Delighting us she called that she is coming to Bangalore to collect an award felicitating her for her efforts of Impact Measurement of CSR for reflection in the Business Responsibility & Sustainability reporting. She wanted to use the trip and visit Shibira. I could have danced in joy! We go a long way back. I was a rookie reporter and she was a young 30 something leading PR professional. Dressed elegantly in Chiffons, her long hair tied in a spiffy Chignon, she would sail into my newspaper office (or the press conferences), and like a fireball, burn away pre/misconceptions of my colleagues on any subject with her in depth knowledge and sharp delivery. The young me was besotted with the fiery and yeah, a bit scary PR Woman.
i left Delhi, grew from a rookie to an editorial level seniority and did my India Darshan chasing “breaking news” , she grew even more formidable pioneering a tech practice, absolutely unknown at the time. By the time I made Bangalore my home, she was wrapping her branch office here moving to greener pastures. When I left journalism to manage financial content at an online trading JV of Reuters Electronic Brokerage, she called to mourn that I should have chosen TV journalism instead. I said I was just testing my knowledge on www as the JV seemed to me the start of IoT.
No you are not, you will never come back to journalism again. She was right. Other than occasional opinion columns for Economic Times my byline never appeared in papers again. For some strange reason she had taken a shine to me in Indian Express. Perhaps because the young me had debated and questioned the moves of her then real estate client (Ansals). Over the years as I grew in the corporate sector, she wanted me to quit and go back to writing. We had a Guru Shishya relationship – I could depend on her for knowledge, course correction and scolding – more like dressing down. She could depend on me for whatever she wanted, which in hindsight, was never an ask beyond love, making her laugh and help her process personal setbacks.
By the time Praveen Rikhy came in November I had injured my knee (doing nothing earth shattering in particular) and she had injured a leg doing another one of the rambunctious holidays I have known her take off to, thrice a year – this time in Bali. Just seeing her arrive at home after the award ceremony, trophy et al, walking with the help of a stick had given me a minor heart attack! I hadn’t driven in months and she couldn’t possibly be safe outdoors while walking with a stick! Shibira visit was off the table.
Or so I thought ! By late night her eyes were flashing with annoyance and she said, “What’s with the continuous whining and fear about driving! What the hell has gotten into you Girl! You can drive with your knee injury. I can walk on mine. We are going. I have invited some friends along too and they will meet us on the highway.”
And with this she bid me Good night. I had to make the call to Vishu telling him that “I” had changed my mind and would be coming. I could hear him laugh into his palm. I was annoyed with him. I was annoyed with her. Ordinarily friends should be kinder when you are not well. Well, Not her. She wants you to get your act together and get up n shine!
For as long as I have known her, Praveen Rikhy has been an ordinary girl with an extraordinary drive. That dialogue of Salman Khan “ Ek baar dhaan li to main apni bhi nahin sunta’ describes her aptly ! She will not let anything or anyone convince her otherwise once her mind is made up.
I fumed to sleep and had visions about waking up smouldering! Nothing that dramatic happened. She woke me up at the crack of dawn and and by the time I came down with my bag at 6 AM, she was already leaning against our Scorpio, walking stick et al. She surprised us with a google review about Shibira. It should have ended here right ? Wrong! She forwarded Google notification on the review saying “5000 views on my review and photos Girl! Shibira is a rage on Google, well done guys ! Remember to send me fresh coconuts and the pepper !” . This below is the screenshot.
It did not matter that we are 2500 km away , she wanted us to carry/organise the produce ! Why? Her customers were asking for it and she thought our farm was a role model source. That is why we share the knowledge we see in her on how to gain Agency over your life and how to build a high Agency mindset .
So here goes :-
From starting India’s first PR Agency to building it to be a force to reckon with, to removing herself completely from it and starting an entrepreneurial journey – the first ventures of which completely failed, to now running a social enterprise has been testing and challenging for Praveen Rikhy.
