MAM
PRCAI launches in western region
MUMBAI: Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI), an industry body established in 2001 to develop standards, ethics, expertise and knowledge in the public relations industry in India, has launched its Western Region Chapter.
An inaugural function held today had MTV communications director Hemant Kenkre as the keynote speaker while Madison public relations chief operating officer Veena Gidwani was the chairperson, says an official release.
Gidwani urged the agencies from the western zone agencies to join the two-year old organisation to further strengthen it and enable it to initiate actions beneficial to the entire industry. Kenkre spoke about the importance of the public relations professionals.
Gidwani claimed that the organisation could be pivotal in bringing professionalism to the PR industry in Mumbai and get it recognised as a vital management function with industry, government and media.
Meanwhile, citing the case study of Bollywood movie Lagaan that made it to the Oscar nominations, Kenkre emphasised the power that public relation firm have that can lend credibility to company, a product, a brand or a person.
According to the release, Kenkre said that public relations firms, besides creating an image for their clients, need to manage a crisis cost effectively. Only these agencies can stand out amongst their contemporaries, Kenkre added.
PRCAI is affiliated to the International Communications Consultants Organization (ICCO) founded by Prema Sagar. Currently acting as the founder president, Sagar gave an overview of the progress made by the association over the last year in achieving its objectives and role in the industry during her speech.
Sagar added that the organisation will be organising a public relation summit called ‘The CEOs Responsibility of Building Trust and Credibility’ in Delhi on 10 April 2003.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
