Public Relations can be the glue for stakeholder engagement: Nandita Lakshmanan
Nandita Lakshmanan was awarded as the Mentor of the Year in PR at the 4th edition of e4m Women Achievers' Awards 2023
In recent years, women have played a pivotal role in transforming the public relations (PR) industry, bringing innovation, strategic thinking, and a fresh perspective to the forefront. So, to celebrate the spirit of the women leaders who are breaking barriers in the PR and Corp Comm industry, exchange4media launched the 4th edition of e4m Women Achievers' Awards 2023.
The awards honoured the remarkable contributions of numerous incredible women leaders, achievers and trendsetters who have shattered glass ceilings, overcome challenges, and paved the way for a more inclusive and diverse future in the PR and Comm Industry.
This time, we celebrate the contributions of Nandita Lakshmanan, Founder & Chairperson, The PRactice, who have rising to leadership positions and reshaping the landscape of PR through her resilience and determination. She was felicitated with the 'Mentor of the Year in PR' award at the e4m Women Achievers' Awards 2023.
Excerpts from the Interview:
Congratulations on your win at the e4m PR & Corp Comm Women Achievers Awards 2023. How do you feel?
Awards are a responsibility. The Mentor of the Year, especially, is very special because I am a beneficiary of the warmth and wisdom of a wonderful mentor and I sincerely believe it is life changing. To know I have touched careers and perhaps, lives and to be recognised for that is the most gratifying part of the 30 odd years I have spent in the public relations industry.
What inspires you on your journey and endeavours?
To always do the right thing, against all odds, to live a day at a time and to know it is in my hands to make it wholesome.
In what ways have you witnessed the PR and corporate communications industry change and evolve over the years? What global practices would you see implemented in India?
The industry has come together like never before: the efforts of industry bodies like PRCAI, awards and recognition like the one exchange4media bestows on us has all gone on to elevate the presence of the work we do. India is a unique market and therefore, we have to evolve our own best practices. Globally, the relationship between client-firms is far more mature, transparent, respectful and trusting and that is something I would like to see all of us work towards.
Tell us about your most valuable learning from the industry. Where do you foresee the PR and comms industry in the coming days?
The exposure being a Public Relations professional has given me is more than I could ask for in a lifetime. The sectors I have covered, the companies I have represented, the lifecycle of brands and businesses, the leaders I worked closely with, the places I travelled to, the successes and failures I witnessed…the list goes on.
The opportunity for the industry is immense – at a time when trust is waning, public relations is the one discipline that can be the glue for stakeholder engagement. We have the opportunity to wean away from our fixation with media relations and bank on other aspects of public relations that help earn goodwill and trust for companies – eg employee engagement, analyst relations, social responsibility, public affairs etc.
What would be your message to the future generation of professionals?
Be curious about the vast potential of public relations. Ensure the experience in your resumes demonstrate situations you have managed and skills you have acquired that are critical to this discipline, rather than just number of companies you have worked in or brands you have represented. Frequent job changes do not allow you to experience a brand’s lifecycle, which is important in our role as advisors and reputation custodians.
