‘You spoke of Bharat… to Bharat’: Nestlé India’s Manish Tiwary pays tribute to Piyush Pandey

India’s businessmen are mourning the loss of one of its most celebrated creative minds, Piyush Pandey, who passed away on Friday at the age of 70. Industry leaders described him as a storyteller who gave Indian advertising its soul, confidence, and unmistakable Indian voice.

Nestlé India Chairman Manish Tiwary said Pandey brought “the real, raw, and rustic Bharat onto India’s TV screens, radio, and print — unapologetically.”

Citing Pandey’s timeless lines — from “Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai” for Asian Paints to “Todo Nahi Jodo” for Fevicol and the patriotic anthem “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” — Tiwary said these were “lines he wore on his sleeve, and everyone took notice.”

“You spoke of Bharat... to Bharat,” Tiwary wrote.

Reflecting on Pandey’s work for Amazon India’s tagline “Tu Khul, Tu Khil, Har Pal Tu Khud Se Mil,” Tiwary added, “I was part-amazed and part-knowing that the magician with words had just cast his spell, as always.”

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra remembered Pandey for his infectious warmth as much as his creativity.

“What I will remember most is not the campaigns he crafted or the brands he built, but his hearty laugh and irrepressible zest for life. He reminded us that even in the serious business of persuasion, joy and humanity must never be forgotten,” Mahindra said.

Yes, he was a man who left gigantic footprints on the ad industry…

But what I will remember most is not the campaigns he crafted or the brands he built, but his hearty laugh and his irrepressible zest for life.
He reminded us that even in the serious business of persuasion,… pic.twitter.com/6C1SJHwFH6

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) October 24, 2025

Uday Kotak, Founder and Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, recalled Pandey’s role in shaping the bank’s identity.

“Sad that Piyush Pandey leaves us. He launched Kotak Mahindra Bank with a campaign in 2003, describing banking as ‘common sense.’ An amazing out-of-the-box thinker and a humble person, he weaved creativity with an Indian context. Will miss him.”

Sad that Piyush Pandey leaves us. He launched Kotak Mahindra Bank with a campaign in 2003, describing banking as “common sense”. Amazing out of the box thinker and a humble person. He weaved creativity with an Indian context. Will miss him. pic.twitter.com/98o4KiUiT0

— Uday Kotak (@udaykotak) October 24, 2025

Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, called Pandey “the voice that made India believe in its own story.”

“He gave Indian advertising its self-confidence, its soul, its swadeshi swagger. And he was a very good friend. Like a master batsman, he played every stroke with his heart,” Adani said.

Piyush Pandey was far more than just an advertising legend. He was the voice that made India believe in its own story. He gave Indian advertising its self-confidence, its soul, its “swadeshi” swagger. And he was a very good friend! Like a master batsman, he played every stroke… pic.twitter.com/HhyaEBzZdL

— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) October 24, 2025

For more than four decades at Ogilvy India, the agency that became synonymous with his name, Pandey redefined how brands spoke to the nation — not in borrowed idioms, but in the language and rhythm of everyday India.

Born in Jaipur in 1955, Pandey joined Ogilvy India in 1982 after brief stints as a cricketer, tea taster, and construction worker. Over the next forty years, he transformed Ogilvy into a creative powerhouse and became one of the most influential voices in global advertising.

In 2004, he became the first Asian jury president at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and later received the CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. For his contribution to Indian advertising, he was honoured with the Padma Shri.

Pandey stepped down as Executive Chairman of Ogilvy India in 2023, continuing as an advisor thereafter.

His funeral will be held on Saturday, October 25, at 11 a.m. at Shivaji Park Crematorium, Mumbai.