I help brands transcend black and white headlines and become conversations that endure.
20 years of reputation building. Two of Asia's most recognised brands.
Now I help founders and leaders turn communications into competitive advantage.
I was the first communications hire at both Flipkart and Sequoia Capital India & SEA — two organisations that have defined India's startup and venture ecosystem.
At Flipkart I helped build the brand from an early-stage startup into one of India's most recognised e-commerce companies. At Sequoia, I shaped the communications and program strategy for one of Asia's most influential venture platforms, and advised hundreds of founders across India, Southeast Asia, and the US on narrative architecture, media and content strategy, and building leadership visibility.
If you're building something significant and need senior
communications thinking to match — I'd like to hear about
it.
→ Say hello
Hello, I'm
Payal
I've spent nearly two decades at the intersection of strategy and storytelling — helping organisations figure out not just what to say, but what to stand for.
I bring operational depth and storytelling finesse to every mandate — which means I'm equally comfortable in the strategy room and in the execution. You don't just get my thinking and my counsel, but also my direct involvement in the subsequent work that matters.
Good communications counsel only works when there's genuine trust between us. I'm direct, I'm honest, and I'll tell you what I think even when it's not what you want to hear.
Creative energy and steady judgment — that's the combination my work has always demanded of me. The situations I've thrived in most have been the ones that needed both: high-growth environments where you're moving fast, navigating competing stakeholders, and communicating through ambiguity without losing your nerve...or your north star.
At the end of 2023, I stepped away from full-time work intentionally — to travel, to study, and to reconnect with the parts of my life that two decades of high-growth environments had crowded out. That time gave me renewed clarity on what I do best and what I find most meaningful: building authentic communications that inspire trust, and working closely with people who are building something worth talking about.
Working Together
My approach
I work with founders, leadership teams, and companies on communications work that actually moves the needle — building the strategy, shaping the narrative, and staying involved through execution to make sure it lands.
This isn't advisory from a distance. I work closely with your team, integrate with your leadership, and take ownership of outcomes — not just recommendations.
I take on a small number of clients at any given time — which means when we work together, you have my full attention and direct involvement.
My engagements typically run over a defined period — three to six months at minimum — because meaningful communications work takes time to build, and time to show results. Within that, I'm flexible on structure: a focused project with a clear deliverable, or an ongoing retainer where I function as an embedded senior communications partner.
Engagements can be remote or hybrid — structured around what the work requires.
If you're looking for someone to send out a press release, I'm probably not the right fit. If you're looking for someone to help you think clearly about communications, build the right foundations, and stay involved to make it work — let's talk.
Every engagement starts with a conversation. If you think there's a fit, reach out and tell me what you're working on.
Offerings
Every engagement is built around what you actually need — but at its core, my work spans
Narrative Architecture
Defining your narrative, positioning, and the integrated plan that brings it to life across the right channels and audiences.
Media and Content Strategy
Identifying where your voice belongs, what it should say, and how to build presence that is not just topical, but also compounds over time.
Leadership Visibility
Helping senior leaders and founders build a credible, consistent public profile that strengthens the organisation's reputation.
Brand Marketing
Shaping how your brand shows up in the world, and identifying the right partnerships and communities that extend its reach, and give it staying power.
Get in Touch
Let's talk.
Want help setting up your organization's communications and brand marketing roadmap? Struggling with how to tell your product/brand story? Need senior counsel to guide your in-house team through a tricky communications problem?
Tell me a little about what you're working on and what you're looking for — and let's go from there. You can fill up the form below, write to me at payalee@gmail.com, or connect with me on LinkedIn.