She’s the Story: Women Entrepreneurs shaping the PR & Communications industry

Public relations in India has been an industry shaped by persistence, intuition, and an ability to decode human behaviour. But behind its most respected agencies stand women who built their companies brick by brick, navigating scepticism, financing challenges, gendered assumptions, motherhood, burnout, and stakeholders that were still learning to take PR seriously.

This feature brings together the layered journeys of influential women founders. These women did not simply create agencies. They created categories, shifted industry expectations, and built cultures that now shape the next generation of communications talent.

Prema Sagar, Chairperson Emeritus, Burson

Prema Sagar stands as one of India’s most definitive pioneers in public relations, a woman who built the very foundations of a modern Indian PR industry. Her entrepreneurial journey began in 1992 and today, as Chairperson Emeritus at Burson, she continues to guide and inspire leadership as the organisation’s goodwill ambassador. 

Back in the early ’90s, while running a small press, she met Priya Paul of The Park Hotel, who mentioned they needed a fresh way to bring people to the hotel. During a quiet holiday in Kasauli, Prema was reading Mark McCormack and had a simple but powerful thought: What if people experienced the hotel without selling to them? This became “Going Public at The Park”, inviting well-known speakers to the hotel, drawing audiences and media attention, and letting the hotel’s charm do the rest. It was classic PR before India even used the word.

That one idea changed everything for her. Realising she had found her calling, she went to London to study public relations formally. By the time she finished, her next step was already clear. On November 1, 1992, she started Genesis PR, at a time when most people didn’t even know what PR meant.

Prema spent the next three decades not just building a company, but building an industry. She mentored thousands of professionals, nurtured leaders, partnered with global brands, and introduced ideas and tools that were firsts for Indian communications. From reputation-management frameworks to the industry’s early use of technology and the innovative Live! Newsroom, she kept pushing boundaries long before the market asked for it. Alongside this, she brought the industry together. Prema founded PRCAI and helped set up PAFI because she believed collaboration would shape a stronger future for the profession.

She is the woman who proved that PR could be a powerful, creative and transformative profession in India, and paved the way for countless women entrepreneurs after her. Even after decades of trasnformations, she would always be an entrepreneur, an ideator, a mentor and a visionary and the iconic voice of Indian PR.

Archana Jain, CEO & Founder, PR Pundit Havas Red

The industry stalwart, Archana Jain began her entrepreneurial journey in 1998. She founded PR Pundit when the Indian PR ecosystem was overwhelmingly corporate-focused. She recognised a gap and an opportunity in consumer PR, driven by campaigns that build emotional preference and influence purchase behaviour. Her reference point was global case studies, not domestic benchmarks, and that global outlook shaped the agency’s differentiation. Over the years, PR Pundit built a distinct reputation as an independent, home grown consumer PR powerhouse. In 2023, the consultancy made a strategic shift by joining Havas Red.

Today, she helms a women-dominated organisation, where nearly 85% of the workforce is female, creating a culture that champions talent, inclusion and opportunity. Under her leadership, PR Pundit became India’s first PR firm to win a Gold PR Lion at Cannes in 2017. Her advice to women is clear: self-belief is often the biggest barrier so dream boldly, persevere consistently, and never wait for others' validation to build something of your own. She takes pride in PR Pundit Havas Red's recognition as a defining agency in PR that inspires others, large and small!

Ruby Sinha, Founder & Managing Director, Kommune Brand Communications

Ruby Sinha’s entrepreneurial journey began unintentionally over a decade ago when she established Kommune Brand Communications, an award winning brand communications firm. Her backstory was quite interesting as during a sabbatical after the birth of her second child, a former client requested her consulting support and what started as a flexible assignment evolved into Kommune Brand Communications.

Her early years were emotionally complex when she juggled business requirements with motherhood. However, instead of giving up, she reframed her dilemma. She realised that entrepreneurship was not a threat to motherhood but a model that allowed her to design a life on her own terms. She learned to integrate work and personal life rather than chase an unrealistic balance. Today, Kommune’s culture reflects her personal philosophy of transparency, emotional intelligence, empathy, and genuine flexibility. In over two decades, she built credibility in a market that often underestimates women-led businesses, navigated cash-flow unpredictability, and rebuilt teams with patience. Today, Kommune is respected for its grounded leadership and steady, value-driven growth. Under her leadership, Kommune has also been recognised as the Best Organization for Women Empowerment 2025 at the 15th edition of e4m IPRCCA 2024.

