Edition 4: PRmoment India RiseUp 2026 Results
The verdict is in. After 2 months of intense competition, following mentoring sessions with PR industry leaders, and live pitching; Team Kairos from IIMC Dhenkanal has emerged as the top winner of RiseUp 2026.
They beat out nine elite national teams to win the gold.
Campaign Challenge by insurance unicorn ACKO
The 9 teams had to create a campaign plan for 'Unmixing Life Insurance: Making Protection Simple'. The challenge was shared by our case study partner, the insurance unicorn ACKO.
All the teams put in a strong showing, with IIMC Dhenkanal emerging as the first among equals. The silver winner is the team from Jagran Lakecity, Bhopal and bronze was won by IIMC Delhi.
The participating teams included Amity, ISM&B Pune, MICA Ahmedabad, St Joseph's University Bangalore, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi and SCoRe Mumbai.
The teams will receive cash prizes of ₹55,000, ₹30,000, and ₹15,000 for the top three finishers.
Mentoring under Industry Veterans
Vineet Handa, founder and CEO, Kaizzen ( Title partner- RiseUp PR 2026) says, "The fourth edition of RiseUp, and with our previous partnerships with the PRmoment India team, it is evident that RiseUp mirrors what the communication profession actually demands. Critical thinking, collaboration, and the ability to translate insights into action are among the key skills we look for. The live case-study format, combined with hands-on mentorship, makes it a powerful learning experience for young minds. Kaizzen is proud to champion this initiative because it bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world communications practice.”
Moushumi Dutt, RiseUp programme director, commented, "In all aspects, the 4th edition of RiseUp PR showed that this emerging PR and corporate communications workforce seems to be ready to plunge in and bring in a fair amount of innovation, creativity and credibility through their grasp of the new and the existing tools of communication. Clearly, the academic curriculum of these colleges and universities are moving in the right direction. Congratulations to all the participants of this edition and thank you once again to all our partners, participating institutes and our most valuable mentors."
Gold Winner: Team Kairos (IIMC, Dhenkanal), Odisha
Maitri Garg and Aftab Ahemod Rabbi from Team Kairos at IIMC Dhenkanal grabbed the top position, bringing in a winner from east of India for the first time. IIMC is the very first regional centre of India's #1 mass communication institute — established in 1993 and nestled on a picturesque 7.5-acre campus in the tribal region of Odisha.
Its unique campus, described as "a national institute with international repute," includes a media museum and a dedicated focus on integrated comms.
Team from IIMC's inaugural CCBM programme wins RiseUp 2026
"Heartiest congratulations to Maitri and Aftab from the PGD in CCBM program at IIMC Dhenkanal for winning the PRmoment RiseUp PR contest organised by PR Moment. This is a proud moment for us. I sincerely thank PR Moment for giving our students this valuable opportunity.
I am personally very happy and proud. The CCBM program has started only this year, and our students are already doing so well. We are committed to making this a flagship program. It will stay rooted in ground realities and culture, while also embracing new technologies. Wishing Maitri and Aftab continued success.
Professor (Dr) Anand Pradhan, Regional Director, IIMC - Dhenkanal
"I am incredibly proud of our students, Ms. Maitri and Mr. Aftab, from the corporate communications and brand management (CCBM) course for their outstanding win at the 4th edition of the RiseUp PR competition.
This achievement reflects their strong creative acumen, strategic thinking and their ability to translate classroom learning into impactful, real-world communication solutions. It is deeply motivating for them to see their talent acknowledged on such a platform, and I believe this recognition will inspire them to aim higher and push their boundaries further.
Competitions like these play a crucial role in shaping confident, industry-ready professionals by offering meaningful exposure and early validation. Congratulations to all the participants, and a special appreciation to PRmoment for curating such a credible and enriching platform for a dynamic pool of young talent."
Professor Abha Singh, Assistant Professor, IIMC - Dhenkanal
Team SignalShift (Jagran Lakecity University), Bhopal wins Silver
Sanz Sanjay Lekhwani and Devika Taneja are the silver winners.This dynamic team is from JLU's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, ranked No. 1 in Madhya Pradesh and among the top 19 in India for Mass Communication by both India Today and The Week. It's also the only university in Central India to earn QS I-Gauge's prestigious diamond rating.
