RiseUp PR Edition 3 Winners
The winners of RiseUp Edition 3 are here. After a detailed scoring process across parameters such as creativity, the campaign idea and roll out and measurement of impact, the jury picked SCoRe, Mumbai as the winner.
The winning team will receive Rs 100,000 in prize money and internship opportunities. All 10 participating colleges will receive certificates of excellence.
The first runner-up is IIMC Delhi and the second runner-up is MICA Ahmedabad.
The RiseUp Process
To recap, the unique initiative enables learning for PR students through a case study competition. The aim is two-fold: to help expose PR students to a process that takes them through the latest thinking about communications and bring talent from beyond the main metros to mainstream attention.
10 three-member teams from colleges with communication programmes across the country took part, up from 6 in 2024.
RiseUP PR+ 2022 programme director, Moushumi Dutt, said, "What an exciting finish to the 3rd edition of RiseUP PR, in the final jury round, it was amazing to witness the energy and enthusiasm of all the participants, each one of them stood out in terms of their ideas, their presentation skills and their grasp of the case studies. RiseUp PR, has slowly and steadily gained stature and what is most promising is the support this program has received from PR partners, PR professionals and Academic institutions, we hope together, we all will be able to raise the profile and prospects for the new generation of PR pros."
Winning Team: School of COmmunications & REputation (SCoRe) aka Team PRism. The winning team comprises Grace Dsilva, Shaili Lodariya and Srija Dey
Thanking their mentor, Rajeev Balakrishnan, director, Kaizzen, Team SCoRE said, "We are grateful for the incredible mentorship of Rajeev sir during our Rise Up PR campaign competition. Your insightful guidance and thought-provoking questions helped us reflect deeply and approach the case study with clarity. We’re especially thankful for how you encouraged us to think beyond and creatively integrate AI into our campaign. Your support made all the difference!"
First Runners Up - IIMC Delhi aka Team PRismatics. The team included Mukul Singh Morawat, Manvi Singh and Alina Khan.
Thanking their mentors, Team IIMC Delhi said, "We want to sincerely thank our mentors Ms Trishnala Vijayakar (Corporate Communications Manager, Viacom18) and Ms. Sharada Adhikari Sharma ( Co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Astrum) for their invaluable guidance and support throughout our PR campaign. Their insights, expertise, and encouragement played a crucial role in shaping our strategy. We truly appreciate the time and effort our mentors dedicated to guiding us, and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from them."
Second Runners-Up: MICA, Ahmedabad, aka Team Red Wine. This team included Janani Suri, Rahul Thakur and Suryansha Rawat.
Team MICA said, "Moumita ma'am (Moumita Majumdar, Head of Communications at IndoBevs) - thank you for guiding us in the nuances of crisis PR, helping us turn our big idea into a structured long-term plan, and rooting our baseline in data-driven insights! We couldn't have done this without you and the learnings we have had with and from you will always stay with us whenever we make a PR campaign or plan :)."
Unique Mentoring Opportunity for Postgraduate Students
"The dynamic landscape of the communications industry demands fearless, innovative and entrepreneurial thinkers," said Abhishek Gulyani, managing director of Zeno India and head of corporate affairs, Asia Pacific.
"RiseUp PR offers a unique opportunity for young talent in India to rise to the challenge and showcase their ability to navigate the complex and constantly evolving scenarios that brands and organizations face today. By participating in this competition, students will have the chance to work with industry mentors from both India and international markets, gaining invaluable experience and positioning themselves for success in the communications industry", Gulyani added.
Mentoring under Industry Veterans
Vineet Handa, founder and CEO, Kaizzen points out, "The operating environment for organisations has never been more challenging. PR students who will enter the market next year will have to deal with geo-political uncertainties, a permacrisis environment and the need to integrate media engagement with social media outreach.
Added to that are the complexities of platforms and the overflow of information. We at Kaizzen are very pleased to partner with PR Moment for RiseUp, it is a great initiative to support the learning and growth of students who want to build their career in the comms industry with mentoring under industry veterans.", said Vineet Handa, founder and CEO, Kaizzen.
