Remembering Subroto Sengupta

 I suppose I am the oldest of the lot to mourn SSG. For I do not find here any names from those golden years when I had the good fortune to work with this great soul (and Energy Personified) among many of the Founding Fathers of Indian Advetising. I belong to the Clarion era in good old Calcutta and recall with great nostalgia my days with SSG - that was the name he went by fondly among all Clarionites who included S.N. "Kanu" Banerjee, Tara Sinha, Subroto Banerjee, Kanu Basu, Prasanta Sanyal, Samir Sarkar, Satyajit Ray, Satya Chakraborty, Ananda Mukherjee, Anjali Lahiri, Amit Sen, Ronen Roy and others. I worked as SSG's Secretary. If some of the big names in today's ad world owe it to SSG for their entry into and advance in the profession, I owe my entire career to him. I have rarely seen anyone with such love for the l English language and perfection in it. What I learned from him has seen me through my entire career where the command of the language alone has been the asset. In fact, I recalled this fondly when I met Sir VS Naipaul. Naipaul had decided to write a whole chapter on me (included in his "India, a million mutinies now"). He felt I was so excellently articulate in narrating my life story that all he needed to do was to take it down verbatim in longhand in 4/5 sittings in different locations. He did this very painstakingly and was I surprised to find that he had done precisely that, not a word added or taken away! Thanks to SSG - and all good old Clarion "bandhus" I learned so much from in my youth, I reached the evening of my life as a PR man to a highly successful politician who is now a senior member of the Central Cabinet.. I do not know if Kanika Boudi and Nandini would remember me but I would like to tell them how sad I am at the departure of the man who has left such large admiring numbers mourning his loss. Adieu, SSG.
h.v.nathan
Mumbai

 I have never met him, never ever even read him, don't know a single person who knew him or had worked with him but still some people don't have to be physically present to inspire a 22 yrs guy to join advertising. The name and the internet has given me enough of them!!
Shubhojit Sengupta
SSC&B Lintas, New Delhi

 He was one of the greats who ushered Indian Advertising to new goals and heights. He laid the path on which we all now tred.
Tushar Patel
Goldmine Advertising Ltd, Ahmedabad

 I met him only once at his residence... I knew about him through my dad who was with Clarion for a long time. His book on Brand Positioning gave me more insights than most of my other marketing books combined. Above all, he was a great person, if you have the talent, SSG is your true mentor. Kolkata advertising shall never be the same without this man. My condolences to the family.
Sanjiv Sen

 My heart-felt condolences to the family. I had the privilege of working closely with him as an account executive, when he was vice-chairman at Clarion. His one advice to me then was: "There is no yesterday to bank on ... however many laurels you may have won, don't rest on them. Every day is a new day in this profession." This timely advice given to a 21 year old at that time helped me immensely in my career. Sitting here in Australia I find it very difficult to accept this loss. A monumental loss to Indian advertising.

Sheba Nandkeolyar (nee Mallick) managing director, Etcom

 I was in Clarion, Madras, at the time of the famous split that occurred in Clarion. The way Prof Sengupta handled the rift, rivalry and reasoning is the best course I learnt in conflict management. Prof Sengupta towered above all with his principles and passion.
MA Waheed

 I have innumerable memories of Prof Sengupta. Before I joined my Management course, one day I asked him, "What would be and should be the qualification of a manager?" His prompt answer was "To get the job done by others." This was a small example of his many answers to the students he tought in his life. I pay my sincere and true reverence to this great gentleman.
Somnath Biswas

 I had the privilege of working out a case with him in 1998, and he really impressed me with his incisive analysis, boundless energy and comprehensive knowledge. Truly an ageless intellect. R.I.P.
Jayashree Mohanka Eveready

 Subroto Sengupta (Jethu to my brothers and me) was an important fabric of our life. From our fun-filled days in the early '70s when his apartment at Sea-Belle, Mumbai was our favourite haunt, where he would not let a hectic day in office colour his childlike interactions with us kids... to the mid '80s when he egged me on to accept an offer in advertising, and in the bargain undertook to add his weighty opinion to my efforts to convince my father (his younger cousin)...to the 90s when he invited me to take a session on our work for Ford at an MDP at IIM-C where for the first time I saw him not as Jethu but as Professor SSG... to the difficult times when we lost our parents and Jethu and Jethima stood by us in our moment of grief...

