INTERNATIONAL: PRCAI launch gets go-ahead in India

HARYANA, INDIA: The PR industry in India has launched an umbrella

body representing the country's professional consultancies after more

than four years of talks.

The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) had been

due to launch since 1998 and finally got the official go-ahead this

month.

The PRCAI will represent the Indian PR industry, which employs more than

8,000 professionals.

PRCAI founding president Prema Sagar, also managing director of

Haryana-based PR firm Genesis, said: 'PRCAI has been established to

develop standards, ethics, expertise and knowledge in the public

relations industry in India.

'In each of these areas, the primary objective would be to benchmark the

PR industry in India with international practices,' she added.

The association also aims to form learning and development programmes in

a bid to upgrade skill-sets across the industry and promote best

practice.

The PRCAI is affiliated to the International Communications

Consultancies Organisation (ICCO) and has among its founding members

20:20 Media, Corporate Voice Shandwick, Genesis PR, Good Relations,

Hanmer & Partners and Text 100 India.

Other agencies operating in India include Roger

Perrera-Burson-Marsteller, Perfect Relations and LinOpinion.

India's PR industry only kicked-off in the early 1990s when the country

embarked on a programme of economic reform and deregulation that has

since opened up the economy.

These changes have spurred growth in the sector, especially in the

technology, corporate and branding fields.

From barely 40 businesses five years ago, the Indian PR landscape now

boasts as many as 200 firms.

Coinciding with its official launch, the PRCAI has set up a website for

information and enquiries at www.prcai.org.