MAM
Industry grieves Anand Halve’s death
MUMBAI: November 23, the Indian advertising community woke up to the bitter truth that the veteran brand consultant and Chlorophyll founder Anand Halve or Andy, as he was lovingly called, is no more. Halve was not keeping well for long and finally succumbed to pneumonia the previous day.
It was Chlorophyll’s MD and Halve’s dear friend Kiran Khalap who broke the news first on twitter, saying: “The Chlorophyll community grieves the untimely death of its co-founder, father of brand planning in India & friend to millions: Anand Halve.”
Following this, the industry poured in with their messages of condolences, and Twitter was flooded with ‘Rest In peace’ messages addressed to him, some even quoting lines from verses he had penned.
Harsha Bhogle: Am in agony at the passing of Anand Halve,one of the finest minds in advertising & someone who was always very kind to me when I started out.
Journalist Sucheta Dalal : Just heard the really sad news that our friend @anandhalve is no more. #RIP U will be sorely missed Andy … and your guidance & support.
MasterCard head of MasterPass Monica Jasuja: R.I.P. Anand Halve, I miss his positive motivational friendly self on Twitter. Pls keep him in your prayers.
OgilvyOne SVP Namrata Balwani: Very sad to hear of the passing away of a legend. What a mind. Still remember Anand Halve teaching us at MICA. And his shairi tweets.
Addressing Halve as ‘first of the planning tribe’ Ambi Parameswaran also took to social media to express his shock.
Often credited as the pioneer of account planning in Indian advertising, Halve’s influence in the advertising world runs far and deep that even those who didn’t know him in person expressed their shock upon hearing the news.
“It is unfortunate that I didn’t know him too well in person but I can attest that his contribution to the advertising fraternity will be forever cherished. As a person, he was well-liked by his peers and he will be dearly missed,” shared Publicis south Asia CEO Nakul Chopra.
Before setting up Chlorophyll in 1999, Halve was associated with Enterprise Nexus for close to a decade. He has also closely worked with the legendary adman Mohammed Khan. Halve started his advertising journey way back in 1977 by joining Lintas, post that he spent a short time at the start-up Fulcrum with Kersy Katrak.
Lintas grieved his loss by releasing a creative tribute to remember the genius that Halve was.
“Andy was one of the finer minds in advertising, always ready to share his insights with both, the journalistic and the advertising community, whether junior, senior or peer. He was a futuristic thinker who embraced brand understanding, research and planning way ahead of others in that glorious period of advertising in the late eighties and early nineties. I remember Mohammed (Khan) relying on him greatly in those days. May his soul rest in peace,” said Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.
The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said: “Anand Halve was one of the first account planning person I had heard of during the early days of my career. Humility was his biggest asset. Was always warm and probably one of the best strategic minds in the advertising industry. We will miss him.”
Brands
Deepak Halder appointed CEO of Sarvottam India
Real estate veteran with 23 years’ experience takes the helm
MUMBAI: Sarvottam India has appointed industry veteran Deepak Halder as its chief executive officer, bringing more than two decades of experience in real estate and business strategy to the role.
Halder has built a reputation as a growth-focused leader during a career spanning over 23 years, including nearly two decades in the real estate sector. He began his journey in the industry in 2007 and has since held senior leadership roles at several prominent developers, including Bestech Group, Paras Buildtech, Hero Realty, ATS Infrastructure Ltd and Rajdarbar Group.
Across these organisations, Halder has been closely involved in shaping expansion strategies, strengthening brand positioning and steering large-scale residential and commercial project launches. His work has also centred on accelerating revenues while building strong customer-focused business models.
Interestingly, Halder’s professional roots lie in marketing. He started his career at a leading advertising agency, a background that continues to influence his approach to real estate leadership. The combination of brand-building insight and market intelligence has helped him craft strategies that connect closely with evolving consumer expectations.
At Sarvottam India, Halder is expected to steer the company’s next phase of growth, with a focus on innovation-led development and sustainable expansion. His leadership will centre on creating long-term value for customers, partners and stakeholders while strengthening the company’s presence in an increasingly competitive property market.
The appointment signals Sarvottam India’s intent to sharpen its strategic direction as it prepares for the next chapter in its growth story.
