8th August 2023, Mumbai: Ambareesh Murty, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pepperfry, died of a cardiac arrest in Leh. He was 51. Ambareesh Murty, who was a bike enthusiast, had co-founded Pepperfry in 2011.
“Extremely devastated to inform that my friend, mentor, brother, soulmate @AmbareeshMurty is no more. Lost him yesterday night to a cardiac arrest at Leh. Please pray for him and for strength to his family and near ones,” Ashish Shah, the second co-founder of Pepperfry.
Murtys death due to cardiac arrest
Murty’s death due to cardiac arrest has shed light on the growing cases of heart related incidents in younger people. Young people, including those who are physically active like Murty who was a biker, are dying because of sudden cardiac arrest, a heart complication which was not seen among the young adults earlier.
One of the major hindrances in the treatment of heart-related ailments, is underdiagnosis and lack of awareness around the disease. Only by identifying the signs of a cardiac arrest can help a lot in reducing the chances of fatality. Here are few telltale signs of a cardiac arrest all should know:
- Sudden Loss of Responsiveness: The person becomes unresponsive and does not react to stimuli or attempts to wake them up.
- Absence of Normal Breathing: The person stops breathing or exhibits irregular and gasping breaths that are not normal.
- No Pulse: When you check for a pulse at the neck (carotid artery) or wrist (radial artery), you can’t find one.
An entrepreneur in e-commerce, Ambareesh Murty co-founded the online furniture and home goods company in 2012 with Ashish Shah. Before founding Pepperfry, Ambareesh worked as the Country Manager of eBay India, Philippines, and Malaysia.
In this capacity, Murty became a catalyst in eBay’s growth by tailoring products and processes to local requirements while also delivering a superior customer experience. He also served as the vice chairman of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
Before Pepperfry
Before this, he was associated with the apparel brand Levi Strauss’ India division as its brand leader. Murty was responsible for product development and devising marketing and retailing strategies for the brand. He also worked with Britannia Industries as the marketing manager.
He was an alumnus of IIM Calcutta. He was also a trekking enthusiast and an avid biker. Murty started his career in June 1996 as a sales and marketing professional with Cadbury. In his career he had worked with ICICI Prudential, Levi’s, Britannia and Ebay. He also had a start-up which he closed in 2005. It was in June 2011 that Murty started Pepperfry with Ashish Shah.
Contribution
Pepperfry was set up in Mumbai in 2011, which has three warehouses and delivers to 500 cities and has over 60 experiential studios in 20 cities. Since its establishment, Pepperfry raised $245.3 million (around Rs 1,770 crore), according to Crunchbase, which provides information about companies.
ASC Priya