MAM
PR & Communication Aces Summit & Awards 2022: Exploring new trends & opportunities in PR industry
Mumbai : Goodwill and corporate reputation are the safety cushion against high inflationary and economically uncertain times that the private sector is undergoing currently. As reputed investment banking firms come under the scanner for misleading their customers on their ESG – environmental, social and governance standards, the role of public relations and communication industry becomes apparent in setting the context right on the corporate agenda.
The second edition of PR & Communication Aces Summit & Awards by Indiantelevision.com group will be held on 24 August at the Crowne Plaza – an IHG Hotel, Gurgaon.
The main idea of this event is to create more sustenance & look at how the best talent is made available across industry functions, especially the specialized businesses. The summit explores the trends, challenges and opportunities in the PR industry. It will also honour the trendsetter, maverick PR professionals and organisations who unceasingly deliver client outcomes.
The summit explores how PR firms are consulting leading Indian companies on achieving their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. It looks at how PR agencies are expanding their services to offer influencer communications, measurement analytics, social media management and multimedia content creation.
The daylong conference allows attendees to learn from the PR industry’s best and brightest minds on subjects such as managing corporate reputation, aligning a company’s purpose with its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, launching a data science/data analytics practice, mitigating the impact of fake news on brand reputation, and fostering, retaining and expanding the talent pool.
You will hear from a cross-section of the industry representing the brand side as well as the agency side of the business.
This edition of the PR & Communication Aces Summit & Awards would not be possible without the support of our partners. Leading PR firms Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Kaizzen and Teamology have associated with the event as industry support partners. Businesswire India is the online news distribution partner and Namhya Ayurveda is the gifting partner.
The summit will begin with a welcome note by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO & editor-in-chief Anil NM Wanvari , delivering a special address to the PR and communication fraternity.
The first-panel discussion of the day will be on the topic ‘PR and the 360 Degree Communication: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities’ will be moderated by Hill+Knowlton Strategies CEO-India Abhishek Gulyani and the eminent panel of speakers will comprise Fortis Healthcare Ltd group head of corporate communication & PR and Fortis Healthcare group vice president Ajey Maharaj; Policy-Bazar’s head of communications & content Apeksha Mishra; PepsiCo India associate director corporate communications Amit Nanchahal; Hero Electric Vehicles head of marketing & corporate communications Manu Kumar and BPCL chief general manager – PR & Brand Syed Abbas Akhtar.
The second panel will deliberate views on the topic ‘ The Roaring Twenties: Creating a New Story Line’ and will be moderated by SPAG Asia chief happiness officer Shivani Gupta and the panelists will include BharatPe head – PR and communications Akanksha Jain; InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo Airlines) director- corporate communications & brand reputations Chhavi Leekha; Xiaomi India head- public relations and corporate communications Kasturi Paladhi and SoCheers head corporate communication Aanchal Kohli.
The final panel will be focusing on the topic ‘PR Tech: The Role of VR/AR/AI & Blockchain in Scaling the Communications Game’. MediaGraphixPR director Vvihan Gulati will be the moderator for the session, and speakers will comprise JIO vice president – corporate communications & advocacy Rohit Dubey; Business Wire India national head Gagan Talwar; Practically VP – marketing and brand strategy Mahadev Srivatsa; NIIT senior VP & corporate communication & marketing Prateek Chatterjee; Teamology head-brand & communications Shagun Sharma and Kaizzen founder & CEO Vineet Handa
The event will conclude with an award ceremony starting from 7 p.m onwards, where awards will be presented to PR professionals with exemplary work, efforts, innovation, leadership, and inspiration across the PR and communication industry.
Brands
IndiGo names William Walsh CEO
Former IATA chief to take charge in August after Elbers exit, Bhatia steers interim
India’s biggest airline has moved fast and gone global. InterGlobe Aviation, which operates IndiGo, has tapped aviation heavyweight William Walsh as chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approvals, marking a sharp pivot as the carrier eyes its next burst of expansion.
Walsh, currently director general at the International Air Transport Association, will step down on July 31, 2026, and is expected to take charge by August 3. The appointment comes barely three weeks after Pieter Elbers exited the corner office, with Rahul Bhatia holding the fort in the interim.
The choice signals intent. Walsh brings decades of cockpit-to-boardroom experience, having led British Airways and later International Airlines Group, the parent of Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling. His tenure across carriers has been defined by hard resets, restructurings and cross-border consolidation—skills IndiGo may need as competition intensifies and scale becomes decisive.
Vikram Singh Mehta, chairman and non-executive independent director of IndiGo, said Walsh’s experience in managing large-scale airline operations and navigating complex market dynamics makes him well-suited to lead IndiGo in an increasingly competitive global aviation environment, adding that the appointment marks a new chapter as the airline scales in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
Rahul Bhatia said Walsh’s global perspective, operational expertise and customer-focused approach would be critical as IndiGo enters its next phase of expansion.
Walsh, widely regarded as one of the industry’s most influential figures, will oversee overall management and strategic direction, with a mandate spanning operational performance, network expansion, commercial strategy and customer experience. He is expected to work closely with the board and leadership team to sharpen IndiGo’s growth trajectory.
Walsh said IndiGo has a strong foundation and is well-positioned to capitalise on the evolving aviation landscape, adding that he looks forward to fostering a culture of excellence, innovation and sustainable value creation across the organisation.
A new captain, a bigger runway—and a market that rewards scale. IndiGo is lining up for its next take-off.
