In a world flooded with information, shaped by AI-led discovery, and defined by shrinking attention spans, Public Relations is undergoing a profound transformation. What was once largely about securing the right headline in the right publication has evolved into something far more complex and consequential—shaping reputation not just for audiences, but for algorithms too. On National PR Day, industry leaders reflect on how PR is no longer a support function, but a strategic driver of trust, influence, and long-term business impact.At a time when stakeholders—from consumers to investors—are scrutinising whether brands truly live their values, the role of PR has expanded into building credibility across every touchpoint. The discipline today sits at the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and societal responsibility, making it more relevant than ever before.Girish Bala, Founder, ON PURPOSE"On National PR Day, I'd like to recognise and celebrate the positive change PR enables in society. Whether its raising awareness of causes that matter or bringing more dignity to the lives of the under-represented, we must bring the power of our craft to tell stories of individuals and organisations driving real change on the ground."Abhi Mahapatra, Senior Strategic Communications & Marketing Advisor"On National PR Day, it’s a good moment to recognise that while many aspects of Public Relations in India have changed, the core of earning trust hasn’t. In a culturally diverse and highly opinionated market, PR professionals are no longer just storytellers; they are custodians of reputation, expected to respond with both speed and sensitivity. The real value of PR today lies in staying authentic while being agile, and consistently translating tha into tangible business and societal impact."Nandini Chatterjee, former Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, PwC"PR has never been more critical, as consumers, employees, investors and communities closely scrutinise whether organisations’ words align with their actions, placing PR at the heart of shaping consistent narratives and corporate reputation.In an AI-driven discovery environment, where search increasingly draws from credible earned and owned sources, the value of well-crafted narratives in trusted publications is only growing.PR and Communications is moving beyond a support role to become a strategic imperative, demanding sharp judgement on what to say, when to say it, and how to navigate crises."Rishi Seth, Founder and CEO, Evoc"National PR Day is an occasion to remind us all that in this age shaped by AI-slop, misinformation, information overload and shrinking attention spans, public relations is one of the most strategic and effective disciplines for organisations and leaders. PR has always had a fundamental role in building trust, credibility, and shaping public understanding, but today this role is more critical than ever. In fact, few disciplines can match the strategic value of a well-run PR program in helping organisations engage with stakeholders with clarity and conviction.”Lovina Gujral, COO, Candour Communications"It's a very interesting time to be in the PR industry in India, and I mean that in the best way. For most of the last two decades, our job was to earn a client a mention in the right publication, in front of the right reader, on the right day. While that hasn't gone away, what is changing is that there's now a second audience reading everything we put out but they don't buy newspapers. A new layer of truth has emerged. When someone asks an AI model about a category or a brand, the model answers from whatever the open web has decided is true about that company. That's the real reputation layer forming right now. PR has always been about shaping what's said about you when you're not in the room. That room just got a lot bigger. PR agencies that will matter over the next ten years are the ones that stop thinking of themselves as media relations shops and start thinking of themselves as credibility engineers for humans and machines alike. On this National PR Day, that's the bet we are making."Madhvendra Das, Co-Founder, The Good Edge"I believe PR's sweet spot lies in becoming a strategic tool for managements and leaders from all walks. National PR Day during this year of amazing global newsflows is a timely reminder for us PR practitioners to become a lot more strategic in client interactions and to harness AI effectively as an enabler. We also need to attract a lot more top talent to our industry."Chetan Mahajan, CEO and Founder, Maverick“PR is transforming, not fading. The craft of earning influence now plays out across media, policy, digital, and AI ecosystems, but the core of the discipline has not changed. It remains about earning trust, not chasing attention. At The Mavericks, we choose fewer, deeper partnerships, measuring success in business impact rather than noise, and treating reputation as the most strategic form of capital a brand owns: the one asset that compounds over time.”Aman Dhall, Founder, CommsCredible"PR has evolved from a relationship-led function to an intelligence-driven one. Today, it’s not about moments of visibility, but about building a narrative that is consistently discoverable across media, search, social, and AI. If your story isn’t structured, it simply won’t show up where decisions are made.The biggest misconception is that one headline or viral campaign can shift perception overnight. It may create attention, but trust is built through consistency. Perception doesn’t change in spikes—it compounds when messaging is clear and aligned across touchpoints.PR now sits at the core of how businesses are evaluated. Stakeholders form opinions before any interaction, based on what they discover and validate online. This makes narrative clarity and credibility critical.Going forward, PR will bridge online intelligence with offline confidence. Companies that invest in structured storytelling won’t just be more visible—they’ll be more trusted. Because today, it’s not just visibility that matters—actual intelligence does.”

