Corporate Communications has acquired significant strategic importance -Pallab Bhattacharya

The time is changing fast and so are the challenges and scopes for the corporate world, says Pallab Bhattacharya, Executive Director (Corporate Communication) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).

Bhattacharya, who is well known both in the media and PR circuit for his extraordinary passion for innovations, believes that proactive engagement with all stakeholders is a must today to stay afloat in this cut-throat competition. Moreover, he says, social responsibility for the corporate outfits has become the key issue today and nobody can afford to turn a blind eye to the social development-be it environment or land acquisition or any other such immensely important issue.

When it comes to professional efficiency or business acumen, he believes there is no difference between Public Sector or Private Sector today. Public Sector is no longer a protected child. In the era of open economy, you have to either perform or perish when it comes to add value to the shareholders stake. But in the Public Sector domain your responsibility as a corporate citizen is even more stringent particularly towards society as well as environment, he said adding Only recently, Prime Minister described PSE as Profit and Social Benefit Generating Enterprise. None can describe Public Sector better than this, and herein lies the role and responsibility of corporate Communication. Meaningful engagement with all the stakeholders and proactive information sharing are the cornerstone for every communication professional today. Information to the right person in the right time is the right approach, he says.

Bhattacharya has been instrumental in making the bridge between ONGC and outside world, being the front face of his organization Bhattacharya coordinates with ministries, Industry bodies, media world and Public at large. He is passionate of executing organization’s key responsibilities pertaining to corporate branding, communication and crisis management. Bhattacharya is considered as the most efficient PR professional due to his rapport, positivity and above all his down to earth approach.

People say he is a fully committed official having an experience of about three decades including close to two decades as a journalists and more than 14 years as corporate communication leader. Known for his immense creative aptitude, Bhattacharya believes in swimming in blue ocean where competition is completely irrelevant because of creating a new space to thrive. He has worked in all the four regions of India, and all in senior positions before taking over as the Chief Corporate Communications of ONGC and ONGC group of companies. He has been working in tandem with the Administrative Ministry (MOPNG) and is instrumental in formulating uniform policy for Advertising Agency Empanelment for Oil PSEs. Not only for ONGC, Bhattacharya handled various assignments on behalf of the industry like conceptualising, planning and execution of India pavilion at World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul Turkey. Mr Bhattacharya believes that Change is the only constant, every other thing changes.