Piyush Pandey Biography, Age, Death, Wife, Family, Career & More

Discover the life of Piyush Pandey, the ‘Adman of India.’ Learn about his age, family, career milestones, iconic ad campaigns, awards, and legacy.

Quick Info

Full Name	Piyush Pandey
Date of Birth	9 April 1955
Birthplace	Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Date of Death	24 October 2025
Age at Death	70 Years
Death Place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Death Cause	Prolonged Infection
Nationality	Indian
Zodiac Sign	Aries
Profession	Advertising Professional, Author
Height	175 cm (5’9”)
Hair Color	Salt & Pepper
Eye Color	Black
First Wife	Shalmali Tolye
Current Wife	Nita Joshi (Later Nita Pandey)
Siblings	Brother – Prasoon Pandey; Sisters – Rama Pandey, Tripati Pandey, Ila Arun (elder; singer & actress)
School	St. Xavier’s School, Jaipur
College	St Stephen’s College, University of Delhi
Educational Qualification	MA in History

Early Life

Piyush Pandey was born on 9 April 1955 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He grew up in a culturally rich environment with a family inclined toward arts and creativity. His mother, Bhagwati Pandey, passed away in December 2010, and his father worked at a cooperative bank in Rajasthan. Piyush has one brother, Prasoon Pandey, a renowned ad film director, and seven sisters, including the famous singer and actress Ila Arun.

During his college days at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, Pandey played cricket for the Rajasthan state team in the Ranji Trophy. Before entering the advertising world, he briefly worked as a tea taster.

Career

Piyush Pandey started his career in 1982 at Ogilvy & Mather as a client-servicing executive. His first advertisement was a print ad for Sunlight Detergent. In 1989, he shifted to the creative department and went on to craft numerous iconic campaigns for Indian brands such as:

• Fevicol – “Todo Nahin, Jodo”
• Cadbury Dairy Milk – “Kuch Khaas Hai”
• Vodafone – Pug & ZooZoos campaigns
• Asian Paints – “Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai”
• Pulse Polio – “Do Boond Zindagi Ke”

He also contributed to the Indian patriotic song Mile Sur Mera Tumhara in 1988 and co-wrote the story for the 1999 Hindi film Bhopal Express with his brother.

Promotions in his career:

• 1992: Creative Director
• 1994: Board Member of Ogilvy India
• 2004: Executive Chairman of India & South Asia
• 2019: Chief Creative Officer Worldwide at Ogilvy

Under his leadership, Ogilvy India became one of the largest and most awarded advertising agencies in the country. He also created the iconic BJP slogans for the 2014 elections: “Abki Baar Modi Sarkar” and “Achchhey Din Aane Wale Hain.”

Personal Life

Piyush Pandey was married twice. His second marriage was in December 2000 to Nita Joshi, his former colleague at Ogilvy & Mather. He had a deep passion for Ganesha idols and maintained a large collection. He also appeared in films such as Madras Cafe (2013) as the Cabinet Secretary of India.

Pandey had a disciplined approach to life, performing annual self-reflection on New Year’s Eve to assess his work and achievements.

Awards & Achievements

• The Economic Times: Most Influential Man in Indian Advertising (8 consecutive years)
• Ad Club of Mumbai: “Commercial of the Century” for Fevikwik, “Campaign of the Century” for Cadbury (2000)
• Asia’s Creative Person of the Year, Media Asia Award (2002)
• Double Gold at Cannes Lions for Cancer Patients Association anti-smoking campaign
• Triple Grand Prize at London International Awards
• India’s first Silver Pencil, The One Show Award (2002)
• Jury member, Clio Awards (2000); First Asian Jury President at Cannes Lions (2004)
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Advertising Agencies Association of India (2010)
• Clio Lifetime Achievement Award (2012)
• Padma Shri Award (2016)
• Lions Lifetime Achievement Award of St. Mark at Cannes (2018, with brother Prasoon Pandey)

Trivia / Lesser-Known Facts

• Referred to as the “Adman of India.”
• Started career in advertising after trying cricket and tea tasting.
• Introduced Hindi and colloquial Indian phrases in campaigns, making ads relatable to Indian audiences.
• Mentored creative executives worldwide, including at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership.
• Published two books: Pandeymonium: Piyush Pandey On Advertising (2015) and Open House with Piyush Pandey (2022).

Does Piyush Pandey have kids?

No, Piyush Pandey did not have children of his own. He was survived by his wife, Nita Pandey, and his eight siblings, including his brother Prasoon Pandey and sister Ila Arun. Many tributes to him have referred to his “creative children” or “children of Ogilvy” who were inspired by him

FAQs

References

1. StarsUnfolded – Piyush Pandey Biography
2. The Economic Times – Piyush Pandey Obituary