A storyteller who spoke to the heart of India: Prashant Peres remembers Piyush Pandey

We have truly lost a colossus — not just from the world of advertising, but from the world of ideas and humanity, writes Prashant Peres, Managing Director of Kellanova India and South Asia

by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 29, 2025 6:15 PM | 2 min read

There are very few who reach the pinnacle of success in the corporate world and can also claim to have played a pivotal role in nation-building. Piyush Pandey was one such rare individual. When I introduced him as a guest speaker at Mondelez Town Hall back in 2017, I said as much that beyond the countless accolades in advertising, he should be remembered for his extraordinary contribution to the polio eradication campaign that changed our country’s story forever.

True to his nature, Piyush brushed off the praise with a smile, saying, ‘I don’t know about pinnacles and such things — I’m just a simple storyteller, drawing from life around me.’

That, for me, captured Piyush perfectly: brilliant, insightful, and yet warm, approachable, and deeply human. His true genius lay in his ability to tell stories that spoke to the heart of India, both Bharat and India. I still recall his delightful anecdotes about how clients reacted to what would go on to become iconic campaigns, told always with that trademark wit and humility.

Piyush’s conviction in his creative ideas and his instinct for authentic human insight helped make the work we did in India the global creative benchmark for brands like Cadbury Dairy Milk.

We have truly lost a colossus not just in the world of advertising, but in the world of ideas and humanity. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of storytellers.

May his soul rest in peace, and may his stories live on forever.