PRSI Kolkata elects Soumyajit Mahapatra as Chairman

The Kolkata Chapter of the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) convened its 55th Annual General Body Meeting  recently at The Saturday Club, Kolkata marking a pivotal moment in the chapter’s journey with the election of a new leadership team. The event reinforced PRSI Kolkata’s commitment to ethical communication, inclusivity, and digital transformation in the field of public relations.

Soumyajit Mahapatra, Advisor at i Communications, has been elected as Chairman of the chapter. The newly appointed core team also includes Aninda Das, Vice President – Marketing, Infinity Group, as Vice Chairman; Chitralekha Banerjee, Editor & PR Manager, Wood & Panel, as Secretary; Nirmal Chatterjee, Senior Manager – Industry Relations & Corporate Communications, ITC Ltd, as Joint Secretary; and Yasmin Khatoon, Advocate and Social Activist, as Treasurer.

The Executive Committee brings together a distinguished panel of professionals from academia, corporate communication, and digital media. Among them are Dr. Mahul Brahma, Dean & Professor, NSHM Media School; Sharanya Chattopadhyay, Public Relations & Communication, Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata; and Shouvick Kr. Chandra, Senior Manager & In-Charge (PR), Dr. B.C. Roy Engineering College. Also on the committee are Abhishek Mukherjee, Digital Marketing Manager, African Press Organisation Group; Ankita Bhattacharyya, Research Scholar, Rabindra Bharati University; and Dr. Arijit Banerjee, Executive Director, Ramaesis RPL, Perfect Pause.

To further enhance the chapter’s outreach and innovation capacity, three members have been inducted as Invitee Executive Members: Mohar Mukhopadhyay, Head (Corporate Communications) of Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., Gulrez Alam, Director – Teamology, and Shreya Mondal, Public Relations Executive at the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM).

The event was highlighted by a keynote address from Jawhar Sircar, Former CEO of Prasar Bharati and Member of Rajya Sabha, who spoke passionately about the need for the PR industry to embrace digital transformation while upholding journalistic ethics and integrity. He stressed that the future of communication lies in balancing technological innovation with credibility and transparency.

With a growing emphasis on digital ethics, AI in communication, and strategic media engagement, PRSI Kolkata continues to be a vital platform for dialogue between public relations professionals, academics, and media stakeholders. The newly elected leadership is set to steer the chapter toward a more dynamic, responsive, and ethically grounded future in public relations.