MAM
Draftfcb Ulka founder Bal Mundkur passes away at 86
MUMBAI: Bal Mundkur, the man who set up Ulka Advertiisng 50 years ago, succumbed to a heart attack on 7 January at his residence in Goa at the ripe age of 86.
Mundkur, who entered the advertising profession late and led on the creative front, was cremated at the St Inez crematorium on 8 January.
He joined DJ Keymer, the forerunner of today’s O&M on the first day of 1951. Ten years later, he started Ulka, which today ranks third largest advertising group in the industry.
Mundkur guided the agency to the Top 10 list in a decade, grabbing clients like ITC, Godrej, Crompton Greaves, Mukund, Ciba Geigy, Zodiac, Nerolac and Ceat.
In the 90s, Mundkur left the agency with the right team and retired from Ulka (which had become FCB Ulka, and more recently Draftfcb Ulka).
A man who spoke and created from the heart, Mundkur moved to Goa. He continued working for causes close to his heart – which included helping set up Asia’s very first Museum of Christian Art in Goa.
At 85, he set up the Centrum trust, which recently published Ad Katha, the story of Indian Advertising over the decades.
Paying his tribute to the legend, Draftfcb Ulka executive director & CEO MG Parameswaran said, “Bal Mundkur believed that advertising is a noble profession, a profession that should stand head to head with clients building brands and
business. He instilled a strong sense of pride in whatever we did, and encouraged his teams to stand up for the right causes. Bal was also a true industry visionary.”
“Bal was instrumental in setting up Ad Club Bombay and had the membership number of ACB 001. His interests were wide and eclectic, antique chess sets, western classical music, conservation of old architecture of Mumbai. He was especially proud of the work Ulka had done of social causes, when pro bono work was yet to be discovered by Indian advertising agencies. It was great that he lived till his baby Ulka celebrated its 50th birthday; the proud father was there to cut the cake last year. We will miss him,” Parameswaran added.
Lodestar UM CEO Shashi Singh said, “I have worked with him very closely. I was the oldest amongst the board of Draftfcb Ulka today. When he got into advertising, the industry was very small but he established Draftfcb Ulka and was bold in taking decisions. He would lead from the front and give his ideas to better creativity. He was one of the founder members of the Ad Club and has always encouraged people to build relationship with clients and get them to respect you. If they don‘t respect you then don‘t work with them.
“He was a good man and always followed his heart. He would not do anything just for money. He started advertising very late. He was in Air India as Pilot. He was 40 when he got into advertising. He started with O&M and then he founded Ulka.”
“The actual growth of Draftfcb Ulka happened after Anil Kapoor came but Bal created an institution, the culture that is the best to work in. He always talked about maintaining relation with clients and the actual growth of advertising happened after 1995. Actually, after his retirement, Manmohan Singh had come up the economic scenario changed in India. Bal was a strong influence to the industry. He was actually involved in whatever he did. Though he wasn‘t associated in day to day activities of the agency but he was a legend who set up a strong base for the company.”
Brands
Big Bowl appoints Lyxel & Flamingo as social and media partner
QSR brand eyes next growth phase after crossing Rs 100 crore ARR milestone
MUMBAI: Big Bowl, one of India’s largest bowl-format quick service restaurant brands from Lenexis Foodworks, has appointed Lyxel & Flamingo (L&F) as its social and media partner as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The partnership comes after the brand crossed the Rs 100 crore annual recurring revenue milestone in 2025 and aims to help accelerate its journey towards Rs 150 crore ARR in its fifth year since launch.
Big Bowl currently operates more than 250 kitchens across 50 cities and has emerged as a major player in India’s organised bowl-format food segment. Built around hearty portions and delivery-first convenience, the brand offers a wide mix of Indian, Chinese and fusion bowls designed for quick, affordable and portable consumption.
As urban consumers increasingly gravitate towards easy-to-carry and value-driven meal formats, the company sees the bowl category as a scalable format aligned with modern eating habits.
With the appointment of Lyxel & Flamingo, Big Bowl plans to consolidate its social media and digital media operations under a single partner. The move is intended to sharpen its digital reach, strengthen youth-focused storytelling and improve performance marketing outcomes.
Lyxel & Flamingo, one of India’s largest independent digital-first agencies, manages more than 350 brands and oversees advertising spends exceeding $100 million across its network.
Under the mandate, the agency will handle Big Bowl’s social media strategy, content development, digital performance marketing, media planning and buying, as well as campaign amplification across platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Lenexis Foodworks founder and director Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal said, “Big Bowl has scaled rapidly to cross Rs 100 crore ARR and established itself as one of the largest bowl-format brands in the country. As a delivery-first, digitally native brand, our next phase of growth will be driven by sharper performance systems and stronger brand storytelling. Consolidating social and media with Lyxel & Flamingo allows us to integrate data, creativity and media precision as we scale towards our next revenue milestone.”
Lenexis Foodworks marketing head Vikas Iyer, added that the delivery-led category requires content, media and performance marketing to work closely together.
“With Lyxel & Flamingo, we aim to build a sharper social voice, stronger acquisition systems and measurable impact, ensuring the brand scales not just in presence but also in precision,” he said.
Lyxel & Flamingo chief executive officer Dev Batra, said the agency will combine data-driven marketing with creative storytelling to support Big Bowl’s growth. “Big Bowl brings the flavour, and L&F brings the fire. Our strategy combines data-led performance with engaging storytelling to help build a strong digital brand presence while delivering measurable business results,” he said.
With this partnership, Big Bowl is looking to strengthen its position as a digitally driven QSR brand, blending brand-building with performance marketing as it scales within India’s rapidly growing organised food delivery market.
