Prema Sagar: The visionary who shaped Public Relations in India

Prema Sagar is a name woven into the very fabric of India’s communications landscape. Over three decades, she has transformed public relations from a peripheral, little-understood function into a strategic, influential force that shapes business, society and policy. As Chairperson Emeritus at Burson, she continues to serve as a guiding force and goodwill ambassador, offering leadership counsel drawn from more than three decades of unmatched experience, imagination and influence.

Her entrepreneurial journey began long before PR became an established discipline in India. In the early 1990s, while running a modest press with her brother, she met Priya Paul of The Park Hotel, who mentioned the need for a new, engaging way to draw people to the property. During a reflective holiday in Kasauli, Prema found herself inspired by Mark McCormack’s writings and struck upon a powerful idea: “What if instead of selling to people, you let them experience the brand?”

This idea took shape as “Going Public at The Park,” an event that brought well-known speakers to the hotel, generating media interest and inviting audiences to organically connect with the brand. It was pure PR, long before the term was commonplace in India. That single spark revealed her calling, leading her to London for formal study in public relations, and soon after, to the founding of Genesis PR on November 1, 1992.

For the next three decades, Prema devoted herself to shaping the profession from the ground up. Under her leadership, Burson evolved into an innovation-first consultancy, introducing some of the industry’s most forward-thinking ideas, from integrated communications solutions to the pioneering Live! newsroom model.

She nurtured hundreds of industry professionals, many of whom today lead teams, agencies and communications functions across India and the world.

Deepshikha Dharmaraj, CEO, Burson Group India shed light on Prema’s journey, “I have had the privilege of being mentored by Prema since the beginning of my career. While working with her not only have I had an up-close view of the PR and comms industry, but also the holistic view of shaping a leading PR business in India, which is today called the Burson Group. What makes Prema unique and most admired is not just her ability to visualise new ideas, but to build deep relationships and nurture the right people to take on new challenges and greater responsibility. I have seen her literally gave a definition to our industry in those early days, then as she put Genesis PR on the ambitious path of becoming part of a global firm, to then expanding the scope of what all we could do to build reputation for clients while keeping our people at the heart of everything—her path from idea to execution to impact was always swift, with far-reaching outcomes for the firm and industry.

Almost everything that the PR industry in India today is proud of finds its seed in something Prema did. Setting up the public affairs practice, then PRCAI, then PAFI, the Genesis Foundation, industry awards, learning initiatives, to digital integration and the Live! Newsroom, which spoke of data intelligence way before AI reared its head. Across the world there are industry leaders who call Genesis their alma mater, clients who have been counselled by Prema through their ups and downs, and a steady stream of young professionals wanting to be a part of the firm because of a learning environment and culture nurtured by her.

I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. Prema guided me, challenged me, propelled me, and held my hand whenever things got tough. Today, as I lead the firm, she continues to be my guiding light and friend.”

Sagar’s instinct for transformation ensured that the firm consistently stayed ahead of market needs, often defining the direction of Indian PR itself.

“Prema - where do I even begin? Meeting her serendipitously, was perhaps what made the start of my career dreamlike. She was the earliest and most defining influence in many ways.  Elegant, warm, and regal, she had an aura that was magnetic. Her vision was ahead of her time, and her belief that if we were selfless about the industry, we would grow as a firm, saw the birth of PRCAI, which has completed 25 years today!

Her instinct for spotting and trusting talent was what gave me, a mere 25 years old, the opportunity to set up Genesis’ first office outside Delhi.  I loved being guided by her as she saw me as a peer and always stood by my side guiding me with confidence, clarity and care.  I learnt what it takes to command respect, lead a discussion, and be daring in decision making, from her (not quite as much as her, though),” expresses Nandita Lakshmanan, Founder & CEO, The PRactice.

Sagar has always believed that collaboration, not competition, strengthens an industry. She believed the industry needed a community and a collective voice. This belief led her to found the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI), establishing a formal platform for best-practice sharing and professional standard-setting in the Indian PR ecosystem which recently completed 25 years. Similarly, she was the President and a Founding Member of the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI), cementing her influence in shaping the public affairs domain.

Her contributions have been recognised globally. Prema was the first Asian ever inducted into the ICCO Hall of Fame in 2005, joining a select group of global leaders. She served as the only Indian juror on the inaugural PR Lions jury at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2009. She has been featured in the e4m PR & Corp Comm Hall of Fame.

Zacharia James, Managing Partner, The Practice says, “My time working with Prema Sagar was brief, but the impression she left has stayed with me. What strikes me even today is not just her entrepreneurial courage in building Genesis from the ground up single-handedly, but the way she has built an agency culture and work ethic that the industry has watched and learnt from. She has led with passion and an effortless ability to bring people together. I’ve seen how she handles differing viewpoints with calm maturity. She ensures every team member feels heard and solves complex client situations with grace and fairness. Prema’s giving nature, especially in the way she builds relationships and invests in her foundation, is something I’ve always admired. She is one of those rare leaders who not only have shaped our industry but also shaped people.”

Prema’s legacy is also deeply humanitarian. Inspired by Mother Teresa, she founded the Genesis Foundation, a trust dedicated to supporting medical treatment for underprivileged children suffering from congenital heart defects. The initiative reflects her belief that leadership is most meaningful when it touches lives.

She is, in every sense, the architect of Indian PR. Today, as Chairperson Emeritus at Burson, Prema Sagar continues to guide, mentor and inspire. Her journey is the story of a woman who trusted her instincts, embraced creativity, and changed the way India understands communication. She remains an entrepreneur at heart, an ideator, a nurturer of talent, and one of the most iconic voices in Indian PR, a pioneer whose work will continue to shape the industry for decades to come and an inspiration for future communicators.