“The little kids of the Dakachaya village used to call me Basanti. Because of course they used to find pronouncing Sravanti- difficult,” exclaims alumnus Sravanti Ivaturi Mishra of Class 2013 nostalgically. Sravanti graduated from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore and joined American Express in the same year. It is her 5th year and 5 months with the organization and she is an integral part of the Public Affairs and Communication team of the multinational financial services corporation. However, Sravanti does not really just see pay package and career accomplishments as the true achievements of her life. When asked about one her most memorable moments from B-school days, she pleasantly surprised us with her narrative. 

Being a student of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore has its own perks. The state-of-the-art campus being located in the heart of the tiny village on the Indore- Dewas highway, students get to actively involve in CSR from a very early start of their management careers. Sravanti’s experience was nothing different. She had a lot of interactions with the villagers, their families and especially the young children who would arrive at the b-school campus every evening for attending evening classes from the didi and bhaiyyas of Jaipuria, Indore. Sravanti fondly recalls- “I would never forget that moment. In 2015 when I went for a visit on campus, one of the students came to me and thanked me for touching her life. It was absolutely beautiful and I think it was the biggest achievement of my b-school stint- getting to make an impact on someone else’s life.”

Today, Sravanti has been instrumental behind the success of various creative and marketing initiatives of American Express and her colleague endorses her as someone with- “full of positive and contagious energy. Someone who would bring cheer to the team even in a hopeless situation!” So what does it take to be a PR and communication professional in the 21st century- especially if associated with a MNC in the stature of American Express?“

It is not about one specific skill. You got to be jack of all trades- be it communication, leadership qualities or being a go-getter. You got to have a knack of creating new things, understanding how design works in modern day, building network and indulging in new collaborations,” suggests the alum.

 Sravanti’s first tryst with the world of PR and advertising happened during her PGDM days at Jaipuria, Indore. She was coordinating with an external ad agency that was handling the communication of a campus event called- Chisel. “There, I learnt how ad agencies work and it sparked a lot of curiosity in me. I saw ideas getting transformed into beautiful designs. Words getting weaved to spin strong straplines, press releases and brand messages. I was overwhelmed,” remarks Sravanti. 

“So, if you got Brand Communication in mind- put a lot of stress on written and speaking English,” adds the alum. Keep an eye on modern technology and understand your TG well. Know where they are, what they like to do, what they think and how they make decisions. It is then that you will be able to make your room in the otherwise crowded world of PR and Communication professionals. 

And as a my goodbye message, Sravanti suggests- “respect your peers and your faculty. You will carry a little of them within you- no matter where and how far you go.”