Nandita Lakshmanan, Founder & CEO, The PRactice

In the early thirties, when many professionals were thriving in their corporate jobs, Nandita decided to turn her passion into a business and become her own boss. At 31, she made a daring move and took the entrepreneurial leap to establish The PRactice, an independent Public Relations Firm in India, with its presence across Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Her decision to set up The PRactice was a natural progression following her time at Genesis PR when she was entrusted with setting up Genesis PR’s first regional office. This experience became the bedrock of her entrepreneurial clarity. When she founded The PRactice, she did so with a strong ethical foundation, a reputation for rigorous work, and a willingness to push herself beyond her comfort zone. Her early challenge was operating with limited networks but strong intent, compelling her to build relationships that were meaningful and value-driven. Her commitment to excellence, creativity, and client satisfaction has cemented her and The PRactice's position as a go-to partner for organizations seeking to make a lasting impact in the market. Through her work, she continues to shape the communications landscape, mentors, and inspires a new generation of PR professionals and entrepreneurs. With over 30+ years of experience in public relations, she continues to be passionate about working with clients, colleagues and the uninitiated, to help them understand and realise the full potential of Public Relations. 

Kiran Ray Chaudhury & Abhilasha Padhy, 80dB Communications

80dB Communications emerged from the exceptional skills and long-standing trust and passion shared by the founders, Kiran Ray Chaudhury and Abhilasha Padhy. Since 2015, the duo friends used their complementary strengths to build a more structured and scalable services in the PR industry. Their journey over the last two decades, evolving from colleagues to friends and finally co-founders, encapsulates the essence of the company’s ethos of a relationship-first, people-focused approach. Together they bring a combined experience of over 50 years to the work. For them, building 80dB has been like raising a child with experience as their guide. What carried them through was an unshakable clarity in their shared vision and values. Their mission was to help tech entrepreneurs and businesses thrive in India through communication.

They always knew that every client would need something unique, but a strong value-driven foundation kept them firmly on course. And true to their name, they’ve learned to keep the pitch not just audible, but unmistakably sharp, delivering clarity that cuts through the noise and makes businesses heard. Their journey is a perfect example that entrepreneurship is not always a disruptive leap; sometimes, it is an organic transition shaped by timing, experience, and the right partnership.

Shivani Gupta, Managing Partner, SPAG FINN Partners

Shivani Gupta’s entrepreneurial journey has never been a linear one. She stepped into the world of communications at a time when the ecosystem was far less organised, driven by a clear belief that strategic communication can shift mindsets, build trust, and create meaningful impact.From her early entrepreneurial years to leading SPAG FINN Partners across the Asia-Pacific region, her growth has been defined by challenges that strengthened her resolve. She believes entrepreneurship is often misunderstood as glamorous; in reality, it is built on consistency, clarity, and the balance of emotional intelligence, intellect, and intuition.

People and culture have always been the heart of her organisational success. At SPAG/FINN Partners, she has intentionally cultivated a culture rooted in learning, growth, and joy. To her, entrepreneurship is not about titles but about shaping futures. It demands courage, clarity, and a commitment to uplifting others along the way. Her message to women entrepreneurs is truly inspiring: trust your instincts, own your voice, and stay anchored to your purpose because purpose is the one force that never fails.

Pooja Pathak, Founder & Director, Media Mantra Group

When Pooja Pathak co-founded Media Mantra more than a decade ago, the PR industry was already crowded, and the expectations from women leaders were even higher. She often had to push back against assumptions about leadership and decision-making, but those early challenges shaped her approach and strengthened her resolve. She has lived the journey on every front: as a woman, a founder and a mother. For her, entrepreneurship hasn’t been a straight line. There were pauses, doubts and moments that felt like standstills. But she now believes that anyone who feels stuck isn’t lost; they’re simply between chapters. And in that space, they still hold the power to shape what comes next.

Today, under her guidance, Media Mantra has grown into one of India’s fastest-scaling PR firms, with over 150 professionals across Gurugram, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. Her journey anchors the organisation’s core values of inclusivity, innovation and empowerment. She gains greatest satisfaction from helping individuals, especially women, discover and develop skills and seeing them set sail with enthusiasm and confidence towards a future filled with joy and success beyond their expectations. Moroever, she advises young women to be curious, keep learning, seek mentors, and remain adaptable.

Nikky Gupta, Co-founder, Teamwork Communications Group

Nikky’s entrepreneurial journey was started in 2007 when she established Teamwork Communications. This step was inspired when she observed a critical gap in India’s healthcare communication landscape. With experience spanning media relations, strategy, and business development, she co-founded Teamwork Communications, which went on to build India’s first specialist healthcare PR agency. Over the years, she has expanded to 65+ cities, diversified into digital and influencer verticals, and continued creating opportunities for more women in the PR sector. 