In the last year each day in her life has been different, each day brings its own small rewards and problems. But what keeps her going is the impact that she and her enterprise is able to bring about, in the lives of the women who are associated with it as co-workers, in her customers who feel a sense of accomplishment and a sense of having done some good difference by just stocking up on their kitchen essentials – ensuring at the same time that she stays true to her objective of providing pure, fresh and unadulterated essentials to households in Gurgaon.
Her enterprise is called Prawati . It comes from the combination of her and her daughter’s name – it was a tattoo they both got together when they found themselves all alone. It was the promise they made to themselves of supporting each other to keep going through the tough times. Prawati, literally means the core essence of your being -what is intrinsic to you.
What Prawati is becoming is a dream – it is becoming a promise that they make to all who are associated with it. As workers, as consumers, as suppliers and as the many supporters that helped Prawati become a reality – the promise to support each other through thick and thin by staying true to our core values of Empowering Communities and Enabling Healthier Homes.
All products under Project Prawati are 100% fresh and pure and Sourced directly from the producer, grower, or processor. Praveen selects products on the basis of three core criteria: Is it sustainable? Is it pure and free from adulteration? Is it produced by a women-led enterprise or self-help group?
By procuring directly from farmers and women-led self-help groups, Praveen’s Project shortens the farm-to-plate cycle. This ensures that her customers receive fresh, uncontaminated products, while also promoting ethical consumption and a healthier lifestyle. Praveen engages women from marginalised families to contribute in the journey through washing and cleaning the raw materials, milling and packing these and even directly selling – in their stalls. Even in the poshest of housing societies of commercial complexes are managed by women. Through its holistic approach, her enterprise not only uplifts rural livelihoods but also fosters responsible consumerism and community well-being.
Praveen has always been interested , no, invested in food. Whether organising through a cook or cooking herself, any meals in her house are fun and sumptuous for the many decades that we have known her. Her shopping habits have however been extremely bourgeois with her kitchen and various fridges abysmally flowing with all kinds of “stuff.”
Today since every product sold through Prawati is first tested in her kitchen the impact on her shopping habits has been tremendous. “I no longer go to the large department stores and load large trolleys with groceries!” she admits.
“For the first time we are using staples like bajra, ragi, soya etc. We also have fun in experimenting with reviving age-old recipes – for example this summer we introduced our Summer Buster -a drink made with Kateeragund, Sabja, Desi Khand, mint and lemon – and its’ been a universal hit. We are now selling a pre-mix of this as the customers who tasted it wanted to make it at home. We consume fresh produce – in fact what gets made on a daily basis is dictated by what grains, oils, spices that need to be tasted and tested, she says.
In 2023 when she was planning for this enterprise , to the world she was still the PR Lady. She received the lifetime achievement award for PR from Exchange for Media and Business World in 2023. Click here to Read and hear her at that award function as one of the top ten PR professionals in the country.
So in 2025 isn’t it amazing to see that someone who was crafting reputations and selling products of Indian and international brands to diverse target audiences is now empowering women below the poverty line. Click here to hear her at the launch function of Prawati.
Beats us how she simply says that the switch hasnt been difficult. “ I was first building reputation of organisations and brands – now I am doing it for a social enterprise – it is actually easier as our business model is such that we demonstrate our core values each day – since a lot of the raw materials are processed in front of the customers – we actually carry our oil mill and flour mill to the condo where we sell and do it right in front of the customer – there is very little ‘convincing’ that I need to do. And my customers speak for me – they bring their family and friends to buy after having tried Prawati’s stuff” Her Gen z daughter Swati uses digital media to amplify their message.
Considering that Praveen was not a witness to India’s tech revolution, but someone who led it with what was the first tech practice in public relations ( Click here to read more about that if you want to.} its surprising she doesn’t leverage any of her PR skills . “Women in tech today are doing great, but what I would like to see more of is women working towards greater accessibility to technology. There is still a huge gap, especially for women at the grassroots level. This is where I believe AI tools can play a crucial role in bridging the gap—particularly for children and women who may not be used to computers, but are already comfortable with mobile devices” says Praveen.
Towards this, Janm Foundation, of which Praveen is a director, conducts cyber literacy sessions that help women use practical tools—like navigating maps, activating UPI for digital payments, and using voice search. These small but impactful steps have made a real difference in their ability to engage with technology in everyday life.
