The National Public Relations Summit – 2026 with the theme ‘Communicate, Connect and Convert’ commenced at Hotel Royal Plaza, New Delhi on April 9. It is the 3rd National Public Relations Summit organized by the Government of Maharashtra, Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) with the aim to foster cross-state learning and highlight the diverse excellence in public relations across the country.
Hemanth Nimbalkar, IPS, Commissioner of DIPR, Karnataka addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Summit highlighted the crucial role that Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) plays in governance and stability of the government, and more so now with the emergence of AI.
Citing the example of how misinformation or disinformation has led to collapse of empires in the past, Hemanth Nimbalkar termed the DIPR as the ‘open eyes’ of governance and government and its importance for stability, which he added, can be seen in the fact that generally 99% of State Information & Public Relations and Intelligence Department are with the ministerial portfolio of the Chief Minister.
Acknowledging the important role that DIPR plays in reporting government news and in advertisements, Hemanth called on the department to further strengthen and enhance its capacity not just in information and public relations but in intelligence as well.
Stating that the last decade was concerned with perception management for the government but now, he said is the time for ‘truth management.’ Communicating the truth first, more effectively and managing the truth in ‘the golden hour’ by picking up the threads immediately where it is disrupting and stopping it then and there, will be crucial role needed to be performed by the department and for which, he admitted, it is not equipped.
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For this, he stated that the government will require the help of social media giants. He commended the organizers for inviting experts from these fields to share and shed light on it, and help equip the department personnel in tackling this role.
Shweta Singhal, IAS, Special Commissioner, Maharashtra Sadan lauded the Maharashtra Information Centre, New Delhi for organizing the summit and facilitate in building an ecosystem for spreading AI solutions for media management and public relations. She expressed hope that through the summit representatives from all the states will go back more enriched, more technically empowered and connected than before.
Deputy Director & Senior PRO, New Delhi, IPR, Government of Nagaland, Kuolie Mere is representing the IPR Department at the event. Representatives from some participating states will also be sharing and showcasing the Best PR Practices or innovative communication strategies implemented by their respective State Government.
