From Building Brands to Owning Them: Tigris Asia’s Muhammed Ajnas Steps Into Startup Partnerships

After nearly a decade of shaping some of Kerala’s most successful brands, Muhammed Ajnas, Co-founder and Chairman of Tigris Asia, is stepping into a new role of not just building brands,but staying invested in their journey through ownership. Known for creating brand equity across categories, Ajnas is now partnering with and taking equity in emerging startups such as Ripe Enough, Kochi’s premium fresh fruit delivery venture, among others while staying deeply involved in their growth as both a strategist and stakeholder.

Over the past eight years, Tigris Asia has played a key role in building the identity and success of several iconic South Indian brands  including Skei Ice Cream, Happenstance, Earthi, Haeal, V-Star Innerwear, Oralium, Eastea, Super League Kerala, Liso Chocolate, and Uncle John’s.

The agency’s creative leadership has helped transform local businesses into household names. The “It’s Skei Time” campaign turned Skei Ice Cream into one of South India’s top-selling and most recalled brands. With Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the campaign face, the bold yellow visuals and upbeat tone became an instant cultural marker.

For Happenstance, the now-famous tagline “Try it, you’ll be surprised”  delivered by celebrities like Sushmita Sen, Rajkummar Rao, and Radhika Apte  positioned the comfort footwear brand as a serious player in both retail and e-commerce markets.

Tigris also reshaped V-Star Innerwear’s image from a traditional brand to one with youthful energy through the “I Moveasy” campaign, while its “Precious Purple” luxury line remains a standout in outdoor advertising.

During the pandemic, when most brands stayed quiet, Tigris launched Haeal’s “Let’s Haeal” campaign  reigniting consumer optimism and marking one of the first successful post-lockdown outdoor campaigns. The rebranding of Earthi, from a Kerala-based venture to a national presence in Shoppers Stop’s portfolio, stands as another milestone.

Even Kerala’s football scene felt Tigris Asia’s creative influence  turning Kerala Super League into Super League Kerala, backed by global football legend Andrés Iniesta’s “Project Game Changer”, giving the league a new identity and six strong franchises.

Speaking on his new journey, Muhammed Ajnas said,

“After years of helping brands grow, it’s time to take part in their stories more deeply — to learn, to contribute, and to grow together. Taking equity in potential startups like Ripe Enough is a natural extension of what we’ve been doing at Tigris Asia.”

With a proven record of building Kerala’s most celebrated brands, this new phase marks an evolution for both Ajnas and Tigris Asia, from creating brand stories to owning a stake in their success. Ajnas now channels his expertise into mentoring and guiding startups at every step, committed to helping them grow to their full potential.