Aman Dhall, Entrepreneur, shares why the future of sport will no longer have sidelines, as technology, participation, and culture reshape how athletes train, how fans engage, and who truly owns the game. He notes that there was a time when sport was something you watched from a distance—coaching happened behind closed doors, broadcasts were one-way, and fandom ended at the final whistle. That version of sport is quietly fading, and by 2026, it will be defined less by control of infrastructure and more by intelligence, participation, and cultural ownership.AI will become the new coachSport is moving from elite-only science to mass-access intelligence. The global sports AI and analytics market is projected to cross $30 billion by the end of the decade, according to PwC and Deloitte’s Sports Tech Outlook.In India, where over 90% of academies operate without formal sports science support, as per the KPMG–FICCI Sports Report, advances in computer vision and mobile AI will change this reality.Visual AI can already analyse movement, posture, and workload through a smartphone camera. By 2026, DIY AI-powered coaching is expected to become mainstream and open doors at the grassroots level.Fans will move from spectators to co-creatorsThe second-screen era has evolved into participation-led fandom. Over 60% of live sports viewers now engage simultaneously on mobile, according to Nielsen, while AI-driven personalisation is expected to influence nearly half of sports media consumption by 2026, as projected by Gartner.Personalised highlights, real-time fan interactions, and digital stadium experiences will further collapse the distance between the field and the feed. This shift will turn fandom into an active, collaborative experience.Women will shape the future of sports cultureThis transformation is as cultural as it is technological. Female athletes are building global communities beyond match days, while women viewers are emerging as analysts, creators, and cultural drivers of sport.In India, women already account for nearly 40% of the digital sports audience, according to the FICCI–EY Media & Entertainment Report. The women’s sports economy, valued at around ?1,200 crore, is projected to grow fivefold over the next five years, as per Nielsen Sports and BCG.As personalisation deepens, women will not just consume sport. They will curate narratives, influence sponsorships, and shape the industry’s economics.A decisive transitionTaken together, these shifts mark a decisive transition. By 2026, sport will be defined by who builds intelligent systems, invites meaningful participation, and reflects culture authentically.Technology will accelerate this transformation, but relevance, trust, and inclusion will determine who leads the next era of sport.

Each year on July 16, World PR Day offers a moment of global reflection?Çöa chance to celebrate how public relations has evolved from a tactical publicity tool to a strategic cornerstone of trust, influence, and culture. But in 2025, the relevance of PR has never been more urgent?Çöor more contested.Across boardrooms and newsrooms, algorithms and activist movements, the world is battling a trust deficit. From climate misinformation to corporate greenwashing, from AI-generated deepfakes to political polarization?Çöaudiences are skeptical, institutions are under scrutiny, and reputation is no longer a given. In this volatile climate, PR is no longer about ?Ç£good press?Ç¥?Çöit?ÇÖs about building truthful, transparent, and timeless relationships.As PR thought leader Justin Green, Global President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), aptly noted last year: ?Ç£Public relations is the ethical heartbeat of communication. It has the power to shape truth, counter disinformation, and elevate public dialogue.?Ç¥From Diana Fernandes?ÇÖ view of PR as the ?Ç£conscience-keeper?Ç¥ of organizations, to Upasna Dash?ÇÖs call to move from ?Ç£vanity to value?Ç¥, this year?ÇÖs reflections underscore how PR has outgrown the shadow of marketing to become a moral, strategic, and social force.On the occasion of World PR Day 2025, Adgully spoke to eight forward-thinking industry founders who are shaping the future of communications in India. Their voices echo a shared belief: that in a world where anyone can broadcast, credibility is the only currency that matters.As technology amplifies noise and the public grows weary of spin, these leaders are doubling down on meaning, trust, and truth. Whether navigating AI integration, cultural shifts, or crisis narratives, their work proves one thing:PR isn?ÇÖt about managing stories. It?ÇÖs about stewarding trust. ?Ç£We are no longer decorators of narratives. We are custodians of credibility?Ç¥ ?