A Tribute to Prabhas: Celebrating Leadership, Friendship, and Shared Memories

I vividly remember the day in January or February 2018 when I first met Prabhas face-to-face. Although we had interacted over email and phone before, since I was handling a different product, I didn’t know Prabhas well. At the time, I sensed some resistance from his side in sharing information, especially the database I needed for sponsorship outreach. My first project at Indian Express was managed solely by Nivedan (whom I had known for a long time from working together) and myself. Despite the challenges, we succeeded in generating revenue, ensuring we stayed in the black.

There was a shared team—Prabhas handled Express Computer, while I managed CRN. Given Prabhas’s years of experience at Indian Express and the strong market presence of Express Computer, I was the newcomer, especially when compared to the established brand he oversaw. Naturally, one couldn’t shift focus from such a well-known brand to a newer one without care. My next project was CRN CLS, a relatively new initiative under Indian Express, though CRN itself was already an established name. Prabhas probably didn’t want to intervene much, given that someone else was leading the project. Nevertheless, he made a valuable revenue contribution for the event.

In the following financial year, Prabhas, Durga, and I decided to merge Express Computer and CRN under his leadership, forming a formidable team of three musketeers, with Nivedan as our trusted lone crew member. The camaraderie of the "three musketeers" really took shape at Technology Senate Pune 2018.

Once our team (Prabhas, Durga, Nivedan, and myself) came together, the sequence of events became a blur. Challenges came our way, and we tackled them one by one, conquering event after event. Our rhythm of success turned into a habit, which is why it’s hard to recall the order of things—only the teamwork stands out.

As I look through our photo library, a smile inevitably crosses my face. The memories of us enjoying our time together are priceless—whether it was the Jaipur trip after Technology Sabha, the pilgrimage after Technology Senate South, or the trip to my hometown in Kerala after another Technology Sabha. Prabhas was always the unofficial leader of these trips, and we happily followed. In retrospect, these trips were our way of recharging, allowing us to unleash our inner child and gear up for the next battle.

During Prabhas’s farewell, many colleagues highlighted his exceptional people management and human side. To be honest, for us, it was nothing new—in fact, it was almost routine, since we experienced it daily. What others may not know, however, is our little tradition: our "paid vacations" before events. We would arrive a day early for preparation, but those moments were filled with Prabhas’s humor, keeping us lighthearted and ready for the challenges ahead.

There are qualities that can be taught, but some are innate—like Prabhas’s ability to recognize each team member’s strengths. As he often joked, “I don’t even read comics,” and would ask me to handle that part, or presentations for the client and concepts to me. He valued Durga’s calmness when seeking advice on communications with senior management. For people like Nivedan and myself, who might get a bit temperamental, he always lent a patient ear, ending with a witty remark. He was also incredibly good at reading people, whether they were seniors or those reporting to him.

If I dive deeper into my memories, I could share even more stories about the events and trips we experienced together. But what I most admire about Prabhas is his temperament, which enabled him to communicate and make decisions thoughtfully. This is evident in his career, with only four jobs to date, and now, he’s joining the number one media house in India with the right profile to match.

As a parting gift, I felt the best thing I could do was to write this article for him. This is only the second time I’ve written about someone—so you can imagine how much inspiration Prabhas has given me.