MAM
PR agency Adgcraft plants flag in India’s tech capital
BENGALURU: Every PR agency in India eventually opens a Bengaluru office. Adgcraft has now joined the queue. The Noida-based communications firm, founded in 2021, launched its sixth office in the Karnataka capital, positioning itself to service clients from India’s sprawling startup and technology ecosystem.
The new operation at Awfis, Samrah Plaza in Ashok Nagar targets startups, corporates, tech firms and artificial intelligence companies—basically anyone with a pulse and a communications budget in a city teeming with thousands of IT companies and global tech giants. Adgcraft already works with over 200 brands across banking, lifestyle, hospitality and emerging tech. The Bengaluru push aims to deepen that roster whilst building a 25-person team by 2026.
Adgcraft managing director Abhinay Kumar Singh delivered the obligatory enthusiasm. “We are excited to open our new office in Bengaluru, the tech capital of India,” he said, calling the expansion a step towards “empowering brands by combining creativity with strategy.” The agency’s motto—”Your story is your strength, and communication is ours”—suggests it’s not shy about self-promotion.
Adgcraft operates three verticals: Adgcraft Communications, Adgcraft AI and Adgcraft Global. The Bengaluru office will drive operations in social media, performance marketing, video production and event management, alongside traditional PR mandates like media relations, crisis communications and reputation management. The agency claims experience with international clients from the US, south Korea and other markets, though it didn’t name them.
Four years is lightning speed in the agency world. Adgcraft has already spread across Noida, Lucknow, Mumbai and Gujarat before landing in Bengaluru. Whether that pace reflects genuine growth or overextension remains to be seen. India’s PR industry is fragmented and fiercely competitive, with established players like Adfactors, Genesis BCW and Weber Shandwick dominating corporate mandates whilst boutique agencies chase startups.
Singh claims that Adgcraft is “one of India’s most trusted PR agencies.” Trust takes time to build, especially in an industry where reputation is currency; and he seems to have managed to gain it, going by the number of clients on the agency’s roster.
Bengaluru offers plenty of opportunity, but also plenty of rivals who’ve been working the city’s startups and tech giants for decades. Adgcraft’s challenge is going to be proving it can deliver results that justify the expansion into the tech gold mine.
Brands
Swiggy cofounder Nandan Reddy quits
Reddy exits to launch new venture as Swiggy reshuffles board with internal promotions and investor nominee change
BENGALURU: One of Swiggy’s founding trio is heading for the exit. Nandan Reddy, cofounder and head of innovation at the food and grocery delivery giant, is stepping down from his executive role and vacating his board seat to launch his own venture.
Swiggy disclosed the departure in a stock exchange filing. Reddy cofounded the company alongside group chief executive Sriharsha Majety and has been one of its most senior figures since inception. His most recent charge was Crew, Swiggy’s concierge app, which will now pass to Rohit Kapoor, chief executive of Swiggy’s food marketplace.
Two colleagues will move up to fill the board vacancy. Phani Kishan, cofounder and chief growth officer, and Rahul Bothra, chief financial officer, will both join the board of directors. Separately, Renan De Castro Alves Pinto of Prosus Ventures will join as a nominee director, replacing Roger Rabalais, who is stepping down following his own departure from the Dutch technology investor.
Reddy, in an email to employees, kept it brief and bullish. There were areas he had been deeply curious and passionate about, he wrote, and he wanted to give them the time and energy they deserved. He signed off with a note of confidence in Kapoor: he believed Swiggy was laying the foundations of a massive new consumer category, and he could not wait to see how big the Crew service becomes under Kapoor’s watch.
For Swiggy, which listed on Indian stock exchanges in late 2024, the timing is notable. The company is still fighting hard for profitability in a brutally competitive market. Losing a founder is never just a footnote — but Swiggy will be hoping the reshuffle reads more like a refresh than a retreat.
