'PR professionals feel undervalued, overworked', survey reveals

India's PR professionals have expressed job dissatisfaction in terms of remuneration. According to the PR Agency Insights Survey 2025 (India Edition), only 12% of PR professionals are fully satisfied with their salaries while only 16% expressed job satisfaction. However, only one in three professionals still see a future in agency roles. As per the survey, most PR professionals handle 2-6 clients while working 45-55 hours per week yet feel undervalued and overworked.

Furthermore, 38.5% of agency professionals are actively considering a move in-house. The survey underscored the challenges of PR professionals, with two out of three PR professionals saying securing editorial coverage has become increasingly difficult. 66% of professionals stated that found managing outdated client expectations a major challenge, as many brands still define PR solely through media coverage.

On the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, 98% of PR professionals admitted that they use AI one way or the other - for content, ideation, and research, yet 67% worry about AI eroding creativity and 73% fear the loss of a human touch in storytelling.

Shashank Bharadwaj, Managing Partner at WebX and Creator of PR & Comms Collaborative (PRCC) emphasized the urgent need for industry-wide transformation. Bharadwaj said, "The agency model must evolve to address career stagnation and proactively offer pathways for growth and diversification, or we risk losing talent to more future-ready industries. Compensation must be restructured, mentorship programs must be strengthened, and agencies need to create an intrapreneurial environment where employees feel empowered to innovate and grow." Tarunjeet Rattan, Founder of Public Relations Professionals of India (PRPOI) & Managing Partner at Nucleus PR, stated, "The PR landscape reveals a clear divide: emerging talent seeks flexibility while veteran professionals adapt to increasingly digital communication and a state of chaos between the two. Success now demands constant evolution rather than static expertise. The future belongs to integrated ecosystems where agencies serve as strategic partners, a mindset shift on both ends on the role of PR in brand reputation while preserving creative independence—transforming our industry for tomorrow's challenges.”