Çô Diana Fernandes, Founder & Group CEO, Bloomingdale Public Relations<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\64b889ceefb978a8198c093300b0694e.jpeg' class='content_image'>For Diana Fernandes, World PR Day is more than a calendar milestone?Çöit?ÇÖs a conscious pause to reflect on whether PR professionals are genuinely making a difference or simply dressing up perception.?Ç£World PR Day is not just a day of celebration?Çöit?ÇÖs a day of reckoning. Are we doing the hard, often uncomfortable work of building trust, or are we still caught in cosmetic storytelling? In a world where people question everything?Çömedia, institutions, corporations?Çöour job is no longer to ?Çÿspin?ÇÖ stories, but to unearth what?ÇÖs real and meaningful. I believe PR is now the conscience-keeper of organizations. We belong at the table not just when things go wrong, but when purpose is being defined, when societal impact is being measured.?Ç¥On the role of AI, Diana sees it not as a disruptor but a clarity-enabler: ?Ç£We embrace AI as a filter?Çöit handles the noise, so we can focus on the nuance. At Bloomingdale, AI supports efficiency: real-time monitoring, data parsing, first drafts. But it is empathy and human insight that carry the message across the line. Machines can draft, but only humans can understand pain, hope, irony, and aspiration. Especially in crisis or cultural moments, communication needs a soul. And AI doesn?ÇÖt have one.?Ç¥ ?Ç£PR is no longer about visibility. It?ÇÖs about credibility in a world of collapsing trust?Ç¥ ?Çô Aman Dhall, Founder, CommsCredible<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\2bd5e9a5145e7bcf6c91f22b3f4c9638.jpeg' class='content_image'>Aman Dhall offers a sharp reminder that communications today must serve deeper goals than headlines or impressions. ?Ç£World PR Day is a timely moment to reflect on the responsibilities we hold. Strategic communications must help institutions articulate not just what they sell?Çöbut what they stand for. We?ÇÖve worked with clients in sectors like housing finance and public policy, where the challenge isn?ÇÖt media coverage?Çöit?ÇÖs navigating mistrust, exclusion, and fear. That?ÇÖs where PR must act as a societal interpreter, not just a brand megaphone.?Ç¥He?ÇÖs clear about AI?ÇÖs role: ?Ç£We treat AI as a collaborator. It scales the ?Çÿwhat,?ÇÖ but the ?Çÿwhy?ÇÖ still belongs to us. In one campaign for a heritage fragrance brand, we used AI to identify scent-language trends globally. But the breakthrough came from a perfumer who told us, ?ÇÿScent is memory.?ÇÖ That insight couldn?ÇÖt have come from data. It came from empathy. That?ÇÖs the gap only humans can fill.?Ç¥For Aman, the future of PR lies in ?Ç£narrative design?Ç¥?Çöarchitecting trust across moments, mediums, and stakeholders. ?Ç£In a world of scrutiny, clever communication won?ÇÖt cut it. Clarity will?Ç¥ ?Çô Akshaara Lalwani, Founder, Communicate India<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\8ddb3a75ce3d99a9651933966863ffed.jpeg' class='content_image'>Having shaped communications for over 15 years, Akshaara Lalwani sees World PR Day as a chance to return to the basics: integrity, empathy, and meaningful engagement. ?Ç£The world around us has changed?Çöinstitutions are under scrutiny, misinformation spreads faster than facts, and the audience is alert, vocal, and unforgiving. In this climate, our job isn?ÇÖt to sugarcoat?Çöit?ÇÖs to simplify, anchor, and humanize. PR has become the space where brand action is held accountable to public expectation.?Ç¥She adds: ?Ç£We?ÇÖre no longer the ?Çÿexecution team?ÇÖ waiting for a brief. We?ÇÖre strategic partners guiding leadership and culture. When a brand faces a crisis?Çöor an opportunity?Çöwe?ÇÖre the voice asking: Is this aligned with who we say we are??Ç¥On redefining PR within the marketing mix: ?Ç£Today?ÇÖs audiences don?ÇÖt separate a press article from an Instagram post or a podcast interview. What matters is consistency and coherence. Our job is to help brands show up?Çönot just loudly, but authentically. Whether it?ÇÖs building movements or diffusing tensions, we help brands stay grounded in their values.?Ç¥?Ç£Trust is the lifeblood of society. And PR is its circulatory system?Ç¥ ?Çô Rishi Seth, Founder & CEO, Evoc<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\a01a7cb4c2bb7a6a49f503676dcc26e3.jpeg' class='content_image'>For Rishi Seth, World PR Day is a celebration?Çöbut also a stark reminder of the gravity of their role. ?Ç£We live in a time where foundational trust is eroding?Çöin media, government, even science. Yet societies cannot function without trust. That makes our job as PR professionals far more complex?Çöand far more essential. We must now identify where trust lives, how it shifts, and how to help clients earn it, not just claim it.?