Movie or Poll– All depends on audience’s Vyooham

 

RGV – Ram Gopal Varma – never fails to be in the news. This time he is being talked about for his latest venture Vyooham (Strategy). He is making a movie based on YSR’s sudden death in a helicopter crash and the developments that followed leading to the AP’s tall politician’s son YS Jagan emerging as the Chief Minister. During an interview, he quoted Mark Zuckerberg and said the biggest risk is not taking any risk. Though he denies that the movie is being made keeping the 2024 Election Season in mind, it has the potential of having some impact on the movie-crazy Andhrites.

For detailed read:  

https://epaper.bizzbuzz.news/Home/ShareArticle?OrgId=27698aa9357&imageview=0

Demecracy will collapse if media falters & other stories

Presenting BRUNCH 117 with The CONNECT Series of a week when former Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna has cautioned that democracy will collapse if journalists falter and media professionals expressed concern over attacks on independent media. ON the environmental front, India spoke against mindless destructive consumption and called for conserving global biodiversity, while the Yogi Adityanath government has drawn up plans for solar power thrust to meet the rising energy demands amid boost to business and industry.

TELECOM

Airtel 5G In UP – PEHLAY AAP Waali Shahar Mein

Highspeed Service At No Extra Cost For Now

Sovan Mukherjee, CEO, Bharti Airtel, Uttar Pradesh said Airtel customers can now enjoy speeds up to 20-30 times faster than the current 4G

Mobile Re-Charge Via Paytm Now

User-Friendly Interface On The App

Paytm says it is constantly looking to enhance our users' experience.”

Growing With The Speed Of Thought

81.6 Cr Broadband Connections, Rural Tele-Density At Nearly 60%

The telecom reforms and clear policy direction led to spectrum auction of 2022 garnering highest ever bids, says the Govt

ENVIRONMENT

Solar Power For UP Farms, Villages

Yogi Thrust On 18 Solar Cities

As UP power consumption is set to shoot up to 53,000 MW with industry boom, CM Yogi calls for alternative energy sources

 

‘Stop This Mindless Destructive Consumption’

India Tells The Elite At Global Biodiversity Meet

Nature is the victim of global warming, and its protective features can do little against unchecked temperature rise, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said.

BUSINESS

Noventiq Eyes $1Bn Biz In India, Acquires G7 CR Tech

Digital Transformation Major’s 4th Acquisition

Noventiq offers multi-cloud solutions, software, cybersecurity and infrastructure.

No GST On Residential Rentals

If Dwelling Is Used For Tenant’s Own Purpose…

The GST on Ethyl alcohol supplied to refineries for blending with petrol is being reduced to 5% from the existing 18%.

We Know We Can’t Use IPO Funds For Buyback – Paytm

Company Says It Has Enough Liquidity

Paytm brushes off analysts speculations on share buyback

Seven Spring Springs A Pleasant Surprise

‘Green’ Tea Sachet Inks Deal With Accor Hotels

Seven Spring has introduced India’s first 100% compostable and eco-friendly packaging of sachet covers for tea bags.

IPOs

 

Electronics Major Elin’s Rs 475 Cr IPO Opens On Dec 20

Price Band - Rs 234-Rs 247

EMS major Elin Electronics has fixed the price band at ₹234 to ₹247 per Equity Share for its Rs 475 cr IPO.

Vroom! Landmark Cars IPO Subscribed Thrice Over

QIB, Employee Segments Get Overwhelming Response

Landmark Cars’ revenue from operations grew 52.17% to Rs 2976.52 crore for the fiscal 2022.

EDUCATION

Terribly Tiny Tales Floats Content Academy

To Connect Talent With Industry

TTT Academy is built to train world-class content creators and storytellers, company founder and CEO Anuj Gosalia said.