Outstanding participation and win at RiseUp PR 2026
"It gives me immense pride to commend Devika Taneja and Saanz Lekhwani, our students from Jagran School of Advertising and Public Relations, Jagran Lakecity University, for their outstanding participation and win at RiseUp PR 2026 edition. You have not only represented us with excellence but have truly stood out with your brilliance, dedication, and spirit.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our industry mentors, whose guidance and support have played a pivotal role in shaping this success. This accomplishment is not just a milestone, but a reminder of the incredible potential you all carry. Keep striving, keep rising."
Prof Diwakar Shukla, Dean, Faculty of Media and Social Sciences, Jagran Lakecity University.
Team PR Razzi (IIMC, Delhi), Delhi wins Bronze
The Indian Institute of Mass Communication is India's gold standard in media education — ranked #1 for Mass Communication by India Today, Outlook, and The Week consistently since 2018. With alumni in newsrooms across the globe, it is the nation's most storied media institute. Subarna Mukhopadhyay and Chanchal Shekhawat carried that legacy into Rise Up PR 2026.
Genuine intent shown by the mentors
"Rise Up is an excellent opportunity for students of public relations and communication to engage with senior experts from the PR industry. I have been part of the last three seasons of Rise Up PR, and the excitement I witnessed among students as they interacted
with their industry mentors was truly remarkable. Equally inspiring was the seriousness and genuine intent shown by the mentors in guiding and supporting these young, budding professionals."
Prof. (Dr.) Anubhuti Yadav, Head, Department of New Media Course Director, Digital Media
Meaningful platform for our students
"RiseUp PR by PRMoment has been a meaningful platform for our students at SCoRe to test their learning against a real professional environment. It is more than a competition. It is a learning ground where our students gain practical exposure and a head start to their professional journey by getting mentored by stalwarts of the communication fraternity. Watching SCoRe students win consistently over the past two editions is a testament to us that the way we have aligned our modules gives our students the right foundation to grow into creative, confident professionals who are ready for the future".
Hina Issar Huria, Programme Director at SCoRe.
Central to the RiseUp PR is a two part process where each team is mentored by a leading communications professional and a separate judges panel evaluates the teams during a live online pitch. A high profile judges panel drawn from leading brands such as Nestle, GE Aerospace and Lenovo as well as top PR firms such as Kaizzen, PR Professionals Zeno, Astrum and 80dB Communications are on the mentoring and judging panel.
Judges Panel: RiseUp PR 2026
| Himmat Singh, Director - Corporate Affairs, Sustainability & Societal Initiatives, Nestle India |
| Gayatri Rath, International Markets Communications & Brand Lead, GE Aerospace |
| Abhishek Gulyani, MD, India and Head of Corporate Affairs for APAC, Zeno |
| Shonali Chakravarti, APAC Communications Leader for Enterprise Tech, Lenovo |
| Dr Sarvesh Tiwari, founder, PRP Group |
| Avantika Gode, Vice President, Startup Policy Forum
Siddharth Patankar, CCO, Acko |
Unique Mentoring Opportunity for Postgraduate Students
"PR education today needs a fundamental reset. Communication skills alone are no longer enough. Future professionals must understand data, AI, culture, geopolitics, consumer insight and business. RiseUP PR 2026, now in its fourth edition, aims to shape early learning in academia so students see themselves not just as practitioners, but as strategic advisors capable of influencing decisions — not merely executing them.", Abhishek Gulyani, managing director of Zeno India and head of corporate affairs, Asia Pacific.
Expose talent to practical challenges
“RiseUP PR, an initiative of PRmoment India, has emerged as one of the most meaningful platforms for nurturing the next generation of public relations and communications professionals. What makes RiseUP truly distinctive is its focus on real-world thinking, encouraging young minds to engage with live briefs, industry realities, and strategic problem-solving beyond textbooks.
At PR Professionals Group, we strongly believe that the future of our industry lies in how early we expose talent to practical challenges, ethical decision-making, and client-centric thinking. RiseUP PR does exactly that by bringing together academia and industry in a structured, competitive, yet highly collaborative environment. The growing participation from leading institutions across the country reflects the credibility RiseUP has built over the years. We are excited to partner with PRmoment India in this initiative and look forward to mentoring, guiding, and learning alongside some of the brightest emerging communication professionals in the country,” shared Dr Sarvesh Tiwar, founder & managing director - PR Professionals
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