Mumbai: The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) announces the 2026 edition of the Accreditation in Public Relations (AIPR), its flagship and national certification for high-potential communications professionals designed to benchmark excellence and strengthen the quality of talent across India’s communications industry.
As the Indian PR industry expands from 14,800 professionals in 2024 to nearly 22,700 by end of FY 2030, strengthening talent capability has become central to sustaining this momentum. PRCAI’s SPRINT 2024–25 study highlights that over 80% of professionals see continuous upskilling and stronger benchmarks as essential to advancing industry excellence and credibility. AIPR responds to this opportunity by offering a robust, industry-backed accreditation that nurtures high-potential talent and strengthens leadership readiness across the profession.
“As the role of communications becomes more strategic, the profession requires stronger benchmarks for readiness and leadership maturity. PRCAI’s AIPR addresses this by evaluating how professionals think, structure problems and apply judgement in real-world contexts. It creates a credible benchmark for individuals and enables organisations to identify and invest in high-quality future talent,” said Santanu Gogoi, Associate Vice President, PRCAI and Founding Partner, First Partners.
Now in its fifth edition, AIPR has accredited 68 professionals across four previous cohorts, establishing itself as a respected industry benchmark for high-performing public relations talent. Over time, AIPR has evolved into a respected reference point for identifying professionals who demonstrate strategic thinking, sound judgement, ethical practice and readiness for higher responsibility. The 2026 edition follows a structured review of the programme framework aligned to global certifications to ensure it remains aligned with the evolving expectations of the profession.
“The communications profession today sits at the intersection of reputation, leadership and trust. AIPR will strengthen that responsibility with top-notch professionals. The 2026 edition sharpens the benchmark for what excellence in Public Relations should look like in today’s landscape, with leadership in strategy, creativity, measurement and problem solving for brands. AIPR will recognise, celebrate a growing community of such individuals to future proof our industry,” said Deeptie Sethi, CEO, PRCAI.
This edition embarks a new PRCAI collaboration with Manipal Group’s MeritTrac, India’s top assessment company that undertakes aptitude assessment for leading examinations, strengthening the objectivity, robustness and benchmarking of the evaluation process.
Manjunath KP, COO, MeritTrac, said, “We are thrilled to partner with PRCAI for AIPR which demonstrates the vision of India’s most influential and credible public relations’ association to build talent benchmarks for their industry. The assessment framework ensures that the accreditation reflects real-world readiness for roles in PR and corporate communications.”
AIPR 2026 is open to professionals across consultancies, corporate communication roles and independent practices, across two experience levels:
Level 1 (1–5 years of work experience)
Level 2 (5–10 years of work experience).
The assessment framework follows a multi-stage evaluation process. The first stage is an online aptitude assessment, testing core competencies across areas including media and digital awareness, research and analytics, problem-solving, ethics, client consultancy management, corporate communications, and industry understanding.
The preliminary aptitude assessment will be held in February 2026, followed by final evaluations in March 2026 across four locations, led by a diverse panel of seasoned industry veterans. Shortlisted candidates will present communication solutions to a real-world case study before multidisciplinary panels of PR founders, Head of Communications, Academicians, and HR leaders.
All previously awarded AIPR certifications remain valid, and accredited professionals continue to be recognised as part of the AIPRodigy community. Professionals who have completed AIPR Level 1 are also eligible to apply for Level 2 if they qualify the work experience to upgrade their certification. Sign up to earn a stamp of excellence and register for AIPR 2026 at https://prcai.org/aipr.
