Roma Balwani: A comms industry luminary reshaping leadership & growth

In today’s feature, we had a stimulating conversation with the communications stalwart and the pioneer of this sphere, Roma Balwani, Independent Director, Co-Founder, RB Foundation. She has dedicated her four decades to the growth of corporate communications, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in India and globally. Throughout her career, her storytelling skills and pioneering efforts in integrating strategic communication with business objectives have enhanced the corporate reputation and stakeholder engagement of numerous national and global brands. Not only this, she is also a staunch supporter of numerous social causes and inclusive initiatives.

This feature will give you a close overview of the diverse stages of her professional journey and help you learn about:

• Her early life & entry into the communications industry
• Her close-to-heart experiences from her four decades in the industry
• Her contributions through the Roma Balwani Foundation
• Her contributions to mentoring, the deaf community, and other social causes
• Key lessons from her journey, and so much more

Excerpts:

How does it feel to be chronicled as a single case study on independent women directors in an academic research paper?

It is indeed an honour to be profiled as a case study for Dr. Lakshmi Murthy’s thesis which has secured her a Doctorate in Philosophy from a prestigious institution. My congratulation to her for pioneering such a study that celebrates careers of successful women. Personally my story is of not letting go of any opportunity even when I started my career at the bottom rung, those were learnings that helped me navigate my professional & personal journey which ultimately gave me a seat as an Independent Director on the board of a listed company, to which I am grateful for. I have strived to contribute effectively as a respected member.”

How did your journey into the communications industry begin?

Roma’s career in the communications industry started when communications was still at a nascent stage as a function. She witnessed the time when the World Wide Web, cable networks, 24-hour news, and Hotmail were the best forms of communication, and mass emails to journalists within seconds started to get popular. However, her foray into communications came by chance, as she happened to be there at the right time in the right place. She came across the communications role unexpectedly when she was a business manager and enjoyed her role in marketing & placements. 

She continues, “I guess when I look back, by virtue of literally being in proximity to the cubicle of the then head of Communications at Aptech, who decided to resign, I seemed to be the first choice of my CEO Ganesh Natarajan to take on the role of Head, Communications. A significant pivot in my career, he did believe in my potential to take on this role while I expressed my lack of experience in this field; he assured me that my business knowledge & people skills would be an asset and gave me the much-needed confidence for this new role. My first step was to build relationships with the media community and align them with the company's business goals, which has held me in good stead to date.”

What were some defining moments or motivations that led you to step into communications?

Roma Balwani's long-standing tenure as a senior management professional over four decades in the corporate sector serving in the best-in-class companies of the corporate sector in India has enriched her career, and her achievements and contributions to the organizations & society are truly laudable, based on the stellar record of both her corporate career & her focus on social causes.

She was an Independent Director of John Cockerill, India (formerly CMI FPE Ltd.), Chair of CSR & NRC Committees for a decade and one of the first communications professionals who secured this position while serving as a KMP at Vedanta. JCIL's first BBSR report was published under her guidance and mentorship as the Chair of the CSR & ESG Committee of JCIL till October 2023; she was also the chair of the NRC Committee. She has been recently inducted into the Board of Godavari Power & Ispat Group and will guide the board deliberations on sustainable best practices in ESG and CSR as a leading player in the steel industry.

Her expertise & impactful leadership as President, Brand & Communications at Vedanta Group, especially during the Covid period, has been exceptional and has created a favourable connection with all stakeholders & government due to their philanthropic initiatives to save jobs, contribute to the economy, and save lives.

Her extensive experience as a leader & part of the top management has taken the Mahindra Rise brand to greater heights as an ethical & well-governed vibrant organization. She joined the company when it was a 2-billion-dollar company turnover and charted a strategic communication blueprint aligned to business goals for the Mahindra brand till her superannuation when the growth of the company reached 20 billion dollars. She was part of the CSR & Diversity councils at Mahindra. Her contributions were truly noteworthy.

Her role at Vedanta was to build a robust brand strategy for the group, which has focused on giving back to communities & society at large and as a natural resource major contributing towards nation-building that will help in the economic development of our country and position the 'One Vedanta' brand to diverse stakeholders across India and globally. In this enabling role, Roma aligned the group’s communication strategy and sustainable development strategy in a socially responsible, ethical, and environmentally friendly manner that positively impacts and improves the quality of life of the communities. She was a member of the Group Executive Committee that comprises the leadership team at Vedanta. She has overseen the key portfolios of Sustainability & CSR and champions best practices for sustainable measures on health, safety, and the environment to sustain the 'social license to operate' in diverse metals & minerals businesses of the Group.