Ç¥Seth is pragmatic about AI: ?Ç£It?ÇÖs already helping with efficiencies?Çöcontent creation, monitoring, sentiment analysis. But persuasion, influence, and coalition-building are deeply human acts. AI might catch up to average performance soon, but elite storytelling, emotional foresight, and intuitive judgment remain human territories. That?ÇÖs where the real future of PR lies.?Ç¥ ?Ç£PR is no longer behind the scenes. It?ÇÖs at the helm of shaping culture and commerce?Ç¥ ?Çô Sonalika Pawar, Founder, Bold and Beyond<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\2079cdb484ed659afb4f14d8e089d012.jpeg' class='content_image'>For Sonalika Pawar, PR today is inseparable from social consciousness and brand authenticity.?Ç£World PR Day is a chance to celebrate a function that has quietly powered some of the most meaningful shifts in how people view brands, institutions, and themselves. From equity and sustainability to creator culture and digital communities, PR is no longer support?Çöit?ÇÖs strategy.?Ç¥She?ÇÖs passionate about correcting a long-standing myth:?Ç£People still think PR is media coverage. But the real work happens before the headline?Çöin crafting ideas, shaping values, and building lasting relationships. The best campaigns don?ÇÖt chase clippings. They build conversations that evolve and endure.?Ç¥ ?Ç£Trust isn?ÇÖt given. It?ÇÖs earned?Çöover time, across channels, and under scrutiny?Ç¥ ?Çô Komal Lath, Founder, Tute Consult<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\4f0a9f81f65ef1065efbda09f36c8c6f.jpeg' class='content_image'>Komal Lath underscores the expanding scope of public relations in 2025, especially in an age of AI-generated news and fragmented platforms.?Ç£PR has moved beyond managing reputations to actively building them. In today?ÇÖs digital ecosystem, everything is real-time. People expect brands to engage meaningfully, respond quickly, and stay accountable. That?ÇÖs no longer a media function?Çöit?ÇÖs a cultural responsibility.?Ç¥On myths about PR, Lath says: ?Ç£The idea that PR is just about press releases is outdated. PR today spans owned, earned, paid, and experiential spaces. It?ÇÖs about being seen, but more importantly?Çöbeing trusted. And that takes strategy, consistency, and care.?Ç¥ ?Ç£We?ÇÖre moving from vanity to value. From optics to outcomes?Ç¥ ?Çô Upasna Dash, Founder & CEO, Jajabor Brand Consultancy<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\00255928db7c7a4e030697a5c8dad8b4.jpeg' class='content_image'>Upasna Dash believes World PR Day 2025 represents a new era?Çöone where communications is no longer a bolt-on function, but a foundational pillar of modern business. ?Ç£PR is shaping not just brand perception but policy discussions, investor sentiment, and public accountability. That?ÇÖs why communications teams now sit at decision-making tables. We?ÇÖre helping organizations navigate complexity with clarity, credibility, and compassion.?Ç¥And yet, she notes, the old myths persist: ?Ç£People still reduce PR to ?Çÿgetting your name out there.?ÇÖ But true PR is about consistent, values-driven storytelling. It?ÇÖs about how a company shows up when it matters most?Çöduring a crisis, a launch, or a moral choice. The power of that work is compounding, not cosmetic.?Ç¥ ?Ç£PR isn?ÇÖt a shortcut to attention?Çöit?ÇÖs a long-term investment in meaning?Ç¥ ?Çô Ritika Garg, Founder & CEO, Avance PR<img src='https://erp.adgully.me/artical_image\6535617b61d73c94d78ef3b6e8e855e5.jpeg' class='content_image'>After five years leading Avance PR, Ritika Garg sees this World PR Day as a milestone in the maturing of India?ÇÖs communications industry.?Ç£We need to move beyond superficial metrics. Sure, logos in pitch decks look great?Çöbut the real value of PR is in building narrative equity. It?ÇÖs about giving voice to ideas, to underrepresented communities, to authentic brand purpose. And that takes intention, not just execution.?Ç¥On the most persistent myth, she says: ?Ç£That PR is all about being seen. The truth is, what?ÇÖs seen doesn?ÇÖt always stick?Çöwhat connects, does. Our job is to build credibility, not hype. That means digging deeper, listening harder, and staying relentlessly human.?Ç¥ From Storytelling to StewardshipThe voices of these eight leaders point to a profound truth: PR is no longer about shaping the story alone?Çöit?ÇÖs about shaping systems of trust.As World PR Day 2025 reminds us, public relations has emerged as one of the most future-facing disciplines in business, combining the rigor of data, the power of empathy, and the responsibility of conscience.In a world increasingly driven by technology but yearning for authenticity, PR is not only relevant?Çöit?ÇÖs irreplaceable. 

