In April 1973 he founded R. K. Swamy Advertising Associates in Chennai and within the first few years set up operations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
[1] Swamy was involved in making Madras an important location for the advertising industry.
Swamy was also at the helm of various industry bodies, the Audit Bureau of Circulations and Advertising Agencies Association of India among them.
[3] Outside of his advertising career, Swamy spent time on Hindu religious and cultural activities, especially on restoration of temples and other historical structures.
[2] In 2009, the All India Management Association established the AIMA-R K Swamy High Performance Brand Award in his honour.