NATIONAL

Target Rs 10 Lk Cr: Team Yogi Goes On War Footing

Aggressive Roadshows In 18 Countries

Offering unlimited possibilities, Team Yogi receives support from the Netherlands, Japan, San Francisco and Singapore

Poor In Telangana, Puducherry Miss PMAY-G Homes

85 Lakh Houses Of The Targeted 2.95 Cr Yet To Completed

Govt says the initial timeline for PMAY-G was 2022, which has now been extended to March, 2024

Don’t Worry, Govt Ensures Food Security

Buffer Stock Way Above Requirement For Welfare Schemes

The Government has intervened to check wheat price rise, say official sources.

HEALTH

Yoga Helps Beat Breast Cancer

Milestone Study At Tata Hosp

Tata Memorial Hospital’s clinical trials show fewer chance of recurrence and death.

6 Month Old Baby With Eye Cancer Treated At Wadia

Wadia is the first trust-run hospital to do this procedure, said Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO of Wadia Hospital, Mumbai

S3V Master Stroke For Stroke Patients

Makes India’s First Medical Devices For Reversing Paralysis

Of the 20 lakh people who suffer brain strokes in India, only 1,500 undergo treatment, says N.G. Badari Narayan founder of S3V

SCIENCE

Star Explosion Causing Odd Radio Circles In Space?

New Research into Mysterious Phenomenon Outside Galaxes

Dr. Amitesh Omar, Scientist at ARIES, says the explosion of a white dwarf star could have triggered the Odd Radio Circles

Pythons In HP 9 Million Yrs Ago!

Fossils Show Weather Akin To Today, Prevailed Ages Ago In Himachal

Seasonally wet sub-humid to semi-arid climate must have prevailed in Haritalyanagar area in Himachal, scientists say.

DEFENSE

N-Ready Destroyer Warship To Join Navy today

75% Made In India With State-Of-The-Art Weaponry The Ship’s Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities

The ship’s Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and the ASW helicopters.

MEDIA

Death Knell For Democracy If Media Faltersk

Justice Srikrishna Asks Scribes To Speak The Truth

Media under increasing attack, say speakers at RedInk Awards

OPINION

The Unicommerce Universe

Advantageous Tool For Market Leadership

This innovation in E–Commerce space can revolutionise the entire online sales management system in the future, write DR RAJESHWARI KRISHNAMURTHY & YASH GUPTA

PROPERTY CONNECT

Construction Costs To Be Volatile

Home Prices Rising On Renewed Demand

With just-in-case approach, builders have begun to stack up material, diversified professional services and investment management company Colliers says

STARTUP

Moneyyapp Raises Money, Doesn’t Say How Much

Pre-Seed Round From Angellist Early-Stage Quant Fund.

MoneyyApp to launch innovative products and services for digital natives and solopreneurs to help them  grow - Fayyaz Hussain, Cofounder and CEO

 

Your Group NGO NatConnect Foundation in the news

And the Hills Come Alive

Koyna Dam-hit people go sans water as Kharghar Hills plundered

 

BRUNCH 86 with The Connect Series

Happy to inform you that we crossed yet another milestone with 1,75,346 visitors to your website as we have 3 major developments to share with you to improve our content bouquet – a dedicated FARM CONNECT, for agriculture related developments, a tie-up with BusinessWire India for wider NATIONWIDE coverage and a BNC Promos section.

Now presenting BRUNCH 86 with The CONNECT Series of a week when the Centre was accused of pressuring States to buy imported coal to fire their thermal power plants and the WHO cautioned the world against Monkeypox springing up surprises. On a positive note, DRDO tells us that Indian missiles would now be exported while the Border Road Organisation did the final blast for the Nechiphu tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh for a bypass that will facilitate an all-weather vehicle movement to the forward areas on China border. Jet Airways gets DGCA nod to fly now.

 CORPORATE

 

Sun Shines On Vikram Solar, Co Tops In Reliability Index

2022 PVEL PV Module Reliability Scorecard Is Out

Quick adoption of sunrise technologies enable us to stay ahead of the curve, says Vikram Solar, MD Gyanesh Chaudhary.

