Fulcrum - fulcrumawards 2026

Bishnupriya Narayan is a senior communications leader with 20+ years of experience shaping corporate reputation and stakeholder communication strategies across Asia Pacific and India. She has led communications for globally respected organizations including the Singapore Tourism Board, Dream Sports, Akasa Air, and currently heads Communications at L&T Realty. With deep expertise across technology, energy, FMCG, mobility and real estate, she has led digital-first, data-driven campaigns, crisis response programs, and thought leadership initiatives.
Known for her ability to counsel, and partner effectively with C-suite executives, Bishnupriya brings a deep understanding of business and reputation risk, enabling her to design communication strategies that support enterprise growth, transformation, and long-term brand equity. Bishnupriya’s contribution to the industry has been recognised through multiple industry awards and actively champions diversity, inclusion, and professional excellence within the communications community.

Michelle Samuel is a distinguished global leader in corporate communications with a rich career working with Mondelēz International, Bayer, Monsanto in the food & agriculture, biotechnology, and consumer goods sectors, in addition to successful agency experience across the U.S., Singapore, and India. She 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.
In her current role as Mondelēz International’s Global Director – Communications, Michelle leads the global strategy for internal communications, focusing on employee engagement, executive communication/ thought leadership, and closely partners with global, regional, and business leaders/teams to drive the company strategy. In addition, she has also dual hatted as the Chief of Staff for the Corporate and Legal Affairs function, working closely with business leaders across Communications, Government Affairs, Sustainability, and Legal.
Michelle is recognized for her inclusive, creative, and results-driven approach, her ability to foster partnerships with C-suite leaders and collaborate up-down-and-across, as well as her optimistic, culturally agile leadership style. She values impact, learning, and growth, actively champions D&I initiatives, mentors emerging leaders, and contributes to non-profit organizations dedicated to children’s education and the arts. Beyond her professional sphere, Michelle’s artistic talents include clay art, professional dance and singing, with a broad appreciation for various music genres, including jazz, blues, country, and pop.
Her leadership philosophy is grounded in the belief that effective leadership involves asking the right questions, embracing continuous learning, and staying curious and open to inspiration from any source. Her simple mantra: “Listen. Learn. Lead.”

A dynamic leader with 20+ years of experience, Nidhi blends capital markets rigor with award-winning storytelling. Currently heading Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at Tata Consumer Products, she and her team have architected high-impact narratives recognized by the Stevie International Business Awards, LACP, India Digital Awards (IDA), and ICL Forums. A pioneer in organic growth, under her leadership, they scaled LinkedIn 5x to 500,000+ followers and secured 700+ Tier A media mentions in their media outreach. By integrating AI-enabled content and modernizing the intranet platform with 94% adoption, she brings a unique lens on building authentic brand architecture that drives enterprise value.

Padma Venkataraman is Head of Communications and Design at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), where she anchors institutional branding and reputation, stakeholder engagement, and programme communications across IIHS’ wide portfolio comprising practice, research, capacity development, digital blended learning, and IIHS University. Her focus is on building clear narratives and designing systems that mainstream complex ideas into accessible public value, while holding communications to measurable outcomes.
With over two decades of experience, Padma has worked across television, advertising, public relations, corporate communications, and development communications, spanning national and international mandates. She focuses on shaping integrated audience-first-messaging-next-and-channel-later strategies that bring together editorial rigour, visual storytelling, and content to disseminate knowledge that is critical for current and emergent challenges.
Padma has a deep interest and unending belief in the practice of communications across its many facets, and its power to enable and influence change for the larger good.
Warning: As a jury member, she will bring a sharp critical eye for clarity, craft, and credibility, with particular strengths in purpose-led storytelling, design-led communication, and impact-oriented strategy.

