Jury 2025

A seasoned Marketing and Public Relations professional with over 20 years of experience, Amit is currently leading corporate communications at REA India for its tech platforms—Housing.com & PropTiger.com. With a strong media network and expertise in brand perception management, he has played a pivotal role in business growth and client retention across diverse industries.

Previously, he held leadership roles at Adfactors PR and Fortuna PR, managing teams and driving media strategies. A Marketing & Communication graduate from ISBM, he has also spearheaded India’s first and awarded real estate podcast, Keeping It Real by Housing.com, and was recognised among Reputation Today’s 50 Young Turks in 2022.

Aniruddha Basu is a seasoned communications and PR professional with 20 years of experience spanning corporate communications, public relations, content strategy and journalism. As the Global Head – PR & Corporate Communications at L&T Technology Services (LTTS), he leads strategic communication efforts for India’s leading ER&D services provider. Based in Bangalore, he is responsible for global media engagement, thought leadership initiatives, digital media campaigns and high-impact corporate communications programmes. He has successfully spearheaded international media roadshows, global media conferences, and brand storytelling initiatives, helping LTTS strengthen its position as an industry leader. As a key member of the marketing leadership team, he played a pivotal role in LTTS’ successful IPO and stock exchange listing and has been instrumental in establishing LTTS as the most visible pure-play engineering services provider over the past two fiscal years.

He is also part of the Organising Committee for the Digital Engineering Awards, hosted in association with ISG, CNBC-TV18, and LTTS, recognising excellence in R&D and digital transformation. Before joining LTTS, Aniruddha spent over eight years as a business correspondent at Reuters News, covering major corporate developments across Mumbai and Bangalore. Aniruddha holds a Diploma in Marketing Excellence from the Indian School of Business (ISB). Outside of work, he is an avid reader, traveller, and a passionate reviewer of world cinema classics.

Based in Mumbai, Ashmita Pillay is a seasoned public relations professional with nearly two decades of experience across various communication streams. She has practiced Communications across industries such as FMCG, Automotive, Banking and Finance, Entertainment and Lifestyle.
In her current role, as the Head of Corporate Communications at Marico Limited, Ashmita is responsible for overseeing the company’s communication strategies, where she is leveraging her extensive experience to enhance Marico’s brand presence and reputation in the market.
Prior to Marico, Ashmita was leading the Communication practice for the Tata Passenger and Electric Vehicle Businesses where she was responsible for building and sustaining Business’s reputation across diverse stakeholders. She worked with leadership teams to strategise on integrated communication’s approach, crisis management and brand building, across platforms/ mediums. She has played a leading role in setting up the internal communication process at Tata Motors. She has also worked with subsidiary companies for a well-integrated communications impact across key markets, outside India. Additionally, Ashmita supported the Executive Committee of Tata Motors in 2019 as the Acting Head, Corporate Communications, Tata Motors Group.
Prior to Tata Motors, Ashmita worked with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance where she was responsible for managing PR for two business verticals. She worked with Vaishnavi Corporate Communications across various designations with clientele across Corporate, Financial, Entertainment, Lifestyle industries.
Her multi-industry exposure has helped her build a strong network of media relations across beats. Ashmita holds a Post Graduate Degree in PR & Events and a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Mumbai. In her free time, she enjoys travelling and painting.

With over 20 years of experience, Cheryl is a highly skilled communications professional, specialising in integrated PR strategies, purpose-driven storytelling, and reputation management. Her work has consistently delivered measurable business results, with a particular emphasis on stakeholder engagement.

Cheryl began her career at Clea Public Relations, where she developed impactful campaigns for prominent brands across entertainment, lifestyle, and business sectors. She then joined Reliance Broadcast Network, where she played a key role in launching BIG FM radio channels in India and led the publicity for international channels such as BIG CBS and BIG RTL Thrill.

Currently, Cheryl leads communications at K Raheja Corp, one of India’s leading real estate developers. Here, she has successfully managed high-profile initiatives, including the listing of Chalet Hotels Ltd. on the Indian stock exchanges and the IPO of Mindspace REIT during the challenging 2020 pandemic.

With almost 30 years of experience, Dharini is a strong believer in creating the right balance of the science and art of communications. A seasoned and highly recognised professional, she has created and transformed brands, spearheaded global communications and built marketing communications assets and teams at Indian multinationals like Suzlon Energy and Dr. Reddy’s apart from working in MNC communications consultancies.
At Suzlon, Dharini is based out of the Group’s headquarters in Pune, India, working with an extended team of global communications professionals across developed and emerging markets. Building the Brand and its reputation ground up in India and then launching it successfully across Europe, USA and Africa, South Americas and Asia was her key area of excellence. She has dedicated herself to purposeful branding and pursued the ESG and Sustainability Leader certification. Integrating purpose into marketing, she has developed some of Suzlon’s most successful marketing projects, including ‘Eco Solutions’ in partnership with CNN and Pure Air Lover’s Society (P.A.L.S.) that garnered over a million members in a short span.
Working with Indian multinationals to get them their due in the global marketplace is a passion point for Dharini.

