India's largest public relations firm, Adfactors PR, has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Australian independent communications consultancy SenateSHJ. The deal, announced today, marks India's biggest PR firm's first acquisition of significance as both firms look to capitalise on deepening business ties between India and Australia. According to the joint statement from both companies, the transaction brings together two independent firms with complementary strengths, beliefs, and shared commitment to outstanding work. As per Madan Bahal, co-founder and managing director of Adfactors PR, the partnership will help clients in India and Australia access opportunities in the wider Asia Pacific market, with India and Australia emerging as a strategic business corridor. The acquisition comes as India-Australia business ties deepen and companies increasingly look to operate across markets.
Under the acquisition terms, SenateSHJ will retain its identity and client teams under the leadership of co-founder and chair Angela Scaffidi AM and Chief Executive Officer Darren Behar. The Melbourne-based communications consultancy, which operates from Sydney and Melbourne locations, will continue to serve its 1,400-strong client base with core expertise in helping organisations solve challenging reputation, change and engagement problems. As part of the deal, Adfactors PR CEO Nijay N Nair, who heads the company's M&A and global initiatives, will join the Australian company's board, bringing strategic oversight to the expanded operations. The strategic partnership ensures continuity for SenateSHJ's existing operations while leveraging Adfactors PR's global network and expertise across India, Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region. According to Madan Bahal, co-founder and managing director of Adfactors PR, there is strong alignment between the two organizations in how they think about the world, clients, people and their role in shaping the future.
For SenateSHJ, the acquisition provides access to greater scale and an international network while creating opportunities to grow its expertise, intellectual property and impact. The partnership brings together Adfactors PR's reputation and critical issues advisory capabilities with SenateSHJ's communications expertise, giving clients access to capabilities and networks across India, Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region. The transaction is expected to strengthen Adfactors PR's international footprint while giving SenateSHJ greater opportunities to expand its expertise, intellectual property and market impact. Rajesh Chaturvedi, co-founder and chairman of Adfactors PR, confirmed the deal would expand the firm's presence into Australia, with the company looking at further opportunities to build its presence in the region. For SenateSHJ, the acquisition provides access to Adfactors PR's network and creates opportunities to expand its capabilities and client base while retaining its existing identity and operational excellence. As per Angela Scaffidi, co-founder and chair of SenateSHJ, the problems clients bring increasingly cross borders, and being part of Adfactors PR with real scale across India, Asia Pacific and beyond means they can help clients with more of those problems without changing what has made the firm what it is.
Founded in 1997, Adfactors PR is a public relations firm focused on reputation management and critical issues advisory, with more than 600 retained clients and 1,400 professionals across 15 offices in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. SenateSHJ, founded in 2002, is an Australian communications consultancy specialising in reputation, engagement, change management, social change, digital, and research and intelligence. Angela Scaffidi emphasized that the problems clients bring increasingly cross borders, and being part of Adfactors PR with real scale across India, Asia Pacific and beyond means they can help clients with more of those problems without changing what has made the firm what it is. For SenateSHJ, the investment provides access to greater scale and an international network while allowing the Australian consultancy to maintain its existing identity and leadership structure. The partnership provides a platform for deeper collaboration across India, Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region, with the India-Australia relationship potentially serving as a platform for broader regional expansion.
