PIYUSH PANDEY: PARTNER, FRIEND AND CREATIVE GENIUS

I t feels fitting that words fail me today—when the most prolific wordsmith I knew has passed. For nearly four decades, Piyush was far more than a colleague, creative partner, or fellow board member—he was a dear friend. Our lives intertwined so deeply that we became family. Ourjourney together began at Asian Paints, when Iwas ayoung and somewhat impatient product manager, and he was the Hindi copy chief. Someone from the copy department had just translated “Celebrate with Asian Paints” into “Asian Paints Ke saath jashn manao.” lremem-ber being appalled and insisting I speak to someone who actually thought in Hindi. That's how Piyush and I met. He immediately understood what I was trying to say. Before Ireached home that evening, he called me, “Partner, I've cracked it— Har Khushi Mein Rang Laye, Asian Paints!” ‘That was the start ofa friendship and partnership that would last a lifetime—across Asian Paints, Cadbury and Pidilite.

- BHARAT PURI

At Cadbury, while he’s remembered for the pathbreak-ing campaigns—Kuch Khaas Hai and Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye—what stands out most is his steadfast support during the Cadbury worms crisis. Every morning, he’d call, “Partner, kya karna hai?” That daily reassurance, that shared sense of responsibility, meant everything. Out of that difficult period was born the Cadbury association with Mr. Bachchan and some truly iconic work that followed.

At Pidilite, where he served as a board member, Piyush didn’t just work on the brand—he owned it. Decades of consistent, memorable storytelling across Fevicol, Fevi-kwik, M-Seal, and every other Pidilite brand stand as testimony to his unmatched creative discipline.