Nandita Lakshmanan, CEO

As its founder and CEO, Nandita has charted the growth map for The PRactice since its inception in 2000.  A first generation entrepreneur, she has over seventeen years of experience in public relations.  Under her stewardship, The PRactice has evolved into a leading public relations firm that has earned respect and recognition both within and outside India.

Prior to founding The PRactice, Nandita was a partner at Genesis Burson Marstellar (then Genesis Public Relations), responsible for starting and scaling the firm’s southern operations.

The PRactice, under Nandita’s leadership, has won several international awards including the APAC PR Week “New Consultancy of the Year” award. She led the firm’s historic contractual win of India’s leading software giant Infosys Technologies in December 2000, and has since rigorously entrenched the philosophy of growth through retention within the firm. 

Under her aegis, the firm entered into a global partnership with Porter Novelli in 2004.  She recently launched The PRactice Seed, focused on providing PR services to start-ups.  She also conducts media training workshops in addition to institutionalizing several operational and client-servicing best practices in the firm.

Nandita is an alumna of the Fortune/US State Department Global Mentorship Program of 2009.  

She is an active member of PRCAI (Public Relations Consultants Association of India) and served as president of that organization from 2006 through 2008. She also sits on the board of the Dream a Dream Foundation, an NGO focused on imparting life skills to children from vulnerable backgrounds.

Nandita enjoys and is currently training in Indian classical music. She lives in Bangalore with her husband and eight year old son.

Vivek Rana, Principal and Head - Healthcare

Vivek Rana began his career with The PRactice in 2001.  He has been part of a core team at The PRactice that has helped the firm implement key systems and processes and achieve recognition on a global scale.

Vivek has led important regional and portfolio diversification efforts at The PRactice, including establishing the firm’s presence in Mumbai and Delhi and launching its healthcare practice.  He brings to his role extensive experience in media relations, corporate and product positioning, investor relations, crisis communications, community relations and advocacy support.  Currently, he works closely with client teams in areas such as biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, molecular diagnostics and research institutions.

During the course of his career in public relations, Vivek has helped develop strategies for both Indian and international clients in the technology, healthcare, financial services and consumer sectors.  He has successfully handled crisis situations for many clients, both at the local and national level.

Vivek has a master’s degree in Business Law, a degree in Psychology and a diploma in Public Relations.

Shane Jacob, Principal and Head - New Media

Shane Jacob has been part of The PRactice since March 2005.  He has extensive experience in product launches, crisis communications and online campaigns and has led public relations campaigns for clients across the consumer, technology, automobile and finance sectors. He currently heads the firm’s New Media practice and, in this role, has driven several successful digital initiatives for clients.

Shane is also involved with The PRactice Seed, a program that aims to provide start-up ventures with access to quality public relations services to enable their growth and success in a competitive market. Shane is currently working with teams at The PRactice in rolling out New Media efforts for all of the firm’s clients.

Shane comes from a sales and marketing background.  Prior to joining The PRactice, he worked for www.hungama.com, South Asia’s No.1 promotions website. While at hungama.com he helped manage the company’s operations in South India.

Shane has a master’s degree in Marketing and Management Communications, a diploma in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations, and a degree in Journalism.

He is also familiar with the elements of basic web design and believes that the Internet is the best thing to have happened to him.

Meghana Krishna, Principal and Head - IT/ITeS

A member of The PRactice’s leadership team, Meghana has extensive experience in the area of Marketing Communications. She leads the IT/ITeS vertical at The PRactice and has led public relations campaigns for companies such as Infosys and Microsoft in India.

Meghana has vast experience in managing large-scale events involving senior dignitaries and CEO visits and in fostering effective stakeholder relationships for clients.   Given that the sector spends little on advertising, Meghana has imparted the significant benefits of public relations to R&D and services-based organisations.  Prior to joining The PRactice, Meghana worked with a leading media house as a part of their marketing team.

Meghana has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a specialization in Marketing & Sales.