Today, we miss not just the incisive mind, the brilliant anecdotes and the knowledge, we miss the warm and affectionate man that we knew. My sincerest condolonces to Jethima. Our thoughts are with her and Bonu-di. And our prayers are for them to bear this loss and for the everlasting peace of his soul.
Sumantra Sengupta

 SSG, as he was fondly referred to in Contract, has touched and inspired so many young minds through Windows. His legacy will live on, and enriched are those who got a chance to interact with him. My prayers are for SSG and his family.
Devika Sharma

 As a student of the last batch that he tought, I was lucky enough to witness the meticulous research and effort that he was applying towards publishing the second edition of his esteemed book. I had the good fortune of being introduced into the fascinating world of positiong by such an illustrious teacher. The news of his demise grieves me in no small extent. May his soul rest in peace.
Prithwijit Chaki

 Brand Positioning, the soul of brand managers around India, and rest of the world. This book has helped me sail through my few years in advertising, God Bless Prof Subroto Sengupta.
Debashish Banerjee brand consultant, ImpactMobile

 I have fond memories of SSG while I worked with him as his secretary at Clarion from 1974 till he retired. I remember him as a strict disciplinarian yet absolutely human, a doting father, scrupulously honest in his dealings and extremely hard working. I had the privilege of helping him when he wrote his first book on "Cases in Advertising & Communications Management in India". I send my sincere condolences to Mrs Kanika Sengupta and their daughter, Nandini, who has been the apple of his eye.
Hilda Pinto

 SSG, as he was popularly known, was my first guru in advertising when I was a greenhorn in 1979 in Clarion, Calcutta. It was he who gave me the opportunity to work independantly on Calcutta's most prized account in those days - ITC, and work closely with him on building brands like India Kings, Classic, Gold Flake, Capstan etc. SSG always gave us total independance and would stand by us in front of clients when there were problems. Besides being a leading professional and a great teacher, SSG was a great leader of the team with whom he worked very closely. Marketing and advertising will never be the same without SSG.
Tapas Gupta managing director, Confluence Communication

 Unfortunately, I could never meet this great thinker. But his book "Brand Positioning" is still with me and I just leaf through the pages whenever I get stuck somewhere. I will always regret not being able to meet him. May his soul rest in peace.
Shefali Takalkar copy writer, Result: McCann

 I never had the fortune to know him personally. But the book on brand positioning authored by him gave a good insight into subject in the Indian context.

I, on behalf of International Management Institute, wish his soul rests in peace.
Anand Shirur brand manager, Tulsient Group of Companies

 'Candle burnt out long before...'
Goodbye Subrata Jethu (SSG).
From birth I knew him as an uncle of mine and my father's mentor. Heard of him as the most brilliant and most unassuming advertising professional. But I seldom spoke to him about advertising. Guess, I didn't quite make the most of knowing him. I know somewhere, the reason I got into advertsing was because of him. A week before he passed away, I had met him in his Bangalore flat. He looked in great discomfort, but his mind was alert. Little did I know the world would shortly lose this legend and I my Jethu. I'll miss his talks and above all I'll miss him. My condolences go out to Konika Jethima.
Kunal Roy MAA Bozell

 Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

~ Longfellow

Sincere condolences to his family members. May his soul rest in peace.

On behalf of the 40th/10th batch at IIMC, left impoverished by his sad demise.
Natarajan Sen

 SSG to the world and Jethu (Bengali for uncle) to me. He has played different roles as far as I am concerened - at one end he was an uncle and at the other he happened to be my father's mentor.

It was because of him that I joined advertising. Jethu embodied everything I respect about our business. He is my role model.

Whenever I ran to him with a problem, he would greet me with a smile, hear me out with patience, stare out of the window for a brief bit and deliver the solution in one single sentence.

I remember every advice of his. Some I have been able to follow - others I plan to follow.

An enlightened advertising and marketing professional he always believed in sharing his wealth of knowledge with the fraternity whether it's through teaching or through his books.

We have lost from amongst us a brilliant professional and an equally magnificent human being.

Considering that a couple of weeks ago I was with him in Bangalore, seeking counsel on my latest assignment as a profit centre head at an agency ... the news still needs to sink in I guess.

All I can say at the moment is that the legend continues to live on with my family and me.

Rahul Roy

 "Brand Positioning" by Sengutpa is the book which we believe more than our Professor. Nothing or no one can compensate this loss. 'THE END' of an era. My sincere condolences to his family members.
Siva Balan J

 I will always consider it a great fortune to have been taught by him at IIMC. This is indeed a great loss. May his soul rest in peace.
Mukund Srirangapatnam

 First and foremost, he was a close family friend… a person who frequented my ancestral home. Before I knew Advertising, I knew Subroto Kaku.

