Mumbai: Advertising veteran honoured in the field of Art; wife Nita Joshi receives the award on his behalf Piyush Pandey, widely regarded as one of the defining voices of Indian advertising, was posthumously conferred the Padma Bhushan in the field of Art by President Droupadi Murmu during the Padma Awards ceremony on Monday.
The honour was accepted on his behalf by his wife, Nita Joshi, further recognising Pandey’s enduring contribution to Indian creativity, storytelling and brand communication.
Pandey, who passed away in October 2025 at the age of 70, is remembered as the creative leader who reshaped Indian advertising by bringing regional insight, cultural authenticity and emotional storytelling into mainstream brand communication.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, he created several campaigns that went on to become part of India’s advertising and popular culture history. His body of work included the iconic Fevicol commercials, Cadbury’s “Kuch Khaas Hai”, Asian Paints’ “Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai”, the Pulse Polio awareness campaign featuring Amitabh Bachchan, and the national integration anthem “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara”.
Before receiving the Padma Bhushan, Pandey had already been honoured with the Padma Shri in 2016 for his contribution to advertising and creative communications.
At Ogilvy, Pandey built one of the most influential creative careers in the industry. Joining the agency in 1982 as a client servicing executive, he went on to become Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and Executive Chairman India, before later taking on the role of Chief Advisor.
His influence also extended to the global creative stage. He became the first Asian to chair the jury at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and received several international recognitions during his career, including the Clio Lifetime Achievement Award and the LIA Legend Award.