Greenply Revenues Up By 34%, Counts On Realty Revival

Co Setting Up New Plants In UP & Guj

Despite stress of raw material prices and availability, Greenply hopes to do well on renewed real estate demand

IPOs

82% Decline In IPOs, But Lots In Pipeline

EY Data Shows Emerging Unicorns

Volatile market conditions have resulted in a significant slowdown during the first quarter of 2022, EY Global IPO Trends show.

All Investors Lose Out In LIC Listing

Against The Issue Price Of Rs 949, It Lists At 867 On BSE

Hold LIC scrip with a long-term perspective, say analysts

EMudhra Raises Rs 123.83 Crore From Anchor Investors

The Rs 400-Cr IPO closes on Tuesday

eMudhra allocated 48,37,336 shares at Rs. 256 per share on Thursday to anchor investors

 

A BNC Exclusive: Indira IVF Plans Rs 2K Crore IPO, To Foray Into Pharma

To Launch Clinics In South Asia, Gulf, Africa

Indira IVF will invest Rs 200 crore yhis fiscal to expand footprint globally

BY VIRENDRA SINGH RAWAT

Luxury Watch Retailer Ethos IPO Sails Through On Day 3

Gets Just-About-Ok Response Form All Categories

The IPO of luxury and premium watch retail player ETHOS  Limited was subscribed 1.04 times on the last day of bidding

Offline-Online MSIT From IIIT Hyd

Time-Variable-Outcome-Constant Method

Give exams when you are ready, IIIT-H’s revolutionary offer to students

HEALTH

Autism – Understand It & Tackle It

Neuria App Arms You With Information

Dr. GUNJAN BHARDWAJ, Founder & CEO of Innoplexus, discusses the facts and myths about autism

Healthcare Ops Honcho Gets a ‘Plum’ Post

To Work On Expanding Pan-India Network

Plum is working in-line with new-age healthcare requirements

Healthcare Innovation Challenge - 3:

Growing Role Of Data In Enabling The Affordable And Accessible Healthcare

https://biznewsconnect.com/newsscroll-details?cname=newsscroll&bid=111486

 

Don’t ‘Monkey’ Around, The Virus Is Spreading

Monkeypox In 11 Countries, Hits 80 People

The WHO says Monkeypox  spreads with close contacts, cases in non-endemic countries

 

NATIONAL

Import Coal Or Face Power Crisis

Centre Tells States Including UP

Union Power Minister R K Singh is upset at the delay in import of coal

India’s Brahmastras For The World

Transition From Importer To Major Exporter

India is looking to export Akash, ATGMs, SAMs, Torpedoes, Radars, besides BrahMos missile, DRDO head Satheesh Reddy says.

Rest The Case: On Digital Highway To Speed Up Justice

RTC Hails PM Modi’s Vision For Mediation As Well

Online court session proved effective during the pandemic, says RTC founder Shreya Sharma

https://biznewsconnect.com/national/article-rest-the-case-digital-highway-to-speed-up-justice

BRO, They ‘Ve Done Final Blast For Nechiphu Tunnel

To Bypass Extreme Foggy Conditions

The blast marks the cumulative excavation of more than 4,500 meters by BRO Karmyogis in less than two years

Jet Airways -The Joy Of Flying To Be Back In Q3

Obtains DGCA Nod To Re-Boot

Jet Airways completes the process of ‘proving flights’ with DGCA team on board

 

‘Undue’ Central Pressure On States To Import Coal

Power Engineers Say Coal Crisis Due To 3 Ministries Mess-Up

AIPEF says the generation cost would shoot by around one rupee per unit by blending fuel with 10% imported coal

Divyang School Founder Is No More

Visually Challenged Pay Tributes To Gopu Ramanna

Gopu Ramanna who set up blind school in Karimnagar and supported it is no more

ENVIRONMENT

Ecom Express Delivery With Electric Express

50% Of Last Miles Smiles Will Be With E-Bikes

T.A. Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Ecom Express Limited said the company is looking to create greater avenues to make sustainable deliveries

Single Use Plastic Challenge In Goa

Inviting Innovations For F&B Sector

Single-Use Plastics is one of the side effects of the pandemic and is rising at 2.5 fold rate

