Traditionally, public relations has been perceived as a department that executes decisions instead of shaping them. In numerous organisations, PR becomes involved only after actions are decided, focusing on sharing results rather than helping set the direction. While this method may have worked during earlier stages of India’s corporate development, it does not reflect the challenges of today’s Indian organisations, which face much higher scrutiny from regulators, investors, employees, and the public.
This change is supported by global research. The Cision 2025 Communications Report notes that 86% of communications leaders worldwide now believe reputation risk directly affects business results. However, only 45% report being regularly included early in strategic planning. This gap between responsibility and influence continues to be a major challenge for the PR function.
Reputation is often built in the background, well ahead of any big announcement or public achievement. It grows out of routine leadership decisions, day-to-day actions, and whether or not there’s a real match between what’s said and what’s actually done. Ignore the narrative early on, and reputation can quickly become shaky, particularly when challenges arise. Across India’s business landscape, this point of view is gaining traction, especially in founder-led and promoter-driven organisations.
Narrative As Organisational Infrastructure, Not Messaging Output
Too often, public relations gets boiled down to media coverage, press releases, or mentions in the news, all of which are easy to count. However, focusing just on these overlooks the heart of what PR really does. At its core, PR is about helping an organisation define and express its purpose, clarify its responsibilities, and set out its place in the bigger picture for the long run.
There’s data to back up this shift. Indian industry voices have called this move a transition from old-school storytelling to an enduring, and credibility-led approach that’s all about matching words with actions and leadership intent, not just chasing quick headlines.
This strategic shift is reflected in how the industry is growing. According to The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI), the PR industry in India grew by roughly 19% year-on-year in FY 2022–23. While media relations remain important, much of this rise comes from clients increasingly seeking strategic advice, support with public affairs, and help with leadership communications.
Public Relations And Marketing: Distinct Mandates, Shared Visibility
In Indian businesses, public relations often gets lumped in with marketing and judged by the same short-term results. Though PR and marketing sometimes work side by side and both deal with the outside world, what they’re responsible for, and how far ahead they look, are really quite distinct.
The role of PR in Indian companies isn’t what it used to be. Today, it covers everything from governance and public affairs to building trust inside the company and shaping how leaders are perceived. These responsibilities extend well beyond what marketing metrics can measure. How we choose to measure success only widens the gap between PR and its real impact. The true value of PR is frequently overlooked, especially when it’s judged by marketing’s usual standards.
Marketing priorities can shift quickly in response to competitive pressures or market dynamics. Reputation does not. Leadership decisions tend to endure in public memory, influencing perception well beyond the lifespan of any single campaign.
How Public Relations Earns Its Place At The Leadership Table
Public relations becomes truly strategic when it’s brought in from the start and stays involved over time. Reputation takes shape every day through the way leaders act, how teams communicate internally, who gets hired, the policies set, and the standards by which the organisation is governed.
When communications leaders are included early in strategic discussions, organisations experience greater leadership confidence and face less reputational risk during major changes. Still, the same report points out that only about a quarter of PR teams worldwide feel they have the right tools to really prove their impact. This highlights why PR needs a seat at the table from the beginning to build lasting credibility.
What The Boutique Agency Perspective Reveals
Boutique agencies and mid-sized firms tend to feel this first-hand, often more intensely than the big networks do. Because they work side by side with founders and leadership teams, they’re trusted for their judgment, their understanding of the situation, and their sense of timing. In these settings, PR is about knowing when to make a statement, when to stay quiet, and how each move might echo down the line.
This way of thinking matches what many senior global communications leaders are saying. Getting PR involved early and keeping them engaged over the long haul nearly always leads to better results than only bringing them in for quick visibility boosts.
The Leadership Shift PR Ultimately Calls For
If PR wants to stay relevant at the strategy table, it can’t stand still. It needs to speak in a way that really shows everything it does, and professionals shouldn’t shy away from telling the truth, even if it makes things a bit uncomfortable. Today, companies focus a lot on reputation. They know it helps bring in top talent, build trust, create new opportunities, and keep the business steady during tough times.
A seasoned communication professionals’ job isn’t to replace what leaders decide. Instead, it’s meant to widen the lens, bringing in outside viewpoints and helping leaders think through the ripple effects of their choices. In a world where scrutiny is constant and expectations are always climbing, this ability to connect the dots has become essential. Everyone agrees PR is valuable; now the challenge is whether organisations are willing to listen soon enough for that value to make a real difference.
(Views are personal)