Pallavi is a senior global corporate communications and reputation strategist with over two decades of experience across highly regulated and consumer-facing industries, including pharmaceuticals, automotive, and luxury & lifestyle.
She currently leads Corporate Communications at Strides Group, overseeing communications for two publicly listed entities and spearheading high-impact mandates across IPO and listing communications, ESG storytelling, crisis management, and investor engagement. she played a pivotal role in conceptualizing and executing the successful listing of OneSource, India’s first pure-play specialty CDMO, delivering ₹7,880 Cr in shareholder value.
Known for building high-impact narratives, leadership visibility, and stakeholder trust across complex, regulated environments.
Outside the boardroom, she is an avid traveller, passionate cook, swimmer, and an enthusiastic networker – always curious, always connecting.

Shilpi Jain is a seasoned corporate and development communication professional with nearly two decades of experience across the corporate, government, and development sectors. A collaborative leader and strategic thinker, she is known for crafting communication that goes beyond visibility to create credibility and impact. Working at the intersection of strategy and storytelling, she designs integrated communication solutions that enhance brand reputation, foster meaningful dialogue, and drive measurable outcomes aligned with organizational goals.
Currently, Shilpi leads the Corporate Communications function at IPE Global, where she drives cohesive, multi-channel strategies to strengthen institutional reputation, performance, and public engagement. Her role spans media relations, crisis communication, leadership positioning, and strategic narrative building, ensuring consistency and clarity across diverse platforms and stakeholder groups in a complex, multi-geography environment.
Her journey into the development sector began in 2010, marking a deliberate shift to purpose-driven communication. Building on a strong foundation in corporate and public-sector engagement, Shilpi brought with her a results-oriented mindset to the social impact space – leveraging communication as a tool for reputation management, strategic narrative building, and stakeholder engagement at scale. This transition enabled her to bridge institutional priorities with grassroots realities, a perspective that continues to shape her work.
Prior to joining IPE Global, Shilpi worked with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), where she led the development of its digital media strategy and spearheaded several national e-campaigns. At WaterAid India, she managed the India Sanitation Portal, launched at SACOSAN 2008, contributing to the national discourse on sanitation and hygiene. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade at NIIT Limited, where she played a key role in creating a nationwide testing and certification platform – an initiative that earned her the NIIT Excellence Award in 2006.

At Mahindra, Swati Khandelwal leads the Group Corporate Communications Division, bringing strategic insight, creative energy, and an unwavering commitment to strengthening the organisational brand and safeguarding its reputation. Her role is pivotal in shaping Mahindra’s narrative across stakeholders and platforms.
Swati is a seasoned media and communication professional with over two decades of dynamic experience spanning television, digital, and print media. Prior to joining Mahindra, she held leadership roles at some of India’s most respected business news channels, including Zee Business (as Executive Editor), CNBC-TV18, and Bloomberg TV India. Over the years, she has engaged deeply with key figures in business, policy, and industry, earning respect for her incisive journalism and impactful storytelling.
Academically, Swati holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Sikkim Manipal University and an MBA from Symbiosis, Pune. She was honoured with the prestigious Donald T. Sheehan International Scholarship at the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
She is also a proud alumna of the Harvard Business School Future Shapers Program of the Mahindra Group — a testament to her forward-thinking leadership and commitment to excellence.
Recognised for her exceptional communication skills, Swati excels in crafting compelling multimedia content and engaging audiences across broadcast, digital, and print platforms.

Tithi Sarkar is a communications leader with over two decades of experience across journalism, technology communications, and corporate strategy. As Head of Corporate Communications at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, she drives clear, impactful storytelling that strengthens reputation, builds engagement, and supports business priorities at the company’s largest R&D hub outside Germany. Her roles at Microsoft, Genpact, ITC Limited, and publications like India Today, The Economic Times, and The Telegraph have shaped her ability to turn complex ideas into accessible narratives. She focuses on collaboration, practical communication that influences outcomes, and initiatives that foster inclusion and purpose at scale.

Vinifer’s a Global Corporate Communications Leader with over 26+ years of experience in driving Reputation, Trust & Influence across healthcare, technology, consumer, travel, eCommerce, digital, hospitality, aviation, beauty, and lifestyle. Her career spans both agency and in-house leadership roles, giving her a strong commercial lens and a deep understanding of how communications drives business outcomes.