Adfactors is an institution because of Madan Bahal and I'm proud to be part of that legacy

Adfactors PR alumni Aakanksha Gupta, Founder & CEO of The Other Circle PR highlights Madan Bahal’s mentorship and leadership as he turns 70

by Aakanksha Gupta
Published: Feb 3, 2026 12:45 PM | 1 min read

I worked with Adfactors PR in 2009, right at the start of my career. I was fresh out of XIC, unsure, slightly overwhelmed, and I distinctly remember attending my first-ever AGM at Adfactors, trying to quietly understand the room.

Madan Sir, as always, arrived with gravitas. He didn’t command attention by filling space. He did it by choosing his words carefully. Measured. Thoughtful. Never in a rush to speak, always clear about why he was speaking.

What stayed with me most during my tenure there in fact was not just what he knew, but how accessible he was. Even to someone as junior as me. He took my exit interview and instead of closing a chapter, he opened my thinking. He pushed me to look beyond roles and titles, and to see communications as responsibility, not just craft.

Years later, when I’ve crossed paths with him at conferences, that same clarity remains. In an industry obsessed with speed and scale, Madan Sir has always stood for something rarer: judgment, longevity, and decisions that age well.

Some people shape your early career. Very few shape how you think long after you’ve left the room. He did and continues to do that for me. Adfactors is an institution because of him, and I'm lucky to have passed with flying colors.