Subhechcha Ganguly 
They say when you are spontaneously inspired to do your highest priority action, you turn out to be an inspiration for others. Such is the tale of Samar Pratap Nayak that inspiration oozes from every pore. Samar Pratap Nayak, a young entrepreneur whose astute mind and innovative spirit has propelled him to the forefront of the advertising, branding, and marketing industry has been making right noises in the marketing horizon of Odisha. Though his upbringing was nomadic, traversing many a southern Indian city, including Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Tirupati, Nayak’s exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives has imbued him with a malleability and worldly outlook that few could match.
From his earliest days, Nayak has been a voracious reader, devouring the biographies of successful individuals with a zeal that would portend his own meteoric rise. Despite his parents’ employment as bankers, which necessitated frequent transfers and forced him to attend no fewer than eleven different schools, Nayak persisted in his quest for knowledge and experience, ultimately graduating at KIIT University, where he earned a BBA degree.
It was during his time at KIIT that Nayak first turned his attention to the world of advertising, an industry that he quickly realized held tremendous potential for his talents. However, his nascent ambitions were met with considerable resistance from his family, who doubted the viability of such a career path. Undeterred, Nayak set about honing his skills and gaining valuable work experience, all while remaining committed to his roots and the people of Odisha, his native state.
With an eye toward revolutionizing the advertising and marketing landscape in Odisha, Nayak founded Olive Ridley Media in June of 2018. Though the company began with humble origins, operating out of a garage and consisting of only two partners, it has since blossomed into a veritable juggernaut, generating a staggering 2.4 crore in revenue in its first year alone.Despite the impressive growth and success, Olive Ridley Media has not lost sight of its core mission: to make Odisha a hub of creativity and innovation by tapping into the state’s vast human resources. The company’s flagship products, which include ad films, social media marketing, and lead generation, have already begun to transform the advertising landscape in Odisha and beyond.
Looking to the future, Nayak and his team are keenly aware of the challenges that lie ahead, and are actively investing in the integration of cutting-edge AI technologies to ensure that Olive Ridley Media remains at the forefront of the industry. Through this integration, the company hopes to create a platform that is both scalable and adaptable, capable of meeting the evolving needs of its clients and customers.As Olive Ridley Media continues to expand and evolve, Nayak’s vision of a creative and vibrant Odisha becomes ever more realizable. With branches in Bangalore and Mumbai, and a dedicated team of 80 professionals, the company is well-positioned to realize its goal of becoming a group of companies encompassing production work, IT services, automation, app development, and social media management.
Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a more fitting namesake for Nayak’s enterprise than the Olive Ridley, a rare and tenacious breed of turtle that returns year after year to the same shore to lay its eggs. In Nayak, we see a kindred spirit, a man whose own travels and experiences have led him inexorably back to his homeland, and whose unwavering dedication to his craft and community continue to inspire and uplift all those around him.
