Watch this space: India’s PR industry poised for greater global impact: James Wright

We are standing at the edge of an era, where the PR & communications landscape is being reshaped by digital-first consumers and rapid media convergence. The new-age consumers now demand clarity, immediacy, transparency, authenticity, and engagement in messaging. This shifts the pressure on agencies and communicators to develop strategies that resonate in real- time and have maximum impact.

Recently, we got a rare opportunity to interact with James Wright, Global CEO of Havas Red ANZ and Global Chairman of Havas PR Global Collective. In our conversation, we uncovered valuable insights into the global–local context of how the PR industry is evolving, India’s pivotal role in accelerating the global network, and the key developments and transitions happening globally in this space. Notably, it was his first visit to India since Havas Red’s investment in PR Pundit, and interestingly, his fifth trip overall (all because of his fondness for India).

What makes this interaction special is the perspective he offers on the evolving global PR landscape, on Havas Red’s acquisition of PR Pundit to become Havas Red PR Pundit, the challenges of steering communications across geographies, and what India’s dynamic market brings to the table. He also shared his observations and experiences on where the industry is heading, what collaboration really means in practice, and why young professionals must stand out if they aspire to be tomorrow’s global leaders.

From the future of PR, the value of building meaningful partnerships, to the lessons we can take from a global leader who continues to redefine what it means to create impact through communication, this story gives you an interactive and insightful ride through all the aspects.

India’s pivotal role in accelerating the global network

“Watch the PR space because it's only going to get bigger and stronger here.” — James Wright

A few years back, Wright recognized a blind spot in the Havas PR network that they didn’t have an owned operation in an Indian market, which had a lot of other marketing agency assets. And after a lot of searching, they found PR Pundit, led by Archana Jain, as their perfect collaborator to move ahead in this space and make a mark in India.

“I think one of the hallmarks of a lot of great Indian creative work is how the brand is connected with culture and the culture is changing as well,” he elucidated. Moving forward, he emphasized the power of the Indian economy and its creative prowess, which helps it stand out from other regions.

“If we look at the global award shows, we can see that now Indian campaigns are more often placed. They're not just participating, they're winning. The industry is accelerating at a crazy pace right now, and the quality of talent that's coming out of the market is phenomenal. Also, we're seeing a lot of immigration as well from Indian people into Australia, into Dubai as well, making Havas’s team stronger, talented, and creative,” he exemplified.

A strategic industry move: PR Pundit’s collaboration with Havas Red

“When you end up acquiring an agency, it's like dating. You've got to try and get to the end sort of place at some point to be able to get married,” said James Wright.

Talking about their happy collaboration, Wright proudly expressed, “I'm super excited and proud of the team we’ve built here and their potential. I've talked to the different teams and you look at the world-class brands that PR Pundit Havas Red has here in India, it is really kind of quite amazing like the number of world-class high-profile brands that are trusting the team here with their kind of marketing challenges, their PR needs and I think that, you know, speaks volumes for the quality of the people and the work that's done.”

“If you want to become a serious brand and find the right support to claim your place globally, you must truly commit to the market and hence why we now have PR Pundit Havas Red,” affirmed Wright.

Trends leading the industry globally

“Slow adaptability is the major cause of the slow death of several brands today.”

Industry trends are the components driving the industry forward, and at a pace, they’re transforming globally is staggering. To add to it, 2025 brought a lot of disruptions due to the unprecedented changes shaped by geopolitical issues, macroeconomics, equal justice, climate change, cost of living, misinformation and disinformation, deep fakes, and what not. Every day, either there’s a new crisis or a change in consumer habits, giving birth to new industry trends. And without a hiccup, brands have to hop on to stay relevant.

From a global vantage point, we explored these shifts and the most relevant industry trends further through James’s industry experiences and observations.

• Earned media is evolving:

“The concept of earned has changed; it's no longer about earned media; it's about earning the right to be in people's lives. It's about earning the right to be in culture, earning the right to have a conversation, earning the right to have you part with your dollars to pay for a product or a service. The concept is stretched now, and we're helping our clients with how they can earn their right to be in pop culture, in our communities. Undoubtedly, earned media remains super critical and important, but the other areas like stakeholder engagement, stakeholder mapping are gaining importance too,” James explained.

• Harnessing the AI disruption

Next, he spotlighted the buzzword — emergence of AI and its impact globally.

Defining AI as a disruptor won’t be a misinterpretation. On one hand, many people fear AI as a job snatcher and a tool making humans irrelevant. However, James sees it differently and describes it as a tool that can make PR professionals more relevant and thriving leaders in the long run.

