The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) has revealed the outcomes of the inaugural session of its ‘Accreditation Programme in Indian Public Relations (AIPR).’ PRCAI unveiled the names of 18 public relations professionals who were bestowed with the AIPR pin.
Atul Sharma, President of PRCAI, expressed his satisfaction, stating, “At PRCAI, we continually strive to advance the vision of our industry—becoming more professional, ethical, and prosperous. AIPR represents our commitment in that direction, and this marks just the beginning. I extend heartfelt congratulations to our first batch of accredited professionals, who I am confident will play a crucial role in leading this industry forward. ”
Deeptie Sethi, CEO of PRCAI, emphasized the significance of AIPR as a platform to recognize and motivate the industry’s subject matter experts. She noted, “The communications industry boasts an invaluable pool of subject matter experts who are exceptional thinkers, strategists, planners, and writers, fully dedicated to their profession. AIPR serves as a platform to acknowledge such talent and inspire them to continually upskill, staying relevant in the evolving landscape of communications and aspiring to be the best.”
The initial AIPR participants underwent two rigorous assessments, including a Communications Aptitude Test and a final jury evaluation. The AIPR Jury, comprising leaders from PR Consultancies, Corporate Communications Heads, HR heads, and academic experts, evaluated presentations based on frameworks and guidelines provided by the PRCAI accreditation partner, the School of Communications & Reputation.
In this round, 18 professionals across both Levels 1 and 2 achieved accreditation. The top 3 performers at both levels were recognized based on their aggregate performance across various criteria. Notably, Sneha Ashok from Adfactors PR secured the highest rank with a score of 67.8% among Level 1 candidates, followed by Aastha Anand from On Purpose and Shruti Vakhariya from Adfactors PR.
For Level 2 candidates, Dhun Chhokar from On Purpose emerged as the top scorer with a rank of 66.3%, followed by Sweta Mohanty from Adfactors PR and Aaron Dias.
Hemant Gaule, Dean of the School of Communications & Reputation (SCoRe), discussed the AIPR and the partnership with PRCAI, stating, “While conceptualizing AIPR, SCoRe looked at global and credible benchmarks for individual competence, such as those established by PRSA, CIPR, and IABC, which have elevated the profession in their respective regions.”
Looking ahead, the 2022 Winter AIPR round, with applications opening in September, is anticipated to be more robust and comprehensive, recognizing the emerging champions of the Indian PR industry.
