Crayons has marked 40 years of operations, commemorating its journey since its founding by Kunal Lalani in July 1986 in New Delhi. The independent advertising agency has highlighted its growth from a single office to one of India’s largest independently owned agency networks while reaffirming its focus on AI and integrated marketing capabilities.
The agency has begun its operations in Delhi at a time when the Indian advertising industry has largely been centred in Mumbai. Over the past four decades, it has expanded its presence across Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mumbai, Lucknow, Chennai and Kolkata, before entering the GCC market with its Dubai office in 2006.
Crayons has worked across sectors including tourism, public institutions, healthcare, financial services and consumer brands. The agency has handled campaigns for Kerala Tourism, the first global digital campaign for Incredible India, and has partnered with more than ten state governments. Its client portfolio has also included Air India, Tata, ITC, Kajaria, Fortis Healthcare, APL Apollo and The Leela Hotels.
In 2011, the agency expanded its services by adding specialist businesses across media, digital, out-of-home advertising and events through Melon Media, Ultraviolet Digital, Amber OOH and Jade Events, strengthening its integrated marketing offering.
In May 2023, Crayons was listed on the NSE SME while continuing to operate as an independent agency. The company has stated that the move has enabled access to capital markets without changing its ownership structure.
To mark the milestone, Crayons has organised a leadership summit in Delhi with branch heads and department leaders from across its network. The discussions have focused on future investments in technology, AI and integrated communications capabilities.
Ashraye Lalani, Director, Growth and Technology, The Crayons Network, said, “Every decade has brought a new disruption to our industry from television to the internet, social media to mobile. AI is the next transformation, but we believe its real value lies in amplifying human creativity, not replacing it. We’re building an agency where strategy is sharper, execution is faster and creativity has more room to flourish because technology is working alongside people.”
Kunal Lalani, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director, The Crayons Network, said, “Forty years feels less like a finish line, and more like the start of another exciting chapter. Looking back, I’m proud we never needed to become something else to survive. Looking ahead, we’re investing in technology, AI, and new capabilities. Not to change who we are, but to strengthen what we always believed in. We started in Delhi when Bombay was where advertising lived. We stayed independent when independence was not considered scalable. Every time we were told there was one way to build an agency, we chose another. Forty years is a long time to be told you’re doing it wrong.”
