On May 29th, I lost my first boss: Terry Ahuja, just 64

Sandeep Khanna, CBO, SPREAD remembers Terry Ahuja in a heartfelt note

by e4m Staff
Published: Jun 1, 2025 10:27 AM | 1 min read

January 1989. I walked into Mudra green as grass. Terry didn't just teach me advertising—he threw me into the deep end with Mudra Delhi's first MNC client, Nestle, and jumped in beside me. Those Cerelac campaigns weren't just work; they were the foundation of everything I would become.

Terry was brilliance wrapped in warmth. Sharp enough to cut through any brief, gentle enough to build up everyone around him. His wit disarmed clients, his compassion salvaged broken campaigns, and his joie de vivre made even mundane Mondays feel like adventures.

When health knocked him down in later years, Terry did something remarkable—he leaned forward. Dove into digital marketing, taught himself video editing, created short films. Vintage Terry: refusing limitations, finding new ways to matter.

Just last week we talked about sustainability projects. His eyes lit up, sharing his UNDP work on SDGs. Still building, still growing.

"Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin"—Life should be big, not long. Terry didn't just know this line from Anand; he lived it. Sixty-four years that felt like a century of impact.

Farewell, Terry. You lived it king-size.

Thank you for showing us how it's done.