100 Pipers has pledged to plant 1 million trees this year

under the 100 Pipers ‘Play for a Cause’ platform, in partnership with AROH Foundation

 

PROPERTY CONNECT

Colliers Ropes In Another Senior Hand From JLL

Srikanth Nookala Joins As Sr Director, Office Services

After CEO Ramesh Nair, four senior professionals leave JLL to join Colliers

STARTUPS

 

New Investor Class Comes With High Risk Appetite

AI-Driven JARVIS Crosses A Milestone With 76K Client Base

Sumit Chanda, Founder and CEO, JARVIS Invest says AI could be stock market disruptor highly uncertain and dynamic macro environment

Pocket FM Strengthens Leadership Team

Appoints Shubh Bansal As VP-Growth

Pocket FM to intensify its focus to accelerate revenue, speed up growth initiatives, and elevate its brand positioning

LenDenClub Ropes In Mudit Agarwal From Africa’s Kobo360

Appoints Him As CBO – New Biz

Peer-to-peer Lender platform LendenClub Chases $1 Billion Loan disbursals target

 Bestselling Start-Up Author, Nistha Tripathi, Launches Her New Book -Unstartup

93 Percent Millennials Invest On Digital Platforms: Survey By Benori Knowledge

Tea Break With Glenfiddich

Inspired by the Japanese tradition of mixing tea and whisky, Glenfiddich, experiments with sensorial serves

FARM CONNECT

 

PM Creates Buzz About Bee Keeping

World Bee Keeping Day Celebrated

Govt government is working very seriously to bring about a “Sweet Revolution” in the country, says Agri minister Tomar

Bureacratic Hurdle For Drone Pilot Certification To Go

Scindia Seeks To Increase Kisan Drone Usage

Nearly 90% of Indian airspace as a green zone for drone flying up to 400 feet, shows Samvaad with Scindia

Farm To Fork – Startups Form The Missing Link

Minister Jitendra Singh Says Innovative Ideas Flowing Now

Agriculture holds tremendous potential for technology adoption considering its sheer size, says Science & Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh

Your group NGO NatConnect in the news

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/navi-mumbai-heavy-infrastructure-plans-will-make-urans-ecology-a-lost-cause/articleshow/91693912.cms

 

 

 

PR Needs PR

 https://youtu.be/1UJFW98RAxU

Edutainment - The Wonder Platform

COVID-triggered lockdown and distancing has thrown lots of challenges. Training, upskilling have become major issues. But not anymore, says NIDHI AGARWAL, FOUNDER&CEO - BOOKAWORKSHOP, who has developed an Edutainment platform. Nidhi talks to BNC in an exclusive interview on their USP and the future of edutainment as the exciting business model

 

Unlocking PR value, Beyond Perfection

PR has come a long way since Adam-and-Eve. The profession has begun to assert itself. We have grown much beyond the pink-shirt, party happy culture to emerge as effective bridges of communication. Whether we are corpcom professionals or agency practitioners, we have begun to play a meaningful role in building and maintaining relationships through our messaging internally as well as externally, with the senior management and with the TGs.

 http://imageinfluencer.in/Single?bid=9

Be digital sharp, not just savvy

 

By B N KUMAR

(This article first appeared on Reputation Today)

The days of physical distribution of Press Releases and Invites, which my generation of PR professionals used to do, were over long ago.  After frequent visitors from PR departments and agencies, media offices have started experiencing flood of mails from PR agencies and departments. Then came the tsunami of mails with PR agencies discovering mass mailers. That’s how media started distancing themselves from Press Release ATMs of certain PR agencies, much before the current distancing came into being.

One has to be digital savvy to survive in this era. But being savvy is not just enough. As I mentioned in one of my previous columns, the journalist at the receiving end enjoys select-all-delete option.

