Yogurt brand Epigamia’s co-founder Rohan Mirchandani passes away at 42 due to cardiac arrest

Rohan Mirchandani, co-founder of Epigamia, India’s leading Greek yoghurt brand, died of a heart attack at the age of 42 on December 21. The news was confirmed by an official statement from Epigamia’s parent company, Drums Food International.

Mirchandani, a graduate of NYU Stern and the Wharton School, founded Drums Food International in 2013. Under his leadership, the brand evolved from Hoki Poki ice cream to Epigamia, a household name in yogurt and other dairy products. With over 20,000 retail touchpoints across 30 cities, the company was gearing up to expand into the Middle East by 2025-26.

Epigamia’s senior leadership, led by Ankur Goel (COO and founding member) and Uday Thakker (co-founder and director), will continue to lead the company with the full support of the board, including Mirchandani’s family and key investors such as Verlinvest. DSG Consumer Partners.

“Rohan was our mentor, friend and leader,” Goel and Thakker said in a joint statement. “We continue our determination to carry his dream forward with strength and power,” he said.

Epigamia’s board of directors echoed this sentiment, calling Mirchandani a “visionary leader” whose dedication and passion left a lasting impact. “We will work closely with the leadership to carry Rohan’s legacy to greater heights,” the statement said.

Mirchandani’s passing follows other recent casualties in India’s startup ecosystem, including Pepperfry co-founder Ambareesh Murty and Good Capital’s Rohan Malhotra.

Known for his innovative spirit, Mirchandani often spoke of the “eureka moment” he experienced in lectures he gave at a business school in Mumbai; This moment inspired him to address the lack of innovation in India’s FMCG sector. His focus on agile business and plans to grow Epigamia’s revenue to ₹250 crore in FY25 were part of his ambitious vision for the company’s growth.