Girish Balachandran, Founder & Managing Director, ON PURPOSE

Brings over 24 years of international experience across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India. Girish started his career in communications with London based Omnicom agencies – Ketchum and Pleon. He served as Client Development Director for EMEA at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, before returning to India after 12 years abroad.

In 2017, Girish founded ON PURPOSE to use the power of communications to drive social change in India. Girish has overseen social change work at ON PURPOSE in four areas: climate action, public health, education, and social welfare with a special emphasis on gender equality. His client experience includes the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (powered by Rockefeller Foundation, Ikea Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund), Generation Unlimited-UNICEF, UNDP, USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Asian Development Bank, World Wildlife Fund, The Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy, Breakthrough Trust, KPMG, Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages, Godrej, Ola, Cisco, Oracle and Reckitt.

A published author in hi-tech globalisation and entrepreneurship with Edgar E. Publishing, Girish has been recognised as one of the Top 25 Innovators in Communications across APAC by Provoke Media. In 2023, he was elected to the Executive Leadership of the Public Relations Consultancy Association of India (PRCAI) as the National Chair for Marketing, Communications & Global Networks.