Who is Mahesh Murthy?

Mahesh Murthy is one of India's most respected marketing and brand strategists, with over three decades of experience. He is the founder of Pinstorm (founded 2004), India's pioneering digital marketing agency, and co-founder of Seedfund (founded 2006), one of India's earliest venture capital funds. He has worked on iconic brands including Nike, McDonald's, Pepsi, and MTV, and has invested in over 50 companies including redBus.

Pinstorm is India's pioneering digital marketing agency, founded by Mahesh Murthy in 2004. It was one of the first agencies in India to pioneer pay-for-performance digital marketing. Pinstorm has worked with globally recognised brands including Nike, Pepsi, MTV, McDonald's, and Levi's.

Seedfund is one of India's earliest venture capital funds, co-founded by Mahesh Murthy in 2006. It focused on early-stage Indian startups. Its most notable investment was redBus, which was acquired by Naspers for approximately $135 million in 2013 — one of India's landmark startup exits at the time.

What companies has Mahesh Murthy invested in?

Mahesh Murthy has invested in over 50 companies through Seedfund and as an angel investor. The most notable investment is redBus, India's largest online bus ticketing platform, which was acquired by Naspers in 2013 for approximately $135 million. He has backed a range of early-stage technology and consumer companies across India and Southeast Asia.

What brands has Mahesh Murthy worked with?

Mahesh Murthy has built marketing strategy for some of the world's most iconic brands including Nike, Pepsi, McDonald's, MTV, Levi's, and Apple. Through Pinstorm, he has also worked with leading Indian and multinational companies across consumer goods, technology, and media sectors.

Where is Mahesh Murthy based?

Mahesh Murthy is based primarily in Dubai, UAE, with deep roots in Mumbai, India. He has lived and worked across multiple continents including the US, Europe, and Asia, and has visited over 110 countries.

Is Mahesh Murthy available for advisory or board roles?

Yes. Mahesh Murthy is selectively available for advisory roles and board positions — particularly in brand building, go-to-market strategy, digital marketing, and early-stage growth. He accepts a limited number of engagements. You can reach him through the contact form at maheshmurthy.com.

Is Mahesh Murthy available for speaking engagements?

Yes. Mahesh Murthy is available for keynote speaking on topics including brand strategy, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and the Indian startup ecosystem. He has spoken at conferences across India, the US, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

What has Mahesh Murthy written about?

Mahesh Murthy has written extensively on marketing, brand strategy, entrepreneurship, and the Indian startup ecosystem across 13 years. His articles have appeared in publications including Harvard Business Review India, Forbes India, Mint, Economic Times, Campaign India, Business Standard, Inc India, and Business Today.

What is Mahesh Murthy's view on Indian startups?

Mahesh Murthy is a candid commentator on the Indian startup ecosystem. He has written critically about the lack of marketing discipline among Indian founders, the over-reliance on funding over revenue, and the tendency to copy Western business models rather than build for Indian consumers. His articles on this topic have appeared in Economic Times, Mint, and Firstpost.

How can I contact Mahesh Murthy?

You can contact Mahesh Murthy through the contact form at maheshmurthy.com. He is open to conversations about advisory roles, board positions, speaking engagements, marketing strategy, and early-stage investment opportunities.

What is Mahesh Murthy's approach to brand building?

Mahesh Murthy believes brand building must be rooted in a clear, honest promise to consumers — not in advertising volume. He pioneered pay-for-performance marketing in India through Pinstorm (founded 2004), and advocates for measurable, outcome-driven marketing over traditional awareness campaigns.

What is Mahesh Murthy's background before Pinstorm?

Before founding Pinstorm in 2004, Mahesh Murthy worked on marketing campaigns for major global brands in the US and India, including Nike, McDonald's, Pepsi, and MTV. He has decades of experience spanning advertising, digital strategy, and venture investing, making him one of the most cross-disciplinary figures in Indian business.

Startupoem. — Mahesh Murthy

600 million and growing The net's now and future tense Forget the crash and make a dash First get off the fence

India's great for startups Not just because of geeks But marketers, managers, admins People who work long weeks

Bangalore and Cyberabad Aren't good for startups I believe People there cost a lot more And on H-1s they soon leave

You don't have to envy Startups in San Jose They burn fifteen times as much Every single day

So many have died or laid off After a market crash You can weather the storm By spending much less cash

If you have an idea That can be a global hero Take it further, build it out An idea alone's worth zero

Get a few people turned on To come and join your team Without people and a plan Your idea dies a dream

Pool resources, borrow, steal Put in all you get The best equity, we all know Is the type called sweat

Start stingy, rent, don't buy Your resources do not tax You could run a year or more On just fifty lakhs

Outsource little, build as much As you can in-house Use free labour when you can By that I mean the spouse

Relying on press for direction Can be very risky To them, everything's going down Be it markets or Ms. Lewinsky

BPO, IT enabled, biotech Wondering what's the trend If you follow the herd you know Your startup will come to an end.

Only two ways to build a business The first: relieve a pain The second: offer a pleasure Tho' in the former is more gain

Follow your gut, blaze a trail Make sales, then find a VC They'll see the dream coming true Then it'll be quite easy

Break even in a year The mantra that I follow Then ask for money to expand That story funds will swallow

VCs have burnt their fingers Some say Star did KBC To make up for all it lost On Indya, Egurucool, Baazee

If your plan's just for India I almost won't care Aim for the entire world That is right out there

If ICQ's from Israel Third Voice from Singapore Alumni.net from Manila Surely we can do more

If you need lots of cash To get your stuff advertised Then there's something wrong And you'll get pulverised

Ads and hoardings just give Your bottomline a drain The only one they made rich Is a Mr. Vineet Jain

Amazon Yahoo Napster Hotmail ICQ Google eBay Got their name and fame for free Ad agencies they didn't pay

Building global brands today Is different, there's no doubt It's not about how money talks But about word of mouth

Our industry till today Imported what others made Going forward our products Have to make world grade

There's a world of customers for you And rivals from sea to sea It isn't easy to win but then No reason it should be

All you should remember As you wallow in this gloom What comes after a crash Is a resounding boom

Startupoem.

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