The unstoppable entrepreneur: Nandita Lakshmanan's rise to the top

Nandita Lakshmanan is a pioneering entrepreneur, communications leader, and the Founder and CEO of The PRactice. With over three decades of experience, Nandita has established herself as a trusted advisor to top corporations, institutions, and individuals. She is the woman behind the success of her 70-person firm whose clientele includes marquee technology brands cutting across sectors in mobility, manufacturing, consumer tech, enterprise tech, and other emerging verticals.  Under her visionary leadership, The PRactice has grown into a renowned agency celebrated for its integrated approach, strategic thinking, and exceptional client service. It is also the first Indian PR firm to have been shortlisted by the Cannes Lions for its work on HP. 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.

This story unveils the interesting stories behind how she became an entrepreneur, her journey of establishing The PRactice, her mantra for success and growth, how she overcame challenging times, her hobbies, and so much more.

Her Journey of Establishing 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. She expresses that her decision was inspired by the support and opportunities, she received during her career, and shares, “I was lucky for a career break in a firm that encourages intrapreneurship. Being given an opportunity to helm the first regional office outside its headquarters at the age of 25 years was more a testament to the mindset of Prema Sagar, founder of the iconic Genesis PR (now Burson), than my capabilities and ambitions.”

She further emphasizes that the decision to set up The PRactice was a natural progression following her time at Genesis PR, and adds, “I had a fulfilling career launch – working with the best managers, representing the best clients at the best possible time when India had opened doors to the world. I was at the right place at the right time, and I ensured I made the most of it.”

Challenges She Faced

When asked about the challenges Nandita faced in the early stages of her career as one of the few women in business and leadership, she explains, “Initially, I struggled with understanding financial management due to a lack of interest in the area. However, I soon realized its importance in effective and transparent governance. As a leader, governance is non-negotiable, and therefore, sound financial management of the business cannot be ignored.” She says that the mantra ‘Topline is vanity, bottom line is sanity, cash flow is reality’ and her experience managing over 52 quarterly results at Infosys has been the guiding principles that helped her develop effective tracking parameters for success.

Next, she faced the common challenge of balancing her career and personal milestones and elaborates, “Like many women, my professional growth coincided with social institutional milestones such as marriage, maternity, and motherhood.”  To counter this challenge, she invested in a good support system, established a sustainable routine for work and caregiving, and built a team and a client base that aligned with her vision. Like, a pro multitasker, she learned to balance and navigate the growth of her company while managing these personal milestones.

Next, networking, too, became a significant hurdle due to her limited experience and private nature. However, Lakshmanan addressed this by leveraging her strong work reputation and pushing herself to forge valuable connections. She noted, “With just seven years of work experience when I started The PRactice, my network was limited.” She acknowledges that a partnership with global leader Porter Novelli in 2004, helped expand her network internationally.   Moreover, her role as PRCAI President in 2006 got her to think about the interests of the public relations industry very early in her career. In addition, participating in international awards and teaching contributed to her recognition and ability to attract talent.

Her Mentorship Initiatives

Nandita is not only a fervent leader and entrepreneur but also a phenomenal mentor who guides and nurtures numerous professionals through various programs and initiatives.

She summarises her formative mentorship experience stating, “Continuous learning is foundational to leadership.” Her first experience of mentorship was in 2009 with the Fortune-US State Department Global Mentorship Program, where she was paired with prominent mentors such as Joan Amble, the then-Financial Comptroller of American Express, and Susan Sobbott, former CEO of AMEX-Open. She further notes that this experience was “life-changing” and deeply influenced her approach to mentorship, highlighting the essence of ‘paying it forward.’

At The PRactice, Nandita has institutionalized her belief in continuous learning through several high-quality programs that broaden her team's horizons beyond client work. She explains, “We encourage our senior team to identify and engage with mentors they will benefit from,” and cites the ‘Leading with Impact’ program, which connects managers with both internal and external mentors. Additionally, her team benefits from engagements with senior business consultants to refine financial and business management practices.

Moreover, she proudly mentions participating in the first-ever mentorship program for GWPR, where she mentored a promising professional from Hong Kong.  She continues to share her experience and network with first-time entrepreneurs.  

The Things She Loves When She Is Not Working

She expresses that due to her professional commitments, she has a demanding schedule which leaves little room for personal hobbies. Describing how her work field is solely enough to fuel her passion and excitement for now, she mentions, “Public relations in so many ways, continues to be a passion. Our industry is evolving at a pace never seen before. As a result, I find myself becoming a curious and excited participant all over again.”

However, Nandita reminisces about her fondness for exploring India's textile trails. “If I had the time, I would love to get back to the fulfilling textile trails across India – these are long road trips over 3-5 days, taking me to weaving centers in various States of India. There is something about rural India that I love – the simplicity, the talent, and the richness of heritage is grounding and soul-satisfying.”

Her Experience as Cannes Jury

Highlighting her best moments serving on prestigious juries, Nandita recalls a particularly memorable experience from her role at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. “Getting that call to inform me that I had been chosen to represent India in the PR category at the 57th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival (2010), wasthrilling,” she acknowledges. Her excitement of being part of the jury in its second year since the Cannes PR Lions was introduced, was palpable. She further describes the experience as both unexpected and a proud moment.

Lakshmanan mentions that going through hundreds of campaigns was a revelatory experience that inspired her to elevate her work to meet these high standards. “It encouraged me to return and source a project that would help us meet the high standards of the Festival,” she mentions. Fueled by the drive to achieve these benchmarks, together with her team, she masterminded the "Write to Read" campaign for HP’s Printer Group (IPG), which ultimately helped The PRactice earn the distinction of being the first ever PR firm in India to be shortlisted in any category at the 59th Cannes Festival in 2012. “We were proud it was none other than Integrated Marketing with PR at the core,” she states.

What Does Awards & Recognition Mean to Her?

Recognition and awards often signify not only personal achievements but also the broader impact of one’s work. Sharing her views on receiving accolades such as the e4m Women Achievers' ‘Mentor of the Year’ Award, the Exxon Mobil-Vital Voices grant, and being named among India’s top 10 women in Public Relations, she illustrates, “Recognition and awards come attached with a great deal of responsibility, but they are undeniably sweet coming after years of hard work, consistency, and walking the talk. My motivation is purely intrinsic.”

Lakshmanan proudly shares, “Winning the Exxon Mobil-Vital Voices grant was a standout moment, allowing me to bring invaluable lessons from my US mentorship back to India.” She used this opportunity to reinforce integrity and ethics among students in India, inspired by the Honor Code from US business schools. “The idea was to reinforce integrity and ethics among students in India, drawing inspiration from the mandatory Honor Code in US business schools,” Nandita explains. Despite facing challenges in finding widespread acceptance for this initiative, she channeled the grant towards a Lecture Series at a leading business school, emphasizing integrity and ethics across society, government, and business.

Her Core Mantra for Success & Growth

In her entrepreneurial journey, Nandita adheres to a core principle that guides her success and growth, “A clear conscience is the softest pillow has been something I have carried with me since my tryst with Infosys.”

Her Future Vision

Lakshmanan expresses that her journey has been characterized by a high degree of integrity, transparency, and unconditionality. Looking forward, she enthusiastically adds, “There is much to be excited about in my personal and professional life – the next generation of professionals are emerging and I am excited to see how they navigate our industry to its full potential.”