A communications storyteller with 14+ years of experience weaving brand narratives, driving reputations, and igniting employee engagement, Divya’s career journey has been about shaping brands through the power of communication, leading change and creating experiences that resonate with both internal and external audiences. From creating collaboration among diverse teams to strategically navigating crises, she has been at the heart of building cultures that promote growth, creativity, and trust.

Currently Divya is heading External and Internal Communications at Cleartrip, A Flipkart Company.

A storyteller and true believer in story living, Geetika has close to two decades of experience in the industries such as consumer durables, auto motives and healthcare. She has passionately and relentlessly contributed towards building compelling brand imagery through communication.

A resolute and committed professional offering rich & prolific exposure in the realm of Public Relations, Corporate Communications, CRM and mitigation of Crisis Management, she is an ambitious and performance-driven professional who has strengthened the core of business that she has been associated with and delivered the objective of connecting the brand to its target audience.

An eminent thought leader Geetika has served on panels and juries across different marketing and industry platforms.

KK is a seasoned communications and media relations professional with over 20 years of experience in Singapore, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Pune. Before moving to Singapore in 2022, he worked with Bank of America in Mumbai for seven years, and with HSBC Bank in the preceding two years. Previously, KK spent over a decade in journalism working as a business writer and a general news reporter with leading titles like Reuters News, Business Standard and the Maharashtra Heald among others. KK holds a master’s degree in communication and journalism and a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Pune. He has completed an executive leadership communications programme from IIM Calcutta.

Mansi Tiwari Somvanshi is a seasoned corporate communications professional with career spanning journalism and strategic communication roles across leading organizations. She currently serves as the Assistant Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Communications at Tata Communications. She has extensive experience in media relations, corporate and brand reputation management, and digital strategy.

Masooma Pathre is the Director of Communications for the Asia Region-led Market at Medtronic, overseeing strategic communications across Korea, Southeast Asia and India

With around 25 years of experience in communications and marketing, Masooma brings deep expertise in strategic branding, stakeholder engagement, media relations, crisis communication, leadership messaging and employee engagement. She has worked across industries including banking, chemicals, manufacturing, and MedTech, and has also contributed to business development and corporate strategy—enabling her to align communications with business goals and drive meaningful impact.

Beyond her corporate role, Masooma is committed to community impact and learning. She has led water and sanitation initiatives as an additional responsibility at BASF India and serves as a visiting faculty member at the Indo-German Training Centre (IGTC), where she teaches Business Communication to postgraduate students—reflecting her dedication to purpose, people and progress.

Michelle Samuel is the Global Director – Internal Communications at Mondelēz International leading global internal communications strategy and content on employee engagement, sustainability, D&I and employee well-being. She also manages global internal channels, campaigns, events, leadership communication, and partners with global, regional, and business leaders/teams to drive the company strategy.
In her last role, she dual hatted as the Chief of Staff for the Corporate and Legal Affairs function.She is a distinguished global communications leader and has earned acclaim for her work on reputation management, media campaigns, internal and executive thought leadership, stakeholder advocacy, and brand PR and influencer marketing including winning a prestigious Cannes Lion Award. Over her career, she has worked for Bayer and Monsanto, in addition to successful consultancy experience across the U.S., Singapore, and India.

With over 17 years of experience in Public Relations, social media and Event Management,Momita is a seasoned communications professional with a passion for storytelling and brand building. She began her career as a journalist with Aaj Tak and Headlines Today before transitioning into Public Relations at Corporate Voice Weber Shandwick and then in to the Corporate life with TNT India Pvt Ltd (now FedEx).

She spent over 12 years at Titan Company Limited, playing a pivotal role in the company’s rebranding and strengthening its market presence. Currently, she heads Corporate Communications at Ashirvad by aliaxis, crafting compelling brand narratives and
developing communication strategies that highlight the company’s innovative solutions. She is dedicated to building strong, lasting connections with stakeholders and driving the company’s growth in the industry.

Her unique blend of newsroom experience and corporate communications expertise gives her a strategic edge in executing impactful campaigns, strengthening brand identities, and fostering meaningful engagement.

Nidhi Gulati is an award-winning communications leader specialising in corporate strategy, brand communications, employee communications and engagement, public affairs, marketing, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (DEAI), sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Presently, Nidhi is the Country Director for Communications at Springer Nature Group in India. She is responsible for external and internal communications, DEAI and CSR for all the three entities of the Group in India.

A journalist turned communicator, Nidhi has a rich experience of over two decades, the first half of which she worked across media companies in print, electronic and digital. She moved to the corporate world as a media relations expert and has since worked across different industries spanning IT, BFSI, and now scientific publishing.

