Paroma Roy Chowdhury’s journey of serendipity & success

In today’s e4m PR & Corp Comm ‘Comms Pioneer’ series, we engaged in an authentic conversation with a phenomenal communicator and storyteller, Paroma Roy Chowdhury.  

Paroma is a versatile and impactful leader who is full of passion, resilience and positivity. Her infectious enthusiasm and ability to build meaningful relationships are qualities that have consistently defined her career. She has a cheerful demeanour and approaches challenges with a positive attitude, no matter what the obstacles are. In every conversation, her warmth and wisdom shine through which makes her an inspiring leader and true role model for the emerging professionals.  

In today’s feature, we explore many interesting aspects of Paroma’s journey, including:

• Her transition from journalism to the communications industry
• Her three decades of journey as a pioneer in the comms realm
• Her contributions to women empowerment, sustainability, and environment
• Her success mantra, key learnings from her journey, and so much more

Her transition from journalist to communicator

Paroma shared that she entered journalism accidentally. As she had good grades and came from an academic family, everyone expected her to join academics. But she always had a desire to do something different. She started writing for pocket money in college that fuelled her interest to be a journalist. Her first steps into professional journalism were marked by persistence and a touch of destiny. After contributing to The Telegraph in Calcutta for years, she approached the Feature Editor of Telegraph to express her interest in joining the publication. Since trainees for that year had already been hired, he advised her to approach Business Standard, which reportedly had the best desk in town. Following his advice, she approached Business Standard, where her determination impressed the editor. Though her first story about a woman entrepreneur was rejected, she was later tasked with interviewing the architect who designed Aveek Sarkar’s home in Kolkata. That opportunity became her gateway into journalism.

Despite her academic success, she found business journalism to be a steep learning curve. “I didn’t know how to read a balance sheet or knew the basics of journalistic writing,” she admitted. However, with the guidance of her colleagues in a supportive and friendly newsroom environment, she gradually honed her skills. In her brief stint, she built valuable connections and learned the ropes of journalism. 

Her next big career leap took her to Corporate Dossier at Economic Times (ET), where she was tasked with growing a features bureau. However, after two and a half years, her husband’s transfer to Delhi prompted her decision to join the then top business magazine, Business Today. “It was a very bad decision, I loved the daily excitement of the newsroom, but the pace of magazine journalism just didn’t suit me,” she confesses. Her experience there lasted three challenging years, eventually leading her to a Press Fellowship at Cambridge University. Following her fellowship, she returned to India but was uncertain about her next steps. That's when she received a call from McKinsey, who were in the process of setting up the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad. The decision to move to Hyderabad without her young son seemed daunting, but it proved to be one of the best years of her life. She loved this role and became her stepping stone to transition from journalism to the communications industry.

Notable experiences from her three decades of journey 

Paroma has had a remarkable professional journey that she describes as ‘pretty accidental and serendipitous’. 

Continuing her professional journey, she mentions that after 11 months, she decided to leave ISB due to personal challenges. “I was traveling to Hyderabad for two weeks every month and my husband would travel in the other two weeks. when I was in Delhi. It was very tough on my son!”

Then she moved to GE Capital as a lead communicator for the business-where she learned the essentials of business communication, execution, and taking full responsibility for any action, in a real departure from journalism. “GE really teaches you how to get things done and take responsibility,” she says. After GE Capital split up, she received an unexpected offer from Hewlett-Packard (HP) in Bangalore, where she worked in global communications for the company’s business process outsourcing division. 

Her life’s trajectory continued to be shaped by serendipity. During her time at HP, which she didn’t really enjoy, she received a call from Airtel. “After only two meetings, I was hired to manage all communications for Airtel, which was a massive job. Telecom teaches you everything, from scale to real-time management of crisis situations,” she shares. 

After Airtel, Paroma’s next big opportunity came with Google, where she set up the Communications function and spent seven years there. “It was like being in a university every day. The learning was constant, and the exposure was phenomenal,” she happily acknowledges. After Google, she moved to SoftBank International, one of the largest private equity companies in the world, to set it up in India and also get some global exposure. It was a global role with responsibilities for Asia as well. However, then, the pandemic and a bout of restructuring prompted her to reassess her career. 

