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India’s public relations industry contributes an estimated US$545 billion in economic impact each year through brand awareness, reputation management and crisis mitigation, according to an Ipsos white paper released at PRCAI’s PRana 2026 summit in Gurugram on Wednesday. The study estimates the industry’s revenues at Rs 3,230 crore (US$340 million) in FY2026, while assessing the wider economic value associated with PR-led activities.

The white paper was commissioned by the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI).

$545 Billion Impact

The study identifies three areas through which public relations contributes to economic value.

Brand awareness accounts for an estimated US$220 billion. The figure is based on an assessment of PR’s contribution to revenue sustainability and growth across major sectors, including IT and software services, banking and financial services, FMCG, automotive, healthcare, hospitality, aviation, startups, tech unicorns, e-commerce and education.

Reputation management accounts for the largest share, estimated at US$265 billion. The study draws on investor-relations research suggesting that around 28% of investor decision-making is influenced by a company’s reputation. It then estimates PR’s contribution against India’s listed market capitalisation of approximately US$4.5-4.75 trillion.

Crisis management contributes an estimated US$60 billion through the mitigation of potential losses.

Crisis Costs

For the crisis-management estimate, the study analysed more than 90 major corporate crises over the past decade. These included product safety failures, operational disruptions, governance and financial misconduct, cyber incidents and brand backlash.

Across the crises examined, the average impact was 0.35% revenue erosion and 1.5% market capitalisation erosion. The US$60 billion estimate comprises around US$4 billion linked to revenue and US$56 billion linked to market capitalisation.

Startups, tech unicorns and e-commerce companies account for the highest estimated annual value at risk at US$12.8 billion, followed by aviation at US$8.9 billion and healthcare and pharmaceuticals at US$7.2 billion.

Study Method

The white paper combines a primary survey of 500 Indian consumers with sector-level revenue and market-capitalisation analysis, Ipsos research and secondary benchmarks.

PRCAI President Kunal Kishore Sinha said the US$545 billion figure represents the wider economic consequence of PR activity rather than industry revenue.

“The US$545 billion figure is not a claim of revenue; it is a measure of consequence,” Sinha said.

PRCAI CEO Deeptie Sethi said the study puts an economic value on reputation and its role in investment, trade and business.

Deepak H, Partner and Country Lead at Ipsos Strategy3, said the research links PR activity with brand awareness, investor decision-making and losses associated with corporate crises.

The findings were released at PRana 2026, PRCAI’s annual Brand India Reputation Summit, held at The Leela, Gurugram. The event brought together more than 15 speakers from business, culture, governance, technology and sport.