It was therefore quite befitting that because of Subroto Kaku I came to be in the field of Advertising.

When he gave me an opportunity to work at Clarion Advertising Services, Bombay straight after my graduation in 1977, I was fortunate to see him in action on presentations… with clients…right from under his wing.

Many years later, in 1988-89, when he invited me to teach the Advertising course with him at the Calcutta University (IISWBM), while I was at HTA, I had the privilege to operate with him at close quarters and get inspired by his depth of knowledge and ability to impart it.

As a doyen in the industry, Professor Sen Gupta brought to Advertising a commitment to professionalism that stood out like a beacon. Both as a practitioner and as a teacher, he set standards that were aspirational. His thoughts were incisive, his communication skills par excellence, and his manner always gentlemanly and upright.

I send my deepest condolences to his family from Bahrain.
Indranil Gupta chief executive officer, Lowe Contexture, Kingdom of Bahrain

 I have never had the option of meeting with the professor, but that great green book has taught me most of what I know of brands. Simply because I have never been from the marketing faculty. At this juncture, this news comes as a debacle as I know for a fact that I shall never be able to meet the professor in person to convey a sincere 'thanks'. And I know it only too well, that as I head the creative department of an Euro RSCG associate in Dhaka, the loss of the professor means that we have lost one of the greatest trouble-shooters of our time.
Angshu Chatterjee

 Prof Sengupta was among the few professionals who understood advertising both from the perspective of the brand manager and the creative people. His clarity on concepts of positioning was remarkable. Advertising Management course at IIM Calcutta will never be the same again.
Frederick D'Souza

 A truly great professor, who gave us wonderful insights into the world of advertising and brands. He will be missed by all of us at IIM Calcutta.
Sharada Iyer

 It is very hard to believe that SSG, as we use to call him in erstwhile Clarion, is no more. While I feel guilty of not keeping in touch with him, it was always at the back of my mind that in case of any problem, after untimely demise of Sudhir Lal I could always count on SSG! I am emotionally attached with SSG as he was the man who issued me my first appointment letter in Clarion. I still have it. His vision was very clear which helped him stand like a rock in spite of the ups and down at Clarion. His book Brand Positioning – Strategies For Competitive Advantage has become a Bible of advertising and marketing. He was one of the stalwarts of advertising who will always be remebered for his invaluable contribution in this profession. My Salaam to this great soul!
Achal Paul

 A great author and a fine man... one who gave meaning to brand positioning for Indian products... is no more.
Sravan

 It came as a very sad news. The person who opened the door for learned exploration into the world of advertising is no more. Physically he may not be among us but his teachings will always be there. He was undoubtedly the best teacher in IIMC and this is a too big a loss. Salute to you sir for enabling me to grasp a bit of advertising and more importantly for being a great teacher and mentor.
Sachin Bodwal

 A very sad news. SS' course Advertising Management or AdMan as we used to call it was the best course offered in Marketing in IIM Calcutta and it was from which all of us learnt a lot. It was probably the best course offered in advertising across B-schools in India.

Even in his late 80s he was perhaps the most dapper man on campus, one who could give people of his age a run for their money when it came to personality.

His course however was one that really stood out. Each time he wanted to retire, students made sure he came back and took it once again.

The passing of a legend.
Supratik Chaudhuri

 It was in December 1992 that I made my first acquaintance with Prof. Subroto Sengupta. It happened in the Mumbai office of Contract on my second day in advertising.

A sparse, wiry man in corduroys and checked woolen shirt padded into the training room like a cat. He couldn’t have been a day younger than 65, if his silvery hair and lined face were anything to go by. He couldn’t have been a day older than 30, if his inexhaustible energy levels were to tell a tale. He didn’t much look like an IIM prof either.

Cowboy. I didn’t know his illustrious background, so that was how I saw him then. I didn’t have cause to change my mind over the next six months of the inaugural ‘Windows’ training. As a cowpuncher in the ad badlands, he certainly walked the talk.

At the first signs of wooly thinking, he would go guns blazing till the smoke singed our ears. When we got it right, as he invariably made sure we did, there would be a quiet word of praise. And then, he would toss a lasso at the next strategic problem…

Cow boy. SS, as we called him, was the youngest man I ever knew. To me, Professor will not fade away into the cactus-laden sunset. He will live another day, bowlegged and horsebacked, as he peers into the sun and adjusts his damp Stetson before digging his spurs in.

Somehow, the words ‘The End’ do not sit well with the Sundance Kid.
Uddalak Gupta creative director, Contract Advertising, Delhi



View Obituary.