However, he also highlighted that adaptability is not enough. If the technology is evolving, professionals need to evolve too. They should focus on continuous learning, upskilling, and staying one step ahead by being good at harnessing the power of these technological tools to benefit themselves or the agency, but also ultimately for the benefit of the clients and the industry at large.

New developments to expect in Havas Red’s network

In times when a lot of the other PR agencies that exist are all being merged, acquired, or shifted around, Havas Red stands as a challenger and a rock for many stakeholders. In the current market scenario, it plays a compelling dual role as the leading player big enough to matter, yet small enough to be agile and be able to move quicker and faster.

Sharing the new plans & development, James emphasized the Havas 400 million Euros investment over the next 4 years into AI and technology.

“I trust that the agency and its leadership is leaning into the global investments, platforms, and the partnerships we've created there. We have a global partnership with Adobe Firefly, Meltwater, all kinds of technologies and tools that can help us perform better both locally and globally,” he shared.

His journey and achievements in the PR industry

“A PR professional doesn't sell a commodity, they sell strategy and ideas.”

Creativity, strategy, and a deep love for people — that’s how one can best describe James Wright. From our very first interaction with him, it was clear that he isn’t just another name in the PR and communications world. He’s a leader who thrives on challenges, finds joy in creative thinking, values strategizing, and believes in the power of authentic storytelling.

Interestingly, it was his uncle, a chief marketing officer of a major retailer in the UK, who gave him exposure to the industry. Managing events, meeting celebrities, and coming up with creative ideas made him curious about the industry. He decided to act and did a degree in marketing and PR. From that day till today, he defines every day to be equally thrilling, different, and exciting, like he wanted his career to be. “I wake up to 250-odd emails from all over the world about different things that are happening, from big issues, crisis management pieces, all the way to fun, creative stuff. I love that no one day is the same and no one week is the same, and how my day starts and how I think it will end is never the same either,” he added enthusiastically.

James joined Havas in 2011, and it’s been the journey of 14 years that has made him the leader he is today. It was because of his efforts, the Havas Red, which started in 2019, is now extended into 22 markets, and the other Havas PR network has other brands and has even more markets than that.

Insider secrets from the Global PR leader

Being a global leader who manages 40 agencies and 22 markets of a renowned network like Havas Red is not an easy feat. So, we asked him to spill the secret qualities he believed would help today’s professional lead globally.

• Be empathetic - He expressed that a PR professional should learn to read the room, and needs to be the most sensible person in the room when there are issues happening, whereby we can bring a bit of objectivity and a bit of sensibility to a conversation or an issue.
• Lead from the front - A communicator should be willing to hang his/her hat on the goals and objectives. He should set out the vision and what should be achieved in the next two to three years, and must hold himself, as well as others, accountable for delivering on that vision.
• Build clarity - He shares that too often we end up working with leaders or organizations who don't necessarily have a very clear vision of where they want to go. And that then creates problems for the people that you're asking to come along on that journey with you.
• Design flexible strategies - If young professionals want to lead globally, he/she should have a global strategy, but not a cookie-cutter approach. It needs to have enough flexibility in it for it to work in local markets and fulfil the needs of different cultures.
• Present verified facts: He states that communicators should not weaponize communications, like exaggerating, or utilizing information in a way that misinforms. It's a professional’s or agency’s responsibility to present the facts, and that too thoroughly verified.

How emerging professionals are redefining success in the industry?

“You can teach skills, but you can't teach attitude.”

James complimented the uniqueness of today’s young professionals by stating, “The generation that is coming into the industry, they’re really hard working. People really do pop themselves out of the crowd by showing a great attitude and a willingness to go further than the next person. They come with solutions, not problems. And when they do that, it's like this person is really hungry for this industry. And that’s the kind of professionals we want.”

Guiding the young industry professionals, he asserts, “You've got to bring a great attitude every day consistently, want to continue to learn and continue to build your own career and knowledge and experience. So be open to everything, you know, really sort of soak it all in and be willing to put in the hard yards as well.”

Lastly, Wright concluded the conversation by praising the strengths of the Indian PR and communications industry and how it has now entered the rapid acceleration and global recognition stage. India is now consistently producing multiple, category-spanning campaigns that are not only competing but also winning at the highest level. He believes that with this momentum, assets, and strengths of the Indian community, the industry will stand out as a creative force that will walk the talk globally with full force.