For details: http://imageinfluencer.in/Single?bid=63

PRCI salute to media warriors

Nagpur chapter coordinates sanitisation of journalists’’ workplace

NAGPUR: In a bid to salute media warriors, working round the clock in the larger interest of Nation to provide worldwide updates on various issues of interest, during tough times of COVID-19 pandemic, Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) Nagpur Chapter has undertaken a unique initiative to sanitize the workplace of journalists.

http://imageinfluencer.in/Single?bid=13

CVN - the perfect PR professional

Dr C V Narasimha Reddi (87) , A lifetime PR man, reminisces Media Connect veteran SOMASEKHAR MULUGU.

CVN, lived, dreamt, talked & wrote PR. Many of us will miss him.

   It was sometime in 1982, in our Journalism class, a Public Relations Officer from the Municipal  Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH), gave a guest lecture on how the menace of street dogs was effectively managed in the twin cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad through publicity campaign.
  Honestly, most of us heard with attention, but I felt it more funny than serious. Stray dog menace was indeed serious, rabies common and in Telugu it was commonly called ‘Pichai Kukkala’ problem and people dreaded walking in some areas.
  But, the class became unforgettable as a few months later, I was a Journalist with the Press Trust of India (PTI) and this officer was in our office meeting my manager Mr Sham Rao Harnur. Mr Harnur introduced me again and I reminded him of the class lecture. The Gentleman & PR professional was CV Narasimha Reddi.
   Soon, I realised that the stray dog exercise did have an affect, but the bigger campaign that the MCH began was with the slogan “ Ours is a beautiful city. Let’s keep it clean” was proving more popular. The common brain behind them was Mr CVN, as he is widely popular now.
   Narasimha Reddi garu had a huge respect for the PTI and The Hindu Group. He is not just a passionate PR professional, but a constant motivator. He and our Journalism School Prof S Bashiruddin, breathed life into PR. Most of us students dismissed it as too soft, organising events, ticketing for bosses and building up company image during those days.
  My relationship with Narasimha Reddi is indeed long, fruitful engaging and always learning. In the last decade, a call in the morning around 7 am, would often mean it was CVN, he would first enquire about my family and then seek my opinion on some economic or scientific issue of contemporary interest. The phone call was because he was ageing and travel was getting tough.
  For years, CVN would occasionally drop by at the Hindu office, meet several of us, discuss and then go back. It was after his retirement, towards the end of the 20th century. He would call up Journalists and pat them for a good story too, which often bosses did not do. His reach was across all language newspapers and extending to the country too.
  CVN scaled heights in his career from being a PRO of a few Govt depts to serving several Chief Ministers of United Andhra Pradesh. He has touched many Journalism schools across the country with his lectures, articles & books in  a career of atleast 6 decades.
   The last time, I met CVN garu was at the ASCI, when we organised the Prof Bashiruddin Memorial Lecture in September, 2019 delivered by Krishnaprasad, former Editor, Outlook. He was in a wheelchair, spent more than an hour for Bashiruddin, whom he considered his guru in PR. Thereafter, his health has been failing with him going in and out of CARE hospital, where he finally breathed his last on Ugadi day (Telugu New year), March 25.
   Right from my PTI days, CVN had tremendous trust in my reporting skills. Occasionally he would get me to do PR releases on conferences, where he though I could do justice after getting the nod from Mr Harnur and later Jamaluddin  Ali Khan. He also got me to talk at PRSI  meetings once making me deliver a keynote on economic challenges around 2010, when the world economy was slowing down. Further, he would often call me to judge at PRSI, though many times, I used to excuse stating my lack of expertise, though he would not agree.
  CVN was the most prominent, common and visible face of the PRSI. Though, at times, I used to tell him to hand over the baton to nextgen. He was a tireless voice, brining out PR Voice regularly, organising events and working closely with Universities to upgrade PR syllable. I too was involved in one exercise as board members of OU Journalism dept. During his 80’s he travelled to the US to deliver lectures on PR. He connected strongly with the Brahmakumaris and involved them in PR activity, though, I have no clue why & how?
  At the personal level too Narasimha Reddi garu became close, when I had to suddenly return from New Delhi in 2001 on transfer by the Hindu Group. I had to get admission for my son, whom we pulled out of APJ Public School at LKG level. When I called him, he asked me to meet the Principal of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Jubilee Hills, Ms Rama Devi. After a discussion, a small test and assurance that we will be responsible parents to the child’s education admission was granted. Interestingly, as my better half, Jayanthi was into education and son was 5 yrs Rama Devi garu suggested admitting into Class 1. Thus Ujwal, gained 8 months, got good education in the school and turned engineer and is pursuing masters abroad. Incidentally, my daughter Krithika too was lucky to get admission in sibling quota and passed through BVB. CVN would always make it a point to enquire about their education and feedback about the School.
  Though, a teetotaller, CVN garu would be an active participant in friends circle. When RJ Rajendraprasad, RE, The Hindu and well known Journalist retired in 2002, he hosted a wonderful party at home. Friends like R Neelamegham, Subhas Patel, Rajeshwari Rao, PS Sundaram, K Srinivasa Reddy and many attended.
  Though, CVN was nearly 3 decades older to me, his attitude, spirit, curiosity and motivation were evergreen till the last. I will always cherish those great moments. Om Shanthi.