Following this, she started teaching online at Shiv Nadar University. Simultaneously, she worked in two large start-ups in quick succession- Dream11 and Byju’s- and decided to quit in mid-2023, in the midst of major chaos in the latter. Despite being at a crossroads in her career, her serendipitous path led her to work with Ashoka University. Initially, she was sceptical about joining full-time, but eventually took on an advisory role. “Right now, I’m in a good space. I don’t know what’s next, but I’ve learned to embrace the serendipity of it all.” she briefs. 

Her role and contributions through CXXO  

Talking about her association with CXXO, a female founder fund, exclusively designed to fund women entrepreneurs and backed by Kalaari Capital, Paroma states, “Kalaari is a fund backed by Kalaari Capital. It's only for women founders. Including me, a lot of us were on the board to begin with, as it was a much-needed move to fuel growth of female founders.” While she is no longer actively involved in the day-to-day operations, Paroma emphasized her continued support for the initiative, saying, “I am their supporter. I try to do whatever I can for them.”

Sharing her contributions during her active tenure, Paroma highlights, “We have found and backed numerous women founders, helped them with public messaging, shared their story with the world, and amplified the voices of women in the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” she explained. Moreover, through CXXO, she helped in fostering inclusivity and innovation by providing resources and mentorship tailored to women-led ventures. 

Her contributions through social initiatives 

For Paroma, professional excellence and social responsibility go hand in hand. She reveals, “Women's development is something I hold very dear to me.” Over the years, she has been part of women's networks across various professional roles, fostering growth and support for women in diverse industries. She also mentors young women through organizations like Aspire for Her and the BD Foundation (formerly the Beyond Diversity Foundation). Additionally, she engages in informal mentoring to guide and inspire many women, especially in the field of PR and Communications. Moreover, she also advocates for environmental awareness, sustainability, and climate change mitigation. Her vision also includes a focus on ‘education for all,’ and equal opportunities for learning and growth.

Key lessons from her professional journey 

Paroma shares three key lessons from her professional journey that she believes are vital for anyone aspiring to grow and thrive in the industry.  

“Resilience is one of the most important traits for success,” believes Paroma. She explained that setbacks and disappointments are inevitable in any career and explains, “You must have the self-belief to soldier on. If something doesn’t work, try the next thing. That doesn’t mean you should give up easily—you need to stay in a situation and work hard to make it succeed. But if it doesn’t, you should have the courage and clarity to recognize when it’s time to make a change or move on.” 

Next, Paroma stresses on the need for rigor and discipline in everything one does. “If you commit to doing something, do it to the best of your ability. There’s no point in approaching tasks half-heartedly. It doesn’t benefit you or anyone else. Always strive to follow things through and achieve the best possible outcome,” she asserts. 

The third lesson Paroma states, is the importance of taking responsibility for one’s own growth and development. “Your career is your responsibility—not your manager’s, not your organizations, and not the world’s. It’s up to you to continuously learn and update your skills. Keep upgrading yourself to stay relevant and competitive”, she teaches.  

The fourth and final lesson- Have some fun. If you don’t enjoy what you do, you will not last and be able to pay it forward. 

Her other passion & hobbies 

Paroma loves books, art, and travel—three passions that fuel her creativity and provide balance to her busy life. 

“I read all the time,” she says with a smile. “Books are my number one passion. Fiction, nonfiction—anything! I’ll even pick up a fashion magazine. But what I really enjoy are crime fiction and good nonfiction,” she mentions. 

Travel is another great love in her life. “I have a home by the sea, one in the hills, and one in my home city. These places allow me to spend time with like-minded people as well as old friends and enjoy different settings. Traveling to these homes brings me immense joy,” she shares. Lastly, she is an admirer and collector of art that fuels her creativity and vibrant personality. She loves a good conversation and emphasises, “I think conversations are one of the best ways to learn.  

Her success mantra

She emphasizes that a career is not a sprint. It's a marathon. “You have to have the ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward. There will be curves in the road, bends, speed bumps, and stretches where things seem to be running gloriously. But the key is to look at it with a long-term perspective — think about where you want to be in 20 years,” she adds.

She continued, “I’m still passionate about what I do. It’s essential to remain interested in people and things around you. If I ever sit back and say, ‘I am done,’ it’s important to remind myself there are always new things to learn and pass your own knowledge to anyone who will benefit from it.”