2025 wasn’t just another calendar year for Vicara PR; it became a defining chapter in its evolution under the leadership of Jigar Chatwani, Founder of Vicara PR. In a year where boutique agencies battled scale, speed, and survival pressures, Vicara PR focused inward first, stabilising its core team, strengthening institutional knowledge, and building a culture that values growth, commitment, and long-term client trust. That internal strength became the launchpad for broader diversification into social media, SEO, and lead generation mandates, signalling a confident shift beyond traditional PR. As part of Adgully’s annual recap of the year gone by – REWIND 2025 – we spoke to Jigar Chatwani, Founder of Vicara PR, reflects on how the year reshaped not just the agency’s capabilities, but also the very definition of PR itself. From navigating increasingly demanding clients and idea-driven mandates to embracing deeper strategic thinking and authenticity-led communication, he shares how Vicara PR positioned itself for the future in a rapidly maturing communications ecosystem. How would you describe the year 2025 for your organisation, and were there any standout moments that defined it? 2025 has been transformative for us, honestly. As a boutique firm, we've always struggled with talent churn - it's probably the biggest challenge any small PR agency faces in India. But this year, something shifted. We finally found our rhythm with team stability.The current group we have isn't just working for Vicara PR; they're growing with us. That's a game-changer when you're trying to build deep client relationships and maintain consistency in service delivery. When your team believes in the vision and wants to stick around, everything else falls into place - better client servicing, stronger campaigns, and that institutional knowledge that takes years to build.That stability gave us the confidence to diversify our offerings too. We've expanded into social media, SEO, and even executed three lead generation projects this year. It's exciting to see the team embrace these new challenges.When you look at the broader PR and communications industry, what defined this year for the industry?Ideas are king now - that's what I've observed throughout 2025. Clients have become incredibly sophisticated in their expectations. They're not just looking for coverage anymore; they want fresh, unique ideation that cuts through the noise.I've seen this shift firsthand. We'll pitch 20 different concepts to a client, and if even one truly resonates and gets executed brilliantly, that's considered a win. The days of recycling the same old press release formats or following template-based campaigns are over.The industry is demanding more strategic thinking, more creativity, and frankly, more courage to try unconventional approaches. Clients now understand PR nuances better than they did five years ago, which means agencies need to step up their game significantly.Which new big clients did you onboard this year, and what made those wins special?While I can't share specific client names, I can tell you about the sectors that embraced us this year - private equity, venture capital, fintech, healthcare, and BFSI. These are sophisticated clients who really understand what good PR can achieve.What made these wins special wasn't our pitch deck or our rates - it was the in-depth knowledge and expertise our team demonstrated. These clients appreciated that we understood their industries, their challenges, and their stakeholder ecosystems.When a PE firm is evaluating PR agencies, they're not looking for someone who can just send press releases. They want partners who understand portfolio company communications, investor relations nuances, and regulatory considerations. That expertise gave them the confidence to choose us over larger agencies.How has the role of PR evolved, has it shifted from just managing images to creating deeper, more authentic engagement?Absolutely. The transformation has been remarkable, especially in the last couple of years. Traditional image management - that defensive, reactive approach - is almost obsolete now.Today's PR is about building authentic narratives that resonate with specific audiences. It's about understanding that every stakeholder group needs a different story, told in a different way. A fintech startup's story for potential investors is completely different from their story for end customers or regulatory bodies.We're seeing clients who want us to be strategic partners in their business growth, not just communications vendors. They're asking us to help shape their market positioning, influence their product messaging, and even provide insights on market sentiment.The authenticity piece is crucial - audiences today can spot manufactured stories from miles away. The brands that succeed are the ones telling genuine stories about real impact, real innovation, real change.
