SPANNING OVER THREE DECADES

PRSI's Chennai Chapter has had a long and eventful history. Its forerunner, the Madras Chapter, born as early as 1968, was the brainchild of its Founder Chairman, the late Mr. Gyan Haksar. He had as his Secretary, Mr. M. Gopalakrishnan. The Chapter owed its successful debut as much to the organising ability of these two professionals, as to the unstinting generosity of its chief patron, the late
Mr.K. Eswaran, Chairman of the Easun Group of Industries, Madras.

The Second All India PR Conference, with the challenging theme "To establish PR as a Management Tool" was successfully organised two years later in Madras, thanks to the support of Mr. Eswaran. It was the success of this conference that drew the cream of corporates in Madras to PRSI. It was a matter of great pride that the number of Corporate members of Madras Chapter, exceeded the sum total of the Corporate members of all the other chapters of PRSI put together.

Our chapter has the distinction of seeing two of its members elevated to the Presidentship of PRSI.

· Gyan Haksar in 1972/73 with R.K.Baratan, also of our Chapter as Secretary General.
· Pala Palaniappan in 1993-94 with R. Swaminathan (Coimbatore Chapter) as
Secretary General.

The PRSI Chennai Chapter has taken the lead in organising several useful and relevant seminars. Among the All-India Seminars organised by the Madras Chapter are:

1. "PR for Managerial Effectiveness" (December 1972)
2. "New Challenges in Public Relations" (1979)
3. "A Three-day Workshop on Printing" (1980)
4. "Media and Public Relations" (1983).
5. "Developing a positive Corporate Image through PR (1987)
6. "Ushering in a new era - PR issues" (December 1993)

Yet another notable contribution of the Chapter is the introduction of the prestigious "PR Man of the Year" award in 1983. Among the distinguished recipients are:

1. Mr. V. Selvaraj, I.A.S., Chairman Madras Port Trust.
2. Late Mr. K. Ravindran, I.P.S., Director General of Police
3. Mr. M. Gopalakrishnan, Chairman and MD Indian Bank
4. Late Mr. T.T. Vasu, Industrialist

Recognising the need for a mode of communication with its members and the world outside, the PRSI Chennai Chapter's Newsletter "PRecis" was inaugurated when Pala Palaniappan was Chapter Chairman. It's a matter of pride that this publication was lauded by the then Union Finance Minister, Mr.P. Chidambaram.

Footnote: We are in the process of constantly updating our Archives. If you have an interesting input or anecdote or photograph to share on the history of the PRSI Chennai Chapter please contact us.

Past Chairmen and Secretaries

Photo Album