BENGALURU — Madan Bahal and Rajesh Chaturvedi, founders of India's biggest PR firm Adfactors, have formed a new joint venture that aims to offer CEOs and leading investors bespoke communications solutions for complex business environments.

Operating in their personal capacities, Bahal and Chaturvedi have teamed with former Adfactors executive Boby Kurian, who left the firm in 2020 to become communications director for Softbank India. The new JV, called StratInk Consulting, will also tap into Kurian's many years of experience as a senior journalist.

Kurian will lead StratInk as co-founder and MD, based in Bengaluru with additional offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. StratInk will offer counsel on risk intelligence, merger and acquisition, public advocacy, people advisory, investment cycles, and geopolitical and economic trends. The consultancy’s specialist team will be drawn from newsrooms, communications, law firms, capital markets and public policy platforms. 

Bahal and Chaturvedi have led Adfactors Group for 40 years, comprising Adfactors PR, Adfactors Advertising and chlorophyll, besides ownership interests in research companies such as IndiaStat and Projects Today.

Kurian previously held senior editorial functions at The Times of India and The Economic Times, among other media.