Try to be proactive, self-starter, quick learner & self-motivator: Deeksha Ahuja

To recognise women leaders’ relentless pursuit of excellence in public relations and corporate communication, exchange4media PR & Corp Comm launched the Women Achievers Awards in 2020. The third edition of the awards in 2022 felicitated women leaders who have been shaping the industry through their incredible work.

The awards recognised women who not only achieved major milestones in their careers but also brought a dynamic change in the PR and corporate communications industry.

In this series, we feature some of the women leaders who were felicitated at the event. Today, we feature Deeksha Ahuja, Manager – Corporate Affairs and Communications, Carlsberg India, who was honoured as ‘Emerging Leader in Corp Comm’ award at the e4m PR & Corp Comm Women Achievers Awards.

Ahuja is an experienced professional and specialises in media relations and communications, employee branding, employee engagement, social media engagement, leadership communications, company branding, writing and conceptualising all corporate collaterals. 

Prior to joining Carlsberg India, she contributed to organisations such as EY, Incedo Inc., Weber Shandwick, Zee News, Contify and Press Trust of India. 

Excerpts: 

Congratulations on your win at the e4m PR & Corp Comm Women Achievers Awards 2022. How do you feel? 

It’s so inspiring. It’s a great recognition of the work I do in corporate communications and PR. I am proud, happy and extremely grateful to exchange4media for recognising me and my work towards the industry. 

What inspires you on your journey and endeavours? 

As a communicator, I have always been motivated by creative projects, teamwork and being able to draw a connection between my efforts and the organisation’s bottom line. Having the opportunity to lead campaigns from ideation through launch and then celebrating its success is my motivation. 

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? 

Over the past few years PR has become increasingly difficult to define. Today, PR is, in my opinion, pretty much any type of marketing communication that positively influences key stakeholders, including customers, partners and even employees. Social media has a weighty consequence on public relations, creating new opportunities and challenges for brands. It allows brands to engage across a variety of channels in real-time, which has led to an increased demand for them to address consumer inquiries quickly and effectively. Social media has also led to the emergence of powerful digital influencers for brands to reach out to and work with. 

Global practices that I see, can be implemented in India is - Collaboration to promote each other and knowledge sharing. We all must not work in silos; collaboration is the thing of 2022! This will go a long way to shape the future of the industry which needs to give its best to the corporate world and the nation. 

Tell us about your most valuable learning from the industry. Where do you foresee the PR and comms industry in the coming days? 

We all had to switch to a remote working format because of the pandemic. It was a huge learning experience for me, and something I found really challenging at first, as I wasn’t used to working with colleagues remotely. However, the experience taught me just how flexible and resilient I can be. 

What would be your message to the future generation of professionals? 

My only message for future generations is - Try to be proactive, self-starters, quick learners and a self-motivator and don't have the fear of taking risks. If you want to touch the sky, you must accept that you may fall a lot of times! Regardless of how much people and your community interfere, be like a stone in front of them and convince them with your work and sometimes words. But stay strong!