Comms, marketing heads of Reliance, TCS, Infosys named in PRovoke 100 global list

New Delhi: Communications and marketing chiefs from half a dozen of Indian top blue-chip companies, including Reliance Industries Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Infosys, have been named in PRovoke Media's 2025 Global 100 list of influential industry leaders.

Reliance's group head of communications Rohit Bansal, Infosys' global chief marketing officer Sumit Virmani, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) global chief marketing officer Abhinav Kumar, Vedanta's group director of communications Ritu Jhingon, Godrej Industries Group's chief communications officer Sujit Patil, and Jindal Steel's head for corporate brand and comms Arpana Kumar Ahuja have been featured on the list released this week.

"The Influence 100 is PRovoke Media's annual listing of the most impactful in-house communicators worldwide: the senior communications, corporate affairs and marketing executives whose judgement influences reputation, agency partnerships and public engagement," the London-based publication said on its website.

Now in its 13th year, the list tracks how this role continues to expand in an era of geopolitical tensions and accelerated change.

Selections are based on three criteria -- organisational status (leader's seniority, scope of responsibility and the global importance of the organisation), agency influence (role in sharing PR partnerships and driving budget decisions) and thought leadership (their contribution to industry innovation and overall direction).

The who's who of the industry -- from Walmart to Nvidia -- were featured.

PRovoke Media said Reliance, India's largest private sector company, has become a symbol of the country's booming economy, with interests across energy, retail, entertainment, telecommunications, mass media, and textiles.

"Accordingly, Rohit Bansal's role as Reliance Industries' (RIL) top communicator is more pivotal than most, working, as he puts it, "at the intersection of media, reputation, strategy, and common sense"," the publication said, adding that he is also a mentor at JioGenNext and was ranked first among India's 100 most important PR professionals, following more than a decade at Reliance.

On Virmani, it said he has been with Infosys for over 21 years.

A talented leader, Virmani quickly rose through the ranks after joining in 2004 and his "current role requires him to be on top of the company's reputation and information released about it, such as its recent plan to buy back up to 100 million shares for as much as Rs 18,000 crore in September this year".

Abhinav Kumar's 22-year tenure at TCS has seen him help drive the company's brand value from US 2.3 billion in 2010 to more than USD 19 billion in 2024, reflecting his sustained focus on demonstrating how brand and reputation contribute to business growth, the publication said, adding that he leads an integrated remit that spans branding, media relations, events, sponsorships, executive and stakeholder communications, content, growth marketing and public affairs.

Calling Sujit Patil "popular and engaging", it said he and his team manage a wide portfolio of Godrej businesses ranging from FMCG, real estate, agriculture, animal feed, crop protection, chemicals, food, and financial services.

Stating that mining group Vedanta has attracted more reputation scrutiny than most in recent years, it said Ritu Jhingon, who took on the top communications role at the company in 2021, is well placed to handle these, given her extensive background in CSR, which includes leading the Nand Ghar project that aims to transform the lives of rural women and children across India.

Jindal Steel is one of India's foremost integrated steel producers, and as its executive vice president and head of corporate brand and communications, Arpana Kumar Ahuja plays a key role in maintaining its status in the country, the publication added.