Obit: AG Krishnamurthy, founder of Mudra, no more

AG Krishnamurthy, founder Chairman and Managing Director of Mudra Communications, passed away today morning after a brief illness. Krishnamurthy, who was fondly known as AGK, founded Mudra on March 25, 1980. In 1989, Mudra became India’s 3rd largest advertising agency. He nurtured Mudra’s two major brands, Vimal Fabrics and Rasna, from infancy to become two of India’s leading and most recognised brands.

In March 1991, he set up Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) and a couple of years later, he set up Mudra International. Krishnamurthy retired from Mudra on March 31, 2003, and post retirement he was Chairman of AGK Brand Consulting.

Born on April 28, 1942 in Vinukonda, Andhra Pradesh, Krishnamurthy graduated in History at the Andhra University. In 1968, he joined The Calico Mills to assist Giraben Sarabhai. In 1972, he moved to their advertising agency, Shilpi Advertising, as an Account Executive. In 1976, he moved to Reliance Industries, as their Advertising Manager. Four years later, he founded Mudra Communications.

Paying tribute to Krishnamurthy, Madhukar Kamath, Group CEO & Managing Director, DDB Mudra Group, wrote in the group’s social media site:

“AGK is no more. He passed away this morning. We have lost not just a great Human Being but a true Legend. He founded, nurtured, built and left behind two outstanding Institutions. Mudra and MICA. One, a Marketing Services Leader and the other, India’s Premier Management School for Strategic Marketing & Communication. Both truly ‘Made in India’.

He founded Mudra on March 25, 1980. We were rank outsiders. Started out in a 500 sq ft room in a non-advertising city called Ahmedabad. By the end of the first decade, we became one of the leading agencies in India. We created an impact that attracted some of the best talent in the country, clients of repute and accolades that make all Mudraites proud. Along the way AGK and another living legend, Keith Reinhard, laid the foundation of the Mudra and DDB relationship. Today, we are a proud member of the Omnicom Network and the DDB global family. Respected for our talent, our work, our contribution and also our immense potential.

MICA was a dream that AGK had. He laid the foundation today, exactly 25 years ago, February 5, 1991. It is quite poignant that he took his last breath today, on MICA Day.

Both Mudra and MICA have given thousands and thousands of us, a start in life, a platform to perform on, a place to build our careers and achieve success and bring us to where each one of us is today.

It is fitting for us to declare today a ‘Thank You AGK’ day. Let us make today our ‘Day of Gratitude’.”

Tributes from the industry have also been pouring in.

AS Raghunath, an independent marketing and advertising professional, said, “Krishnamurthy is the first ​Andhraite ​ad doyen who created ​and nurtured a ​truly ​Indian ad agency which went to restore the supremacy of Indian language​s​. He is the one who created and nurtured many start-up India brands like Rasna, Dhara, Only Vimal, Core Healthcare, Symphony, et al,​ which went on to dominate the Indian landscape​. Even Adani as a corporate entity made its debut at AGK’s communication lab and in less than a quarter of a century it is a dominating corporate player ​in the world. He created mentored and ran successfully the first communication management nursery in MICA in Ahmedabad.”

Abdul Khan, Global CMO, Alef Mobitech, said, “AGK truly symbolised the pride of being Indian. His work, and even more than that, the values he stood for will always remain not only in our minds, but also in the minds of generations to come. MICA was one of the ways he gave back to Indian advertising what he stood for.”

Twitter also saw industry leaders paying their tributes.

Ramanujam Sridhar Tweet

 

Ramanujam Sridhar ‏@RamanujamSri  3h3 hours ago

AGK passed away a legend of modern advertising

 

SK Swamy Tweet

S K Swamy ‏@skswamy  2h2 hours ago

Hardly 74 years Founder of Mudra Communications AG Krishnamurthy is no more. He changed the rules when he ruled..... https://shar.es/14HX75 

 

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