Professional Experience:
Communication Consultant, Government of Gujarat (April 2010 – Present)
Formally attached to two organisations – the Information Department (2010-2011) and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA)(2011-present). Reporting directly to the Commissioner of Information, my current job responsibilities include work from both organizations. A brief summary of my work –
Strategic Communications
• Provided communication expertise to top level officials of the state including senior bureaucrats and ministers in the government
• Studied in detail all the major development schemes of the government across a range of departments such as health, education, women and child development, energy, Industries, roads and buildings, irrigation, rural development, urban development, tribal development and others for effective planning and implementation of the overall communication strategy
• Consulted, scripted and reviewed various short films, television commercials and publications for various public service campaigns across departments
• Acted as ‘brand ambassador’, with an editorial oversight of materials published online and offline
• Played a key role in the conceptualization and design of ‘The Gujarat’, the first periodic English magazine issued by the Government of Gujarat having a circulation of 30,000 copies
• Prepared research based written materials like talking points for senior officials, project briefs and articles for the magazine
• Drafted, issued and evaluated tenders for procurement of services such as PR services, facebook advertisements and Traffic Awareness Van
Leadership and Training
• Led a team of ten consultants for conceptualizing and managing over 100 national and state-wide 360-degree IEC campaigns such as Cyclone preparedness, AIDS prevention, School enrolment drive etc.
• Conducted training for information department employees on how to use social media effectively
• Led various field photography assignments for usage in advertisements and other communications
Stakeholder Liaisioning
• Coordinated and liaised with government officers, partner agencies and vendors for different stakeholder targeted campaigns
New Media Projects and Research
• Conceptualized and worked on building the mobile friendly version of information department’s website
• Spearheaded campaigns on social media viz. twitter, facebook and the setting up of the official website
• Led field assignments to gain complete understanding of the eco-system, the influencers and the beneficiaries of various government welfare schemes
Software Engineer, Infosys Tech Ltd., Bangalore (July 2006 – April 2008)
• Worked on projects in multiple software development cycles such as testing and maintenance
• Handled change requests in the policy management systems of insurance clients
• Tested the software application for quality control and ensured that it meets client requirements
• Provided business and production support