The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) announced the results of the 2022 winter round of the Accreditation Programme in Indian Public Relations (AIPR) for public relations professionals, including young professionals and emerging leaders.

Announcing the list of 22 PR professionals who qualified for the 2022 Winter round, PRCAI conferred each one of them with the prestigious AIPR pin. The Accreditation in Indian Public Relations is the premier certification for PR professionals in India, recognising those who have demonstrated the highest level of knowledge and expertise in the field.

In the 2022 winter batch, over 100 PR professionals applied to the program, with 51 moving on to the final jury round after successfully completing the preliminary aptitude test round. The rigorous process, overseen by the School of Communications & Reputation (SCoRe), the technical partner for PRCAI, tested the knowledge and skills of these professionals in all areas of public relations.

"I am happy to see a strong pool of PR professionals earn their accreditation; I am sure this will help in not only raising the benchmark for this industry but also in our pursuit of making this industry more professional, ethical, and prosperous," said PRCAI president Atul Sharma. "This certification is a testament to their dedication to the profession and their commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism."

The selection process for AIPR ran from October until December of this year, wherein professionals could apply for two levels of accreditation based on their work experience in public relations and communications. Fourteen professionals have been accredited under level 1 (1–5 years of PR experience), and eight were accredited under level 2 (6–10 years of PR experience).

PRCAI CEO Deeptie Sethi shared, "As an industry association, we are working towards raising the standards of skills in our industry, and AIPR is designed to identify the best in the profession and recognise them as certified and skilled experts. I am hoping that AIPR accreditation will be aspirational for our young community and will motivate them to invest in themselves with the constant upskilling that our profession truly demands. It is heartening to see these 22 individuals earn their accreditation and join the ranks of the top PR professionals in the country."

The selection criteria were built on essential pillars of competence highlighted by leaders, and the process itself was modelled around prominent global accreditation frameworks. The final process comprised two key contributions. While the first section was the submission of professional capability and experience profiles, essays, and statements of purpose, the second was case study presentations to five seasoned jury members composed of leaders from PR consultancies, corp. communications, human resources, and academia across four cities.

SCoRe dean Hemant Gaule said, "SCoRe is committed to supporting the professional development of PR professionals in India, and we are honoured to be the technical partner for AIPR. We congratulate these 22 individuals on their achievement and look forward to seeing the impact they will have on the industry."