Popularly known as “Paddy”, Santosh Padhi is one of India’s most influential and awarded creative
leaders — an entrepreneur who has shaped the country’s modern advertising and design narrative. With
over 25 years in the industry, he is the Founder, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer of
INTO, a
new-age independent agency born to reignite originality and creative courage in Indian
advertising.
Paddy first made history as Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Taproot India, the iconic
agency behind campaigns like Pepsi’s “Change the Game”, Airtel’s “Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai”,
Mumbai
Mirror’s “Hated by Some”, Adidas “Odds”, and Amazon India’s launch — work that continues to
define
Indian pop culture. He later served as CCO of Wieden+Kennedy India, bringing his blend of
purpose-driven storytelling and bold design thinking to global brands.
Over his career, Paddy has created award-winning work for Pepsi, Airtel, Facebook, Amazon, Mahindra,
Jio, McDonald’s, Times of India, Myntra, and Adidas, among others. With over 500 awards —
including two dozen Cannes Lions and numerous Grand Prix titles — he remains one of the most
celebrated
creative minds from India.
He has served as a jury member and chair at Cannes Lions, D&AD, Clio, Adfest Pattaya, and London
International Awards, representing Indian creativity on the global stage.
Beyond the accolades, Paddy is driven by passion, purpose, and discipline — believing that creativity,
like fitness, demands consistency and heart. His journey continues to inspire a generation of
storytellers to craft work that’s not just effective, but truly extraordinary.
