The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) has announced the results of the Spring 2026 edition of its flagship Accreditation in Public Relations (AIPR), accrediting 47 professionals from a total of 138 applicants.
With a success rate of 34.06%, the certification continues to position itself as one of the most credible and aspirational benchmarks for young and emerging communications professionals in India.
The AIPR programme follows a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process, including an aptitude test, campaign case study, and writing assignments. This year, 83 candidates progressed to the final jury round after clearing the preliminary assessment, conducted in partnership with MeritTrac.
Speaking on the development, Santanu Gogoi, Associate Vice President at PRCAI and Founding Partner at First Partners, said the certification continues to evolve with industry expectations. He highlighted that the process evaluates real-world capabilities such as strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communication under pressure.
Deeptie Sethi, CEO of PRCAI, noted that this year’s cohort demonstrated a strong ability to adapt to an AI-influenced communications landscape. She emphasised that while new tools are becoming increasingly relevant, the programme continues to prioritise strategic clarity and depth of thinking.
The selection process included an online aptitude assessment testing analytical ability, media awareness, ethics, and communication fundamentals. Candidates were further evaluated on campaign strategy, problem-solving, and communication effectiveness through case studies and written submissions.
A 24-member jury panel comprising public relations founders, corporate communications leaders, academicians, and HR experts assessed candidates across four centres—New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Bangalore.
The 2026 cohort includes professionals across two experience levels: 26 candidates in Level 1 (1–5 years) and 21 candidates in Level 2 (5–10 years).
Among the top performers, Yazad Elavia (Edelman) led Level 1 with a score of 90.6%, followed by Dhara Sangoi and Sanya Parashar. In Level 2, Pooja Behuria secured the top position with 88.5%, followed by Ritika Garkoti and Natasha Srivastava.
With this latest cohort, PRCAI has certified a total of 115 professionals under the AIPR programme to date. The association said the initiative continues to play a key role in addressing industry challenges and building a future-ready talent pool for India’s communications sector.
