Epistle

What Epistle does

Epistle Communications is a New Delhi-headquartered professional services consultancy founded in 2011 by Tanya Khanna, providing editorial, communications, marketing, and public relations services to stakeholders in the built environment sector across South Asia. The firm self-describes as the region's oldest and largest communications consultancy dedicated to architecture and design, serving architects, interior designers, building product manufacturers, real estate developers, design publications, and socio-cultural institutes. Its service portfolio spans strategic communications, content strategy, brand development and positioning, media and public relations, digital marketing, event curation, and copywriting/editorial work, including architectural monographs and design books. The underlying delivery model is human-driven professional services: a 50+ team of architects, journalists, brand strategists, graphic designers, and digital marketers operating from five or more cities across India, with select activity in Singapore.

The firm's revenue mechanics are based on consulting engagements, retainer arrangements, and project-based fees for communications, PR, and editorial work. Beyond client services, Epistle operates two ecosystem-building programs: the annual Epistle Writing Prize (a competition for architectural writing that publishes winners on ArchDaily) and Epistle Academy (masterclasses on architectural writing). It also co-produces content IP such as the Duro Design Disruptors podcast with Outlook Business and Duroply, which won the 2025 Archiboo Best Podcast award. Distribution is direct-to-client via business inquiries, dedicated hiring portals across Press/PR, Branding/Design, Strategic Communications, and editorial disciplines, and active participation at marquee design events including India Design, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, FOAID, Design Democracy, and ET Designscape.

Epistle is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors; ownership appears concentrated with founders and management. The company maintains no proprietary technology platform, app, API, or software product — its core assets are human expertise, brand reputation, content library, and network effects within the South Asian design community.

Name

Epistle

Legal name

Epistle Communications

Website

https://epistle.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Epistle Communications is a New Delhi-based consultancy offering editorial, PR, brand, and marketing services to architects, designers, building product manufacturers, real estate developers, and design media across South Asia, positioning itself as the region's oldest and largest built environment communications firm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Communications & PR Consulting: Epistle offers strategic communications, PR, brand positioning, and editorial services to architects, designers, real estate developers, and building product manufacturers. Revenue is generated through consulting engagements, retainer arrangements, and project-based fees for services including thought leadership, media relations, content creation, and brand development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Epistle is a communications consultancy providing strategic communications, editorial, marketing, and public relations services to built environment stakeholders. The firm serves architects, designers, real estate developers, building product manufacturers, and design media with brand positioning, media relations, content creation, digital marketing, and event curation. Founded by architects for architects, Epistle operates across South Asia with a 50+ team delivering retainer-based and project-based consulting engagements.

Product overview

Epistle is South Asia's oldest and largest communications consultancy for built environment stakeholders, offering a comprehensive suite of services including strategic communications, brand development, media & public relations, digital marketing, events & collaborations, and copywriting & editorial services. Founded in 2011 as India's first communications consultancy run by architects for architects, the company has grown from a one-woman mission to a 50+ team across 5+ cities. Their service portfolio spans thought leadership, brand positioning, social media marketing, website development, SEO, event curation, and architectural writing. The company also operates two notable programs: the Epistle Writing Prize (an annual competition for writing on architecture and design) and Epistle Academy (educational masterclasses on architectural writing). Additional content offerings include the Duro Design Disruptors podcast series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Epistle Writing Prize: Annual competition dedicated to recognising outstanding writing on design, architecture and environment, celebrating voices from the Global South.
• Epistle Academy

Named customers165 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Design POV 2026, MumbaiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Epistle served as Curatorial Partner for Design POV 2026 in Mumbai, presenting 'The World We Live Within' — a collection of objects sitting between critique and proposition.
• Chandigarh UniversityminorOthers · 1 April 2026Epistle's Head of PR Shivangi Malhotra served as expert speaker and jury member at Chandigarh University's University Institute of Media Studies on strategic reputation management and credible communications.
• Signature Estates, HyderabadminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Epistle curated Palate by Design in Hyderabad, a first-of-its-kind festival exploring the intersection of food and design, celebrating the launch of Signature Estates residential community.
• ET Designscape, MumbaiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Epistle served as Curation Partner at ET Designscape Mumbai, contributing to the programme's conceptual framing and direction, shaping conversations about design and its broader impact.
• CORO Design WonderlandminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Epistle served as Curation Partner for the CORO Design Wonderland launch, shaping the narrative and spatial experience through collaboration with designers, artisans, and creative partners.
• India Design 2026coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2025Epistle supported a diverse client portfolio across various product sectors at India Design 2026, amplifying client presence and streamlining narratives at India's most definitive design week through strategic media outreach and on-ground engagement.
• ArchDailyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025As part of the Epistle Writing Prize, winners have the opportunity to be published on ArchDaily or similar leading digital platforms, providing amplification of architectural writing from the Global South.
• Outlook BusinesscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Duro Design Disruptors is presented by Outlook Business in partnership with Epistle. The series features 11 Indian architects and designers leading the charge on sustainable development, with Epistle providing communications expertise and Outlook Business serving as the publishing/media partner.
• DuroplycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Epistle partnered with Duroply to present the Duro Design Disruptors series, honouring Indian architects and designers who are leading sustainable development. Duroply is a building materials manufacturer focused on sustainable plywood products.
• raw collaborativeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Epistle served as Communications Partner for raw collaborative 2024, supporting the event's design communications and public engagement.
• Design DemocracyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024Epistle served as Official Media Partner for Design Democracy, leading strategy, planning, and on-ground media engagement to extend the festival's design discourse beyond the event across platforms.
• What Is ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Epistle collaborated with What Is Architecture on the 'What Is Architecture' interview series, seeking to amplify unique perspectives on architecture and urbanism from South Asia. Episodes featured notable architects including Akshat Bhatt and Dikshu Kukreja.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy with experience in real estate, design, and lifestyle clients. Overlaps with Epistle on brand strategy and positioning work for built environment clients, though at larger scale and broader scope.
• Edelman: World's largest PR firm with global operations including India. Competes with Epistle for PR and communications work from large built environment and real estate clients, but as a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
• FleishmanHillard: Major global PR network with India operations and experience in real estate, design, and lifestyle sectors. Comparable to Epistle in offering PR and integrated communications but at much broader scale.
• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe): Global communications agency formed by the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe, with significant India presence. Competes for large real estate and corporate communications accounts as a broad incumbent.
• Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and communications agency with experience in real estate, design, and lifestyle clients. Operates as a broad incumbent serving built environment clients as part of a wider portfolio.
• Adfactors PR: India's largest independent public relations firm offering broad communications services across multiple sectors including real estate and corporate. Operates as a broad incumbent that occasionally serves built environment clients but is not niche-specialized like Epistle.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting firm with deep expertise in design, architecture, and lifestyle branding. Comparable in offering brand strategy and identity services to design-aware clients, though at a much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Ogilvy PR: Global advertising and PR network with deep India operations serving real estate, design, and lifestyle brands. Comparable in offering integrated communications but operates as a broad incumbent across many verticals.

Direct peers

• W Communications: UK-based PR and communications agency specialized in design, architecture, and lifestyle brands. