Ambareesh Murty, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pepperfry, a prominent omnichannel furniture retailer, passed away on Monday, August 7, in Leh following a cardiac arrest. The news was conveyed by Ashish Shah, who co-founded Pepperfry with Ambareesh, on Tuesday. Ambareesh was widely regarded not just as a business leader but also as a mentor and an inspiration to many in the entrepreneurial community. An ardent biker, he passed away during a bike trip to Leh.
In a tweet, Shah wrote, “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.”
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 (@TweetShah) August 8, 2023
Ambareesh Murty co-founded Pepperfry in 2012 along with Ashish Shah, and under their leadership, the company emerged as a key player in the online furniture retail sector. Ambareesh’s ambitious plans included taking Pepperfry public and he had been actively working towards this goal since last year. Before launching Pepperfry, Ambareesh had an accomplished career in marketing. He became the country manager for eBay in India in 2008 and left that position three years later before establishing Pepperfry.
Ambareesh’s sudden demise has left the business and entrepreneurial community in shock and many took to social media to mourn his passing.
Swati Bhargava, co-founder of Cashkaro, expressed her grief on Twitter, saying, “So sad & shocking to hear of @AmbareeshMurty’s sudden demise due to cardiac arrest. May his soul rest in peace. An amazing entrepreneur & inspiration to many... may his legacy with @Pepperfry live on #RIP.”
So sad & shocking to hear of @AmbareeshMurty's sudden demise due to cardiac arrest. May his soul rest in peace. An amazing entrepreneur & inspiration to many... may his legacy with @Pepperfry live on #RIP
— Swati Bhargava (@Swats26) August 8, 2023
In a recent interview, Ambareesh reflected on the early days of Pepperfry and the challenges faced. He said, “We realised that for variety and choice we needed to create pipes, which allowed a person in Delhi to sell to a person in Bengaluru. Therefore, the supply chain had to be created.”
Ambareesh graduated in engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering and got an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Before venturing out on his own, he had notable stints at companies like Cadbury and Britannia.