Kiran Ray Chaudhury's bold career journey and commitment to empowering Indian PR industry

In today’s e4m Luminaries series, we explore Kiran Ray Chaudhary, Co-founder & Joint Managing Director at 80 dB Communications story of career transitions and growth.

Kiran Ray Chaudhury is a phenomenal women entrepreneur and PR leader. She is an inspirational, optimistic, and solution-oriented leader with a rich background in technology PR and a passion for innovative storytelling. In her two and half decades of career, she navigated the ever-evolving landscape of PR & Communications. Her journey spans from broadcast journalism to founding her own agency, driven by a commitment to creativity, diversity, and empowering young professionals in the industry. 

Today, we explore the story behind her bold decisions of transitioning career from journalism to PR, the valuable lessons she learned, her journey as a professional and entrepreneur, her story of overcoming challenges, and so much more.

How She Found Her Calling in PR?

Kiran Ray Chaudhury's fortuitous career in PR validates the notion that life's unexpected twists and turns can often lead to the most rewarding outcomes.

With a background in Literature, her initial aspirations were centred around academia or journalism. She began her professional journey as a broadcast journalist in 1996, an experience that was both exhilarating and idealistic for a young Kiran. However, the production house where she worked faced financial difficulties within a few months due to which she had to reassess her career path.

During her time as a journalist, Kiran frequently interacted with PR professionals at interviews and press conferences, which sparked her interest in the field. She recalls, "I reached out to 20:20 MEDIA, a move that, in hindsight, feels like a pivotal turning point—a place where I was meant to be." This decision marked the beginning of her remarkable journey in PR, and as she reflects on it, she notes, "The rest is history..."

Her Career Evolution and Rise in PR

Kiran has had an enriching career stint with 20:20 MEDIA, going on to create Aether Marketing and then 80dB Communications. Each of these pivots have shaped her approach to PR and Communications.

Chaudhury shares, “My first 12+ years at 20:20 MEDIA were truly foundational. It was here that I not only learned the ropes but also gained an understanding of business, underpinned by a strong grounding in culture and values.”

Kiran feels extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in an environment that fostered growth, creativity, and innovation, providing her with the autonomy to experiment, challenge conventional norms, and push boundaries and ultimately helped her to flourish in her career.  Sharing the incredible lessons, she learned in her professional journey, she reflects, “The many lessons learned during that time, many directly and others by observation, have stayed with me and serve as a barometer for me today. Having had such a nurturing and empowering start to my career, I feel a deep obligation to pay it forward. This ethos is central to how I view my role at 80 dB today—creating a space where our team can learn, thrive, innovate, and grow.

Her Journey to Founding 80dB Communications

To reach somewhere, it’s important to walk out from somewhere. Similarly, Chaudhury's journey to incept 80 dB Communications was truly serendipitous. Furthermore, she regards the perfectly aligned stars of her life’s timings and stage that motivated her to transition from a PR professional to an entrepreneur. 

From the inception of Aether to establishing 80 dB Communications, her journey has been one of discovery and growth. was a wild ride. She further describes, “After moving on from 20:20 for a planned sabbatical, which was barely that, I stumbled into starting Aether, a marketing services consulting firm that I ran for 7+ years. It was a start to my entrepreneurial journey and in a way practice for what was to come with 80 dB.” She shares that the experience and the sizable time she spent running Aether was a natural transition into doing something at scale and more structured that eventually led to the start of 80 dB. 

Appreciating the long-standing friendship of 20+ years with her Co-Founder, she reflects, “My cofounder, Abhilasha was a key catalyst in this. We’ve been friends for 20+ years and had the opportunity to work together first at 20:20 and then again at Aether Marketing. Abhi incepted this idea, of doing something together, and an opportunity that came our way forced us to act upon it.”

She considers her career transitions as her biggest teachers that taught her to trust the timing of life and embrace change with an open mind, as it can lead to rewarding paths.

Her Tips to Grow in the PR Industry

Chaudhury believes that people with a learning mindset and curiosity go a long way in PR. She shares, “You have to keep learning, no matter how much you know. And this goes hand in hand with curiosity.”

Kiran's overall commitment to her professional growth and development is unwavering. To focus on learning about new thinking in leadership and enhancing her business skills, “Currently, I’m focusing on enhancing my understanding of social media platforms and effective strategies to help clients and brands create the desired influence on these mediums. I’m always keen on exploring new approaches to strategic storytelling, as I believe this will be critical in the future of communications.” 

Her Approach to Work-Life Balance & Wellness

PR as a profession has a demanding nature. However, describing the approach to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, Kiran explains, “On weekends and vacations, I try to truly switch off—and spend time on activities that bring me joy, whether it's spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading or simply enjoying nature. Often, when you step away from work, you find that solutions to problems—ones that seemed insurmountable before—come to you more naturally.” Additionally, she emphasizes her commitment to fitness and the positive impact it has on their mental preparation and overall well-being. 

Her Story of Overcoming Challenges as a Woman Leader & Promoting Women's Growth in PR and Communications

Sharing the challenges, she faces as a woman leader in the PR industry, Kiran describes, “Like many women, I’ve faced the struggle of managing the family-work balance. It’s an ongoing challenge actually! However, I've come to realize that finding balance isn't about striving for perfection in every aspect of life. Rather than trying to excel simultaneously in all roles—I've learned/ learned to prioritize what matters most in any given moment and to be present and intentional with time and energy.”

Highlighting the significance of promoting and supporting the growth of women in the PR and communications industry, Chaudhury highlights, “At 80dB today, we appreciate the opportunity to be in a position of employers. We have intentionally designed 80dB to be a place that is kind, compassionate, supportive, and flexible. We foster a culture where everyone—regardless of gender—feels safe to ask for what they need and motivated to keep learning and growing.”

Her Perspective on PR Agency Growth

Kiran has had an enthralling journey from a tech-focused PR role to managing a wide array of brands at 80dB Communications. Reflecting on this transition, she notes that while her early career was centred around tech PR, the shift to a more diverse portfolio occurred relatively early on. According to her, "The core principles of PR remain pretty much the same across all sectors." She emphasizes that the foundation of effective PR includes understanding client needs, identifying key audiences, crafting compelling messages, and delivering them through the right channels. 

At 80dB Communications, Kiran now manages brands across diverse sectors, ranging from B2B and consumer tech to start-ups at various growth stages, venture capital funds, lifestyle and hospitality businesses, education, and more. This diversity, she asserts, has enabled the agency to develop multi-dimensional expertise. "This diversity is an advantage," she explains, "as it allows us to cross-pollinate ideas for the benefit of our clients. It makes us ideas rich!" Kiran also highlights the unique position PR agencies find themselves in today, where they can push the envelope in terms of creative thinking.

Valuable Lessons She Learned in PR Career

Kiran shared valuable insights gained from working on numerous projects across various industries. When asked about the key takeaways from her experiences, Kiran noted, "I've had the opportunity to work on numerous projects, each presenting its unique challenges and rewards. Trust is at the heart of any successful partnership, and consistently delivering value helps to build and maintain that trust over time.” She further explains that PR requires quick thinking and the ability to pivot strategies as conditions change. 

Inspired by her diverse experiences, she highlights, “PR requires quick thinking and the ability to pivot strategies as conditions change, whether due to market shifts or internal dynamics within a client’s organization. Being flexible while keeping an eye on the bigger picture helps to navigate these challenges successfully.”

She stresses that while theoretical knowledge is essential, many PR lessons are best learned through hands-on experience. "There’s really no substitute to learning on the job; this is where the muscle is honed," she adds.