival posts” or pretty designs. He knew it was time to change the narrative. Through SEO Designs and DigiUprise, he began educating both clients and students on how digital marketing could actually drive revenue, optimize operations, and build brands. He integrated AI tools, business strategies, and real-world simulations into training programs—redefining what digital education could look like.
Challenging Social Norms
While breaking digital stereotypes, Abhinav was also up against social ones. His own family struggled to understand what he did. “He makes websites and uses social media,” they’d explain to relatives. But over time, his work—and the results it delivered—spoke louder than words. From late-night client calls to leading large-scale projects, Abhinav’s hustle was relentless. And in 2020, it paid off big time.
A Defining Career Milestone
In what became a hallmark of his journey, Abhinav led the marketing and management of the World Marketing Summit 2020, hosted by the legendary Dr. Philip Kotler at Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi. The event welcomed over 1,800 business leaders and marketers just before the pandemic hit. “It was surreal,” he recalls. “To be in the same room with the icons of marketing and to know we made it happen—it reminded me why we never stopped.”
The Road Ahead
Today, Abhinav Sehgal stands tall not just as a founder but as a force reshaping how India views digital careers, business branding, and professional education. His ventures—SEO Designs and DigiUprise—aren’t just businesses. They’re blueprints of a future where ideas and execution co-exist, where resilience is just as important as revenue, and where failure is not an end but a redirection.
More Than a Business Story
Abhinav Sehgal’s journey isn’t just for marketers and entrepreneurs—it’s for anyone who’s ever been told “this won’t work.” Because with enough belief, maybe it will. And maybe, like Abhinav, you’ll inspire a generation along the way.
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