Armed with three post graduate degrees – two in Mass Communications and Radio and Television Journalism from two of India’s premier institutes, and one in Business Management (with a specialization in Marketing), Nidhi is a passionate and empathetic leader who draws her strength from collaborations and believes that success comes to those who continue to support and uplift each other. She loves telling data driven and people stories, and is also always listening and learning from the stories of other people.

Nurjaha Arora is a Head of Group Communications at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India and is responsible for managing and executing the communication strategy, brand positioning, crises management and media relations for the group.

With more than 20 years of rich experience in corporate communications, she has developed and implemented effective communication strategy, plans and campaigns for diverse segments such as logistics, ports and terminals, consumers, electrical industry, engineering, and FMCG. She has a proven track record of enhancing the brand image, reputation and visibility of the brands/organisations, as well as engaging and empowering the internal and external stakeholders. Her core competencies include corporate communications, crises management, branding, press relations, employee communications, employee engagement, and digital communications.Nurjaha has earlier worked with A P Moller Maersk Group, Siemens and Pidilite Industries handling Brand Fevicol.

She is a fitness enthusiast, an avid trekker who has completed many treks like Everest circuit & Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit & Basecamp, chadar trek to name a few. She has pedaled all the way from Manali to Leh covering 565 kms on mountain cycle crossing five high altitude passes.

Pooja Singh is a dynamic corporate communications leader with over 15 years of experience in public relations, branding, and strategic storytelling. As Head of Corporate Communications at Allcargo Group, she drives PR strategy for four listed entities, enhancing brand visibility and positioning leadership as industry thought leaders.

Passionate about CSR initiatives, Pooja has led impactful programmes such as beach clean-ups and women empowerment initiatives in model villages, aligning with sustainability goals. She also enjoys creative writing, traveling, and mentoring young communication professionals, with a deep belief in the power of storytelling to inspire and connect.

Pradeep leads Franklin Templeton’s APAC Corporate Communications team and is based in Mumbai, India. His team plays a key role in protecting and enhancing Franklin Templeton’s corporate brand and reputation across the Asia Pacific region, overseeing all external communications efforts. As the regional lead for local PR teams – including both in-house professionals and external advisors – Pradeep ensures the implementation of best practices while optimising the use of limited leadership resources.

His focus is on increasing brand awareness, safeguarding the firm’s reputation, and supporting sales, marketing, and business development initiatives in the region.

Before joining Franklin Templeton, Pradeep was a Director at Brunswick, working across the firm’s London and Dubai offices, where he specialised in corporate reputation management, cross-border transactions, litigation, and crisis & issues management. Earlier in his career, he served as Head of Marketing and Communications at J.P. Morgan Asset Management India and led MSL Group’s India financial services practice.

Puneet Gupta currently serves as Head – Communications, INOX Air Products & INOX India Ltd. Having spent more than five years with INOX Group, he takes pride in playing a role in strengthening the reputation and building a purpose-driven and futuristic narrative for the Group. In his illustrious stint, he has also served as Head – Movie PR for the Group’s cinema venture, PVR INOX Ltd.

Puneet is a transformational communications leader with expertise in crafting compelling, digitally-driven campaigns across diverse industries, including Manufacturing, Energy, Entertainment, Telecom & Technology, Luxury & Lifestyle, F&B, Sports and Energy. Puneet is adept at leveraging digital, contemporary, and traditional media platforms for driving impactful storytelling, and is renowned for developing innovative, integrated communication strategies that fuel business growth and brand excellence.

In his professional journey of 21 years, Puneet has worked with Bharti Airtel Ltd, Jet Airways and Market City Resources Pvt Ltd. Puneet has been a recipient of numerous accolades, including Reputation Today’s 40 Under 40 PR professionals – 2019, Brand Equity Kaleido Silver Award for Best PR Campaign in Energy Sector – 2021 for Demystifying Oxygen Shortage and Economic Times Telecom Award for Use of Telecom for Social Good (2016) for eShakti Abhiyaan.

Puneet is fond of road trips, street food and shopping.

Reema Kundnani is the Senior Vice President, Marketing and Key Account Management for Brookfield Properties’ India business.

In this role, she leads strategic marketing, branding, and corporate communications across India, enhancing brand positioning and driving placemaking initiatives for office and retail properties across the company’s India portfolio. She also spearheads Key Account Management, focusing on building and nurturing long-term partnerships with key clients while driving critical transactions and delivering business outcomes for growth.

With over 25 years of experience, Reema has been recognised as the ‘Most Influential Marketing Professional in the Real Estate Sector’ and one of the ‘50 Most Talented CMOs of India’ by the CMO Council.

