Avasthi spent four years from 1993 working at his father's dyeing business, and selling sarees in Varanasi. It was in 1997, when he moved to what was then Bombay, that his friends suggested he try his hand in advertising, noticing his knack for lateral thinking.
"I owe my professional life to Mohammed Khan of Enterprise Nexus, who offered me a job," says Avasthi. His first assignment was the 'A Day in the Life of India' campaign for The Times of India, in which he worked with advertising gurus Raj Kamble and Prasoon Pandey.
In 1999, Avasthi joined Ogilvy & Mather ("the best employers") as Creative Director. Among his clients: Fevicol, Centre Shock, Asian Paints and Pulsar. He still handles them and more. "It gives me immense pleasure to be able to motivate another's emotions and interactions."