What started as a healthcare-focused PR firm under her leadership has grown into a multi-specialist communications advisory working across education start-ups, corporate FMCG and government sectors. Through media engagement, digital campaigns, content partnerships, experiential storytelling and thought leadership initiatives, the agency has helped Indian brands, institutions and leaders gain visibility and influence both nationally and internationally.

Diana Fernandes, Founder & Group CEO, Bloomingdale Public Relations Pte. Ltd.

Diana entered the communications industry entirely by accident. PR wasn’t a field she had planned or even understood at the time. However, in 2003, she joined Planman Marcom’s PR division while still completing her MBA. Over the next decade, she moved through multiple roles from media coordination to client servicing, eventually leading the division. Her former boss gave her the autonomy to run operations independently, which exposed her to the essentials of entrepreneurship. In 2013, she briefly considered stepping away from the sector to support her mother’s corporate gifting venture, but PR remained her true calling. That same year, Bloomingdale was incorporated in India.

When she was 31, she started Bloomingdale as a small, boutique agency as a young woman. But she never intended to stay small. Five years later, she expanded Bloomingdale to Singapore to tap into the APAC market. Today, after 11 years, the agency has grown extensively than what she once imagined, becoming a safe, happy workplace known for strong work and steady expansion. Now at 42, she leads with the same conviction and passion and expanded the agency's presence to Mumbai, Singapore, and now recently in the capital city, Delhi as well.

The message she would want to pass on to the young female entrepreneurs is: "Do not give up, don't let go! Bad times are just a passing phase. Live through it, experience it and move on. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did!"

Nidhi Sabbarwal, Founder & Director, PRtainement Media & Communications Pvt. Ltd.

Nidhi’s entrepreneurial journey began long before PRtainment was founded. She started her career with the ambition of becoming a news anchor, but discovering public relations changed her path completely. Early on, she faced repeated rejections, long waits for coverage, and the realities of working in a tiny three-member agency with limited resources. Those difficult years shaped her resilience and gave her the strategic discipline she would later rely on as a founder.

Balancing late nights, rebuilding media relationships from scratch, navigating a shifting industry, and managing motherhood simultaneously made the journey even more demanding. Through it all, she drew strength from her father’s work ethic and from her husband’s constant support, which encouraged her to dream bigger.

For her, entrepreneurship has never been about perfection, but about grit, integrity, and showing up every single day. She guides women entrepreneurs to build a business. What truly matters are consistency, honesty, and the courage to create something that reflects who you are.

Aakriti Bhargava, Co-founder, Wizikey

“How will you do it? You’re a commerce graduate, not an engineer.”

Reading a room came naturally to her because of her communication background and the unspoken message was clear: she was a female, non-engineer attempting to build software. To many, a woman without a technical degree founding a tech company seemed impossible. Her lesson: don’t overthink. Ride life your way. Focus on what you can control, the vision, the team, and the small wins. Stop bothering yourself with the unspoken.

“Comms folks don’t use tech; they prefer relationships.”
Convincing people who thrive on human connections to adopt a platform wasn’t easy. Early on, it often felt like an invisible wall. Her response was simple: build something that adds real value and back it with trust. Today, with 150 companies using Wizikey, she feels proud that her strongest backers have been her customers. Their belief, feedback, and engagement have shaped the product and pushed her team to innovate faster.

“It’s just the way it is.” The “aise hi hota hai” syndrome appeared everywhere. “You can’t scale in this industry.” Her approach remained simple: ignore the noise, experiment, and execute relentlessly. The milestones like the first client who trusted a fledgling idea or the first feature that truly transformed work came when she focused on building rather than doubting or waiting for permission.

She believes that entrepreneurship is messy, unpredictable, and exhilarating. There will always be doubts, unspoken lines, and voices insisting that something cannot be done. What matters is how one responds. Hustle in the early years, trust your instincts, build your team, and let your work speak. The world may doubt, but your vision, grit, and those who believe in you will make it happen.

Ayushi Arora Gulyani, Founder & CEO, Media Corridors

Ayushi’s entrepreneurial journey began long before she became an entrepreneur, it started the day she entered a newsroom as a young journalist. Those early years shaped her ability to listen, question, connect, and tell stories that mattered. Over time, that instinct for storytelling evolved into a foundation for her work in PR, eventually leading her to build Media Corridors in 2015 and grow into a communication coach and multi-vertical founder.

Over the years, she has rebuilt teams, reinvented her business model multiple times, and navigated personal shifts while continuing to lead. Her key milestones weren’t just big clients or revenue wins, but moments of clarity, leaving journalism to start her own firm, finding her own voice, and realising the importance of pausing and redesigning one’s path.

She believes that entrepreneurship is deeply personal and demands resilience, reinvention, and the courage to stay adaptable. An entrepreneur doesn't need to have everything figured out; she just needs to keep moving with honesty and consistency.