PR Beyond 2020....And we have miles to go...

As a tribute to veteran communicator DR. C.V. NARASIMHA REDDI, who passed away at Hyderabad today, PRapport presents his last article written, literally from his bed, on the occasion of the 14th Global Communication Conclave held at Bengaluru on March 6 & 7, 2020. Dr Reddi was a recipient  of the Dr Anil Basu Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Relations instituted by PRCI. He was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by ABCI .

“If I were to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations” said Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. In fact, public relations (PR) has emerged as a key component of any business in this day of instant communication.

Before we enumerate the future of public relations in the 2020, it is most appropriate to take stock of the state of the art public relations in India. PR played a significant role in the two remarkable achievements of independent India – Emergence of India as the world’s largest vibrant democracy and that India has been transformed into global economic player, poised to become world’s third biggest economy.

With one lakh PR professionals, over 30 lakh extension communicators including nine lakh ASHAs on the one side and one lakh newspapers; 1000 TV channels; 500 radio stations; 36 lakh internet connections; and about 120 crore cell phones; 1.6 lakh post offices; on the other, constitute the world’s biggest communication network.

What is the state-of-the-art public relations in India? It is a mixed bag, containing a few sophisticated and competent PR professionals second to none in the world on the positive side, while a majority of non-professionals without any professional education reflecting the negative aspect of the profession. According to Adfactors, PR Agency that 90% of PR personnel have not read any book on PR. The distinguishing trait of the profession is “Quantity of PR Personnel”, rather than “Quality of the Profession”. The need of the hour is professional excellence.

I visualize seven trends of PR in 2020. They are as follows:

1.      Adaption of PR 2.0 New Model

            As a measure of revamping PR in the decade ahead, the need of the hour is a paradigm shift with PR 2.0 new model as coined by Brian Solis, it is otherwise called convergence of traditional PR with internet and social media.

            Dr. Doug Newsom, Professor Emerita, Texas Christian University, USA observed that “convergence of traditional PR with internet is a pragmatic approach to manage stakeholders relationship. However, understanding, how to use and manage social media channels is of great importance”.

2.      Artificial Intelligence (AI)

            In 2020, no organisation can escape from AI, to maintain effective relations with the public. Transcriptions, automated translation, speech to text services, printing of publications, relations with customers will be some of the AI driven technologies to reach largest section of masses. The machine driven human intelligence opens new frontiers and opportunities for PR professionals.

3.      PR Education and Training

            In the UK PR is offered as a major course both at UG and PG level such as BA (Hons), MA PR, MS PR. The University of Sterling offers MSc (PR), both in regular and distance mode. Four majors are offered in USA at UG level – Journalism, PR, Advertising and Mass Communication.

In contrast, Public Relations Education in the Indian universities is still a nascent stage. Notwithstanding the fact that PR is one of the growing professions, most of the conventional universities in India offer multi-cuisine, all-in-one communication and journalism courses in which, out of eight courses, public relations is one.

When Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University submitted proposal to the UGC for recognition of MA Mass Communication and Public Relations, it has rejected the proposal on the plea that this course is not in its approved list. It clearly means that the UGC has not recognised PR as an academic discipline.