Roma has promoted a collaborative mindset within the organization and encouraged the teams to create awareness amongst communities on the ESG vision of the company. Her efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic have been instrumental in providing essential goods and services to the local community. She created the ‘Compassionate Communication’ movement within the PR fraternity during the Covid pandemic.

Currently, she is the pro bono CEO of the Indian Deaf Cricket Association. Her dedication to giving a voice to a social cause such as disability sports is a testimony to her passion for promoting diversity & inclusion for the hearing-impaired youth community pan India through sportsmanship. She has received several prestigious awards and recognition for her outstanding performance and stellar contribution to the PR industry both in India & globally.

How have you contributed to the Indian Deaf Cricket Association, and what impact do you feel your involvement has created for the community and the sport?

Roma says that her association as the CEO and brand custodian of the Indian Deaf Cricket Association was initiated by the patron of an NGO Deaf Cricket Society, which Vedanta supported as a CSR activity in 2014, and she was fortunate to attend the first international deaf tournament at the cricket grounds in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. 

“I was moved to tears to see the players in full form and following world-class standards of cricket and hearing their cries of joy. It was a very personal emotional feeling watching their talent & passion, which made me feel close to the cause of disability sport, which even today not many companies support despite it being part of the 2% mandate,” she elucidates, sharing her inspiration behind joining the organization. She quotes, “Power of Networking when not in Power,” and continues that the next opportunity came after she took a break from Vedanta for a year and was approached by DCS to be a consultant for the Deaf World Cup, where DCS was the host in India and helped raise funds. 

“The tough task was as we had teams coming in from Australia, South Africa, Nepal & Bangladesh. This was the first time I realized the power of networking & goodwill earned in my corporate career. And it worked; we got the best sponsors from Star TV to Mahindra & Hero groups. The closing ceremony was attended by Australian cricketer Brett Lee and the late Bishen Singh Bedi, who came forward to support the cause, and it was a landmark event held in Gurugram,” she illustrates, highlighting the success of her efforts.

Then, after her second stint with Vedanta from 2019 to 2022, which was primarily to mentor the amazing, talented second-generation professional Priya Agarwal, who is successfully leading the ESG initiatives of the group and reigniting the PR function. Keen to give back to society and do some meaningful work, he re-joined to be their pro bono CEO & brand custodian of their new avatar established in 2020, the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA), which is now a non-profit association that had members from 20 state deaf associations across India. 

“A new challenge to create a brand proposition for hearing-impaired cricket & elevate the awareness with a large audience from the corporate sector who could support disability sport through their CSR funds,” she shares.

Could you tell us more about your contributions through the Roma Balwani Foundation and the vision behind it?

Sharing the inspiration behind establishing RB foundation, Roma explains that the foundation aims to ignite transformative, purpose-driven growth and redefine the potential within individuals & organizations through a unique mentoring program.

She further highlights that it focuses on breaking silos within functions and bridging gaps between CXOs, helping them build their brands. Additionally, the foundation works closely with non-profit organizations, ensuring they effectively resonate their core purpose with stakeholders. “Mentoring senior leaders & communications professionals who are facing burnouts and mental health issues and creating a healthy work-life balance,” she adds.

What have been the key lessons you’ve learned from your journey?

Sharing key lessons from her journey, Roma sheds light on the importance of hard work and continuous learning. “There are no free lunches in life; nothing can substitute hard work. Work smart and keep reinventing and reskilling to stay relevant,” she advises. She underscores the responsibility of communicators as gatekeepers of a company's reputation, cautioning professionals to be mindful of their words. “Remember, nothing you say is ‘off the record.’ Stay credible, consistent, and creative, yet be aware that the path to success is paved with many pebbles, big and small. Tread carefully. Create excitement, energy, and motivation to get people to do what you want with effective communication,” she suggests.

“I also mentor young communications professionals and wish to leave a legacy of my experiences that believes in fostering human connections, a forgotten art of credible storytelling & meaningful connections & conversations,” Balwani concludes.