Praveen is also a certified independent director which is universally well known to be a “boys club”. As expected its been tough to break into. She started working towards becoming an independent director during the covid pandemic, when she suddenly had more time on her hands. It seemed like a natural next step in her career, especially since she had already been involved in various entrepreneurial experiments and initiatives. However, breaking into the field and actually securing a board position has been quite challenging.” Like you said and many others say the same too, it often feels like a boys’ network. Networking in itself comes with its own set of difficulties, which makes the process even more complex. Despite these challenges, I remain hopeful that we will see progress in making boardrooms more accessible and inclusive in the future, she says upbeat about this part of her current avatar.
Meanwhile focussed on Prawati, it’s fascinating to see how women are being empowered through it. In India while most of the work in farms n fields is carried out by women, yet traditionally, they never receive cash directly for their efforts. By insisting that payments to women farmers be made at rates higher than the MRP—and ensuring that the funds go directly into their own bank accounts, for many of them, this is the first time they have money in their hands!
“Another powerful aspect of our work has been training women in self-defense. Many face difficult circumstances at home, often with abusive or alcoholic husbands. With the support of the Haryana police, Prawati has been able to train them in simple but effective techniques. One remarkable method they use is filming the women in action—throwing a man, or even a police constable, to the ground. When they take this video home and show it to their families, it works like magic. In most cases, physical abuse ceases almost immediately. she says.
The empowerment doesn’t stop there. These women become more confident and independent in many other ways. Take, for example, a woman who had never had or operated a bank account before. Today, she not only has one but is confidently making UPI payments and transferring money herself. She shared with us how suddenly, everyone at home has started taking one of the women in her enterprise seriously. “The shift is profound—once women begin earning for themselves and managing their own finances, the balance of respect and empowerment within their families changes dramatically,” she beams.
An avid animal welfare advocate, the dogs in her house were all ‘breed”. But not anymore as she changes. In the last few decades she hasn’t had even one breed pet. All the pets have been Indies and rescues. Ask her views on the crisis that started with ruling about Delhi NCR Stray dogs which could impact strays countrywide and she fumes…
“Please don’t get me started on this needless conflict between dog lovers, dog feeders, dog caretakers, and the so-called “rest of the public.” Why was this divide created in the first place? Over the past few years, it has only deepened—and the lack of clarity around the agenda behind it is truly concerning.
Yes, the Supreme Court has provided some relief in a recent hearing, but the reality on the ground for dog feeders has not changed. The big question remains unanswered: who will create the dedicated feeding areas that are being spoken about? We are told not to feed dogs on the road—but then where do we go? We don’t have proper pavements, we don’t have designated gardens or spaces. Without clear infrastructure or support, how can feeders and caretakers carry out this responsibility? The situation borders on the absurd. What is needed is a practical, humane, and collaborative solution—not this pointless divide.”
Animals are attracted to her like bees to honey. Same for humans we think because she is so brilliant and not shy, cute or cuddly about it!
Infact when when you look back at her life, you see the tapestry built on sheer grit and determination to achieve whatever she set her eyes on – whether in personal life or professional. She smiles agreeing, “It is perhaps my greatest asset and perhaps my greatest folly. I have gone after the impossible, picked myself up from the pits of depression with a single minded focus – I will Not look back. I will go forward no matter the cost”. Amen to that!
June 30th 2025 was Knowledge Hive’s 1st Anniversary! Its been hard work and huge learning. Click here to read our First Anniversary edition living-intentionally-can-make-all-time-a-quality-time/
Don’t miss our Feb 14th 2025 Valentines Day edit Make Space for All Kinds of Love – The Doctor Orders
Read Knowledge Hive’s first Christmas Post December 25th 2024 Click here to Read about tools & resources to use Fear to fight fear and Health Anxiety
Don’t miss our Third Post Click here to Read Live Life Gool Size – mental health resources & tools to age & fade away gracefully
Don’t miss our Second Post. Click Here to read A Zoe to Life – resources & tools to care for Aging Dogs
Shibira The Camp, Sakleshpur 