The New Education Policy (NEP) Draft 2019 recommended the introduction of a four year bachelor degree especially in liberal arts. It is most appropriate and relevant that in tune with the NEP, the UGC must launch a four year Bachelor’s Degree with three majors as Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising. Such a policy, undoubtedly, will produce proficient PR personnel.

Training: In fact, PR is skills oriented profession. One can be successful in this profession when PR personnel are equipped with professional skills – Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, etc. A major lacuna in the practice of Indian PR is lack of any induction or in-service PR training. As opposed to developed countries, where the percentage of skilled workforce is between 60 to 90 per cent of the total work force, India has an abysmal 4.69 per cent of workforce with formal vocational skills. It is worse in the PR field. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication was established in New Delhi for imparting training and research. Unfortunately, this institute confined to the training of Indian Information Service officers and conducting Diploma courses in Journalism, Advertising and PR, which are nothing but replication of universities courses. Therefore, it is suggested that all State Governments should establish Mass Communication and PR Academy at the State level for the training of communication and PR professionals.

4.      PR Research and Innovation

Lack of research and innovation are the two major pitfalls of public relations practice in India. If the US has reached great heights in the fields of science and technology and emerged as the number one in the world’s economy, it is because of its priority for research and innovation. A National Research Foundation proposed by the draft NEP is a good step in the direction of research in India. The Government as well as corporates spend crores of rupees both  on image building advertising and public relations campaigns, but rarely their impact on the public mind is assessed.

An international PR firm, BBDO in its survey revealed that “PR industry may never be fully respected, unless it can provide measurement of its value of different programmes. Therefore, research is the rocky but sunlit pathway for PR professionals to climb once for all out of the quacks and spin doctors’ status, where our work is judged by instinct and intuition. Each PR department must have a research division on par with All India Radio’s Audience Research Unit with adequate budget.

Innovation is yet another field of activity to project new theories, new practices that enlighten the stakeholders. Innovation alone can take PR to greater heights.

5.      Consolidation of PR Departments

If the 2019 decade made presence of PR as management function, 2020 envisages consolidation of PR departments with specialised branches such as Media Relations, Internal Communication, External Stakeholders relationship, Advertising, Publications, Social Media, Feedback mechanism, etc.

6.      PR Reporting

Lack of measurement of PR programmes is the greatest lacuna of PR profession, like marketing, management demand results from PR in improving the image of the organisation. One of the short comings of Indian PR is lack of management recognition for PR on par with HRD or marketing.

Public relations reporting is a process of keeping the management informed about PR activities and accomplishments. The PR manager has to periodically report progress to the top management. It is a report card of the PR department. PR reporting is a challenge to PR professionals. However, if they do it systematically, management undoubtedly recognise their hard work in projecting the corporate affairs to both internal and external public.

CEO as Chief of PR Strategist at the board level

If PR is regarded as strategic top management function, the Director of PR must find a place in the Board which formulates policies for all management disciplines. Unfortunately, the PR by and large is at the middle level under HR or Marketing. Therefore, public relations must be placed at the top management level with a Director or Vice-President (PR) who should be made responsible to the CEO. And CEO, who is accountable to all disciplines, must assume the role of Chief of PR for designing PR strategy.

A Bright Future- Five Factors: 

If challenges are converted into opportunities and if all such opportunities are tackled with a vision, a bright future beckons Indian PR, because of five important factors. These factors include (i) India continues to sustain world’s largest democracy; (ii) India is poised to become world’s third biggest economy; (iii) India will become world’s largest English speaking nation; (iv) India will be the hub of world’s largest media network with over one lakh newspapers; and (v) India is likely to have 50 states instead of 29. (The author was Editor, Public Relations Voice & Former State Director, Information & PR Department, AP)

Dr. CVN Reddi (extreme left) receiving  Dr.Anil Basu Memorial Life Time Achievement Award for Public Relations  at the 11th  Global Communication conclave, Bengaluru, on March 03, 2017.