National President, Public Relations Society of India
Former General Manager – Corporate Communications, Administration, Welfare & CSR, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
Dr. AJIT PATHAK
National President of the Public Relations Society of India for past 22 years and Ex. Board Member, International Public Relations Association and first Asian to be the Secretary of the Global Alliance of Public Relations and Communications Management – a consortium of 65 national Public Relations organizations. Ex. General Manager I/C (Corporate Communications Administration, Welfare & CSR ) with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
A Post Graduate in Law and Public Administration and the first Indian to achieve Doctorate in Public Relations. 40 years experience in mass communication as a Cartoonist, Feature Writer, Radio/TV newsreader and a Public Relations practitioner.
Valuable experience in the Fortune Global 500 company Indian Oil Corporation, in the area of Public Relations, branding, event Management, Advertising, Publicity, Image Building, Internal & External communication, Administration , security ,CSR and Community Welfare.
Dr Pathak has also served THDC India Ltd as the Communication Consultant.
Recipient of the Indira Super Achiever Award 2006 presented by Indira Group of Institutes, Pune, Indira Gandhi IFJA Award-2006 presented by Indian farm journalist Association, New Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi Award for Human Excellence – 2002, Indian Express Award for Public Awareness Advertising; Rashtriya Gaurav Award 1997, Institute of Marketing & Management Award for Excellence as Advertising and PR Manager-Award for the ‘PR man of the year’ in 1998; Press & Public Relations Association Award for PR Research-1990; Hind Gaurav Award 1999; PR Voice Award as PR Man of the Year-1998; Asian Achievers Award-2011 and Bharat Nirman Award-2011 and 2018.
Uttrakhand State Council for Science and Technology , Dehradun decorated Dr Pathak for outstanding contribution in the field of Science Communication on 28th February,2020.
India Association Congress organised at Le Meridian Gurugram having 300 Associations as active participants honored Dr Ajit Pathak with “Most Inspiring Leader Award “ recognising his contributions to the Public Relations Society of India , International Public Relations Association and the Global Alliance of Public Relations and Communication Management.
Actively associated with the Chief Information Commissioner and CIC in showcasing RTI to the public at large and the media as the Media Advisor, Central Information Commission. Unique work of explaining RTI through cartooning. Recently published book on RTI, “ Right to Information : Realities and Perception. “
Meaningful association with academic activities and education of PR and communcation. Member of the IIMC committee and the governing council of Makhanlal Chaturvedi University, Bhopal. Programme Director for high profile top management training programmes of SCOPE.
Honoured by Amity University as the Honorary Professor in Jan,2018.
Received national and international appreciation for the initiatives taken during Covid 19 for creating public awareness and initiating social good activities.
Special issue on 20 years of Leadership as National President
PR VOICE
Film Made
MUSICS Written by Dr Ajit Pathak
ख़ुश्बू तेरे हिना की
साईं की भोर
prem jayanti
Dr Ajit Pathak, National President of the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), has been conferred the prestigious ‘Delhi Gaurav Samman’ in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the institutionalisation and professional advancement of public relations in India.
The honour was presented by Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal at a ceremony organised by the Sanskriti Yuva Sanstha at the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library in New Delhi. The event was attended by former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and former Union Education Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and former Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh , Kalraj Mishra, among other distinguished personalities.
Dr Pathak is widely recognised as a pioneering figure who helped establish public relations in India as a strategic management discipline rather than merely a communication function. He also holds the distinction of being described in the source material as the first scholar in India to earn a doctorate in public relations.
His association with PRSI has been marked by sustained leadership and institutional development. He has led the organisation’s National Council since 2006 and was unanimously re-elected as its National President for the 21st consecutive year at the PRSI convention held in New Delhi in June 2025. His continued election reflects the confidence and goodwill he commands within the country’s public relations fraternity.
Four Decades of Corporate Communication Leadership
Dr Pathak’s professional journey also spans more than four decades with Indian Oil Corporation, where he served as General Manager in Corporate Communication, Administration and Welfare. During his long corporate career, he contributed to strengthening corporate communication and brand-building practices, setting new benchmarks in the field.