The national association of PR practitioners was established in 1958 to promote the recognition of public relations as a profession and to formulate and interpret to the public the objectives and the potentialities of public relations as a strategic management function.

The society functioned as an informal body till 1966 when it was registered under the Indian Societies Act XXVI of 1961, with headquarters in Mumbai. The father-figure of professional PR practitioners in India, Kali H. Mody, was the founder President of PRSI from 1966 to 1969.