Santosh Padhi (Paddy) launches his independent advertising agency ‘INTO CREATIVE’

Santosh Padhi, fondly known as Paddy, has launched his independent advertising agency, Into Creative. Paddy will serve as Chief Creative Officer and Chairman, with Ayesha Ghosh taking on the role of CEO and Co-founder. They are joined by four other Co-founders: Yogesh Rijhwani (Creative Lead), Tania Dey (Strategy and Digital), Namrata Gosavi (Design and Digital), and Gargi Vegiraju (Business Lead). 

The founders of Into Creative believe the glory days of fearless, boundary-pushing creativity are in the past — and they are determined to change that. Their mission is to produce bold, innovative, and impactful creative work, regardless of the medium or platform. 

Paddy is no stranger to founding successful agencies. He co-founded Taproot in 2009, which later became part of the Dentsu Group. With Into Creative, he aims to fill a creative vacuum in the industry. Paddy holds the majority stake in the company, with the other Co-founders also holding equity. 

The six founding members bring eclectic skills and perspectives, united by their shared passion for collaboration and impactful ideas. The team’s philosophy centers around uncovering the Big Directional Idea — a concept that transcends a tagline to become the foundation of a brand’s identity. 

Core Service Verticals at Into Creative: 

• INTO Brands 
• INTO Insights 
• INTO Ideas 
• INTO Design 
• INTO Tech 
• INTO Digital 
• INTO Content 
• INTO Collabs 

The founding team has extensive experience working with some of the biggest brands, including Jio 5G, Hero Vida EV, Hero Cycles, Jindal Steel, Jockey, and Zoya. Many of the team members, including Paddy, Ayesha, Yogesh, and Gargi, share a history of working together at Taproot and later at Wieden+Kennedy India, which ceased operations in December 2024. 

Santosh Padhi, Chief Creative Officer & Chairman, said “I would have easily retired on an island, but the calling from adland is loud and clear. This industry has given me everything, and it is time for me to give back. Our focus will be on doing brave, fearless, creative brand work. Indian brands and platforms have grown in number, but creativity hasn’t. Oddly enough, brands are being built on creativity. Somewhere, the passion of creative agencies to push boundaries has been lost. In a world where anything is now creatively possible, we are here to fill this vacuum.” 

Ayesha Ghosh, CEO,shared her enthusiasm by saying “More experiments happen when independent. And experiments often fail but every now and then give birth to a gloriously unexpected, triumphant discovery. We’re here for that. We see ourselves as multipliers. When one collaborates with high creative integrity, respecting every platform, that’s when true magnification of ideas happens.” 

Both Paddy and Ayesha will stay hands-on, overseeing all aspects of the agency. Into Creative also plans to expand its leadership team as needed, bringing in specialists to lead new verticals, with stakes assigned to them. 

Into Creative will officially launch on 30th March 2025 in Mumbai, coinciding with the