Initiative Oriented PR Talent is a Must
Aman Dhall, founder, of CommsCredible stated, "The PR industry in India is on the brink of a major transformation. In today’s era of endless scrolling and fleeting attention spans, the ability to craft meaningful stories and apply real-world insights has never been more critical. At CommsCredible, we believe that #StoryMatters—and so does cultivating talent that not only thinks differently but also takes initiative to thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing world. RiseUp PR embodies this ethos by offering post-graduate students an unparalleled opportunity to step into the realities of the PR and communications industry."
"This initiative is more than a competition—it’s a platform to spotlight emerging talent, especially from beyond the metros, and equip them with the skills to lead the next wave of communications. By providing access to industry-leading mentors and offering 100-day internships to the top two winning teams, this is our commitment to empowering the next generation of PR professionals. At CommsCredible, we are proud to champion this effort and look forward to helping this program evolve into a true beacon of student empowerment."
Skillsets Needed to Navigate the Complex World of Reputation
Sharada Sharma, co-founder & chief science officer, said, "At Astrum, we are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of communication professionals. By sponsoring RiseUp PR, a platform that brings the Public Relations industry and emerging talent together, we are empowering students to take the first step in their journey to become well-rounded, multi-skilled 21st-century communications professionals. This competition provides a platform for students to showcase their creativity, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills as they tackle real-life challenges.
We take pride in supporting initiatives that prepare young minds with the relevant knowledge and skillsets needed to navigate the complex world of reputation, risk, and regulation, fostering a future where they can effectively leverage the science of persuasion to shape public opinion ethically."
Meet the mentors supporting the students:
Mentors
| Diksha Verma, Global Communications Specialist, HPE |
| Ekta Thomas, Head of Regional Business Development, Asia Pacific, Zeno Group |
| Himanshi Munjal, Group Manager (PR & Digital), Bata India Limited |
| Mahima Misra, Director- Public Relations & Corporate Communications, Good Glamm Group |
| Michelle Kumar, Global Head - Corporate Communications, LTIMindtree |
| Moumita Majumdar, Head of Communications at IndoBevs |
| Seema Siddiqui, Assistant Vice President Communications, ReNew |
| Trishnala Vijaykar, Corporate Communications Manager, Viacom18 |
| Sharada Sharma, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Astrum - Reputation Advisor |
| Rajeev Balakrishnan, Director, Kaizzen |
| Parnika Deora, Manager- PR & Marketing, Volvo Cars |
Judges
| Aman Dhall, Founder, CommsCredible |
| David Lian, Regional President, Asia Pacific, Zeno Group |
| Rohit Dubey, VP & Head, Jio |
| Shonali Chakravarti, APAC Communications Leader for Enterprise Tech, Lenovo |
| Siddharth Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, Acko Tech |
| Tanya Shandilya, Associate Vice President (West) at Kaizzen |
| Kritika Chaturvedi, Vice President, Marketing IvyCap Ventures Advisors Private Limited |
Rajiv Adhikari, Senior VP, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited Neha Plasterwala, Head of Marketing and Communications,India, Lockton |
Participating Colleges: RiseUp PR 2025
| Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University- Delhi |
| IIMC, Delhi |
| ISB&M School of Communication & Media Management, Pune |
| Jagran Lakecity University Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh |
| Manipal Institute of Communication, Karnataka |
| MICA, Ahmedabad |
| School of Communications & REputation SCoRE - Mumbai |
| SIMC, Pune |
| St. Joseph's, Bangalore Delhi School of Communications, Delhi |
PRmoment Health and Wellness Comms Awards 2025
PRmoment India Health and Wellness Communications Awards 2025 (APAC) is back. Early bird is May 15th, 2025.
AwardsIf you enjoyed this article, you can subscribe for free to our weekly event and subscriber alerts.
We have four email alerts in total - covering ESG, PR news, events and awards. Enter your email address below to find out more: