From Nation-Building to Brand-Building: The Evolution of Public Relations in India.

Thank you for landing on my blog page.

Friends, I’m passionate about sharing knowledge with you, and your feedback is a constant source of encouragement. I firmly believe that ‘Everything I do or say is PR,’ and this belief drives me to continuously create and share valuable content. I'm happy to share my 221st blog post: “From Nation-Building to Brand-Building: The Evolution of Public Relations in India.”

Friends, the history of Public Relations (PR) in India is a mirror reflection of the nation’s socio-economic journey. What began as a tool for government communication and post-war nation-building has matured into a sophisticated, multi-billion-dollar industry at the heart of corporate strategy. This evolution can be understood through three distinct phases: the era of state-centric communication, the post-liberalization corporate boom, and the current digital transformation.

1. The Era of State-Centric Narrative (1947–1990)

In the immediate decades following independence, Public Relations was almost exclusively the domain of the state. In a nascent democracy, the government needed to communicate complex development plans, such as the Five-Year Plans and the Green Revolution, to a vast population. Agencies like Mudra PR (MPRG) and Concept PR emerged as early pioneers, helping bridge the gap between the state and its citizens. A defining milestone was the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi; the massive scale of media coordination and sponsor outreach required for the event served as a "proof of concept" for professional PR in India.

2. The Academic and Professional Foundation

While agencies were executing campaigns, the "professionalization" of the craft was driven by robust academic institutions. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, through its Rajendra Prasad Institute of Communication and Management, became the "cradle of PR education," providing the first generation of practitioners with a formal understanding of the craft. I was fortunate to be associated with S P College Communication & Management – Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Delhi Kendra, as a Visiting Professor of PR from 2009 to 2019. During this decade, I taught Public Relations and Corporate PR to hundreds of students pursuing their PGD in the field.

Professional bodies also played a critical role in setting ethical standards. The Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), founded in 1958, established the industry's first code of conduct. Later, the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), founded in 2004, led by visionaries like MB Jayaram, democratized the industry by creating a massive national network that connected veterans with students through its "Young Communicators Club" (YCC), ensuring the industry had a sustainable pipeline of talent.

3. Liberalization and the Corporate Boom (1990s–2000s)

The true turning point arrived with the 1991 economic reforms. As India opened to global markets, the "license raj" gave way to fierce competition. This era saw the birth of the professional PR consultant. Pioneers like Prema Sagar (Genesis BCW) and Dilip Cherian (Perfect Relations) moved PR out of the shadows of advertising departments and into the boardroom. For the first time, Indian giants like Tata and Reliance required sophisticated reputation management. This period also marked the arrival of international powerhouses like Edelman, while homegrown leaders like Madan Bahal (Adfactors PR) professionalized "Financial PR," mastering the high-stakes world of IPOs and mergers. Friends,  I began my career in Public Relations in 1995 and continue to be a part of the profession today. Over the years, I also had the privilege of engaging with Adfactors PR from a client-side perspective.

4. The Digital Frontier and the "Bharat" Factor

As the 21st century progressed, the digital revolution fundamentally altered the "DNA" of communication. PR agencies evolved from slow-moving media offices into agile, 24/7 "newsrooms." Modern PR agencies now manage a complex ecosystem of influencers and real-time crises management, moving from simple reach to "sentiment analysis."

Furthermore, the rise of the "Bharat" factor has made Vernacular PR essential. Agencies are no longer focused solely on English dailies but are tailoring messages for India's diverse linguistic landscape. Whether it is Zomato’s direct-to-consumer crisis responses or HDFC Bank’s community outreach, the modern PR professional must be a data scientist, a cultural anthropologist, and a strategist all at once.

Friends, Vernacular PR is the strategic practice of moving beyond English-centric communication to engage with the vast audience of "Bharat" in their native regional languages. Rather than mere translation, it involves transcreation, where brand messages are reimagined through the lens of local idioms, cultural nuances, and regional sensibilities. This approach recognizes that the next wave of India’s economic growth is driven by Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where trust is most effectively built through regional media powerhouses and local digital influencers. By prioritizing linguistic authenticity and hyper-local relevance, Vernacular PR allows brands to shed their "outsider" image, fostering a deeper, more emotional connection with a diverse consumer base that increasingly prefers consuming information in their mother tongue.

Friends, to conclude; the journey of Public Relations in India reflects the nation’s transformation from a stoic, government-led economy to a high-velocity, global powerhouse. No longer a mere support function for clearing press releases, PR has ascended to a critical role as a guardian of corporate integrity and a driver of brand purpose. As we navigate an era defined by AI-driven insights and a growing demand for transparency, the Indian PR agencies must continue to balance global sophistication with local empathy. Ultimately, while the tools have shifted from typewriters to algorithms, the core mission remains unchanged: the art of building trust in an increasingly skeptical world.

Thank you for reading the blog.

#####