Aman Dhall, a Gurgaon-based PR & Comms Tech entrepreneur and strategic investor,  has been honored with the ?ÇÿIndia-UK Outstanding Achiever?ÇÖ award in the Arts, Culture, Entertainment & Sports category. This recognition celebrates his contributions as a journalist, publicist, entrepreneur, sportsperson, and an angel investor, along with his influential role in shaping the startup storytelling landscape.The award ceremony in London on Thursday honored 35 achievers in the Class of 2025, including six in his category.Some of the prominent names this year include Ananya Birla, Entrepreneur; Radhika Apte, Theatre and Film Actor; Mirra Sondhi, Managing Director at Deutsche Bank; Natasha Poonawalla Executive Director of Serum Institute of India; Nitish Mishra, Minister of Industries & Tourism, Govt of Bihar; Keshav Suri, Executive Director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality and Siddhartha Khastgir, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship & Forbes 30 Under 30.Aman?ÇÖs journey has traversed multiple fields?Çöfrom a talented sports person to a distinguished journalist, and now a visionary entrepreneur and strategic investor. He is currently the Founder of CommsCredible, which he established in 2020.With this honour, he joins an esteemed league of past achievers, including Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India; Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India; Raghav Chadha, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha; Parineeti Chopra, National Award-winning actor; Aditi Chauhan, Goalkeeper, Indian Football Team; Rahul Kanwal, News Director, India Today Group; Urvashi Prasad, Director, NITI Aayog and Chaitanya Marpakwar, Two-time Ramnath Goenka award-winning journalist.Organized by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, in partnership with the British Council in India, the UK Government Department for International Trade (DIT), and the UK Parliament, the awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of Indian professionals and alumni from British universities.At the grand ceremony, Aman expressed gratitude to the organizers, highlighting the strengthening India-UK ties driven by innovation, education, and cultural exchange. ?Ç£These awards recognize the influence of Indian professionals in shaping global narratives. In today?ÇÖs world, story making is a powerful force?Çöshaping brands, driving perceptions, and building trust. I hope this recognition inspires communicators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to harness the power of strategic storytelling to create lasting impact,?Ç¥ he said.The journalist turned PR & Comms Tech entrepreneur has been at the forefront of storytelling and strategic communication for nearly two decades. During his journalism career (2005-2010), Aman was recognized as one of India?ÇÖs top financial journalists, renowned for his in-depth coverage of the financial sector. Transitioning from journalism, he played a pivotal role in Policybazaar?ÇÖs growth, leading the brand without external PR support. Under Aman?ÇÖs leadership, its valuation surged from $100 million in 2014 to over $2 billion in 2020, setting a benchmark for young leaders.Reflecting on his student days at Loughborough in the UK, he said that it was a transformative experience that extended far beyond academics. ?Ç£Loughborough University is more than just a world-renowned institution- it?ÇÖs a place that gives you the chance to collaborate with people from different cultures, offering invaluable global exposure.?Ç¥Despite having 5-6 years of professional experience, he found this aspect of his Master's in Sport Management truly enriching. Aman also expressed his deep gratitude to Loughborough for not only shaping his career but also giving him the opportunity to be part of the London Games, an experience he will cherish forever. ?Ç£Volunteering across various projects helped me gain insights into the sports industry at both grassroots and global levels. But the most defining moment was returning to competitive sports- being selected for the university?ÇÖs premier team and reigniting my passion for table tennis after years away from the game,?Ç¥ he recalled. Aman earned his MSc in Sport Management from Loughborough University in 2010-11. The event series celebrated the India-UK relationship with a gathering at the UK Parliament on February 12, followed by the India-UK Education Conference on February 13, and concluded with the prestigious Achievers Honours Gala Ceremony.