She holds a certificate in Global Business Leadership from Harvard Business School Publishing and U21 and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Mumbai. She is on the Board at NMIMS University for their full-time MBA programme and an Advisory Board member of K2V2 Technologies (a MarTech SaaS company).

Ritesh Mehta is Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications at Bandhan Bank.

With a background in journalism, he made a successful transition into the field of corporate communications. Drawing from his experience in journalism, Ritesh brings a strong storytelling and media relations expertise to his role, ensuring effective communication strategies that enhance the bank’s public image and reputation.

Before joining Bandhan Bank, he worked in various roles in the media and communications at companies like Zee Business, State Bank of India, GMR Infrastructure and Yes Bank where he honed his skills in crafting compelling narratives, managing media relations, and crisis communication. His deep understanding of the media landscape and corporate communications enables him to navigate complex challenges and present information in a manner that aligns with organisational goals.

In his current position, Ritesh leads the corporate communications team, managing external communication strategies, media outreach, and public relations efforts for Bandhan Bank. He has been part of various awards winning PR campaigns at national as well as international levels. He has also been a visiting faculty at Jai Hind college, Mumbai.

Sapna Bhawnani is the Vice President of Communications & CSR for Alstom’s Asia-Pacific region. In this function, she is a member of the Region leadership team.

In her current role, Sapna is responsible for managing and promoting the Alstom brand in the Asia-pacific region, including all its key business areas – India, Australia, China and South East Asia. She additionally manages all the community investment programmes in the region and is responsible for implementing and delivering the Group’s Sustainability roadmap for the region.

Sapna has over 20 years of experience in the public relations field. She joined Alstom in Switzerland in 2008 and has held various communications roles in the Company in its different business sectors. Prior to her move to India in 2014 to lead Communications for the India & South Asia region, she was leading media and thought leadership for the Power sector of the Group and has successfully supported the business in managing image crises and protect its reputation in key markets across the world.

In India, Sapna has successfully managed change communications surrounding some of the largest mergers and acquisitions in the energy and transport sectors and has crafted strategies to rebuild and reposition the Alstom brand. Her current portfolio includes a strong focus on pivoting the CSR portfolio in India to deliver on key brand strengths and to build the sustainability culture in the organisation.

Sapna graduated in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and holds a Master’s in Marketing from the Times School of Marketing and is a certified Public Relations practitioner with a Master’s in Public Relations from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, London. She has also completed an executive programme in Strategic CSR from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Sapna has a keen interest in Sustainability and has completed the ‘Chief Sustainability Officer certification from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston.

Shalaka Kagathra heads the Communications function at HSBC India. With over two decades of experience in the financial services sector, she has built strong capabilities across reputation management, crisis communication and external and internal communications. She has a penchant for identifying communication challenges and implementing creative, cohesive communication solutions that drive measurable business outcomes.

With a keen interest in the evolving convergence of traditional and digital media, she is adept at addressing a spectrum of audiences and producing content that strikes a balance between corporate messaging and credibility. She champions a holistic approach to communications, advocating for integrated strategies that bridge the gaps between public relations, social media, and internal communications.

Shruti Bose is based in Switzerland and is the Head of Campaigns at Roche.

She has spent nearly two decades in healthcare communications, advising leading companies and business leaders on patient engagement, corporate reputation and advocacy efforts.

With a strong track record in launching multi-market, award winning campaigns that inspire stakeholder action and drive business outcomes, Shruti has a passion for challenging the status quo by harnessing the power of clear insights with clever storytelling. In 2023, she was featured among 25 Innovators as part of PRovoke Media’s APAC List.

As a senior leader, Shruti has a keen interest in developing high performing, motivated and networked teams and nurturing the next generation of talents. She is an active mentor and regularly consults communications industry associations, most recently in her role as Vice President of the Board of the Asia Pacific Association of Communications Directors (APACD).

Soumya Balakrishnan is a dynamic communications leader with nearly two decades of experience in corporate communications, public relations and media. She leads global communications at Kalyan Jewellers, shaping brand narratives, driving stakeholder engagement, and managing high-impact CSR initiatives.

She played a pivotal role in the company’s IPO and its international expansion into the USA and the Middle East. A former journalist and television producer, she brings a storyteller’s instinct to brand strategy, ensuring compelling audience engagement. Her expertise in crisis management, media relations and digital engagement, combined with her deep knowledge of India’s micro-markets and global brand-building, enables her to craft communication strategies that resonate locally while maintaining a universal appeal.

Tarun Nagrani has over 22 years of experience in providing communication counsel to brands in a wide array of sectors ranging from industrial, technology, financial services to telecom, travel & aviation, including listed and unlisted entities. In a career spanning several top multinational companies such as GE, Walmart and Mastercard, he has managed corporate and policy communications mandates. He has a keen interest in technology and storytelling, and how the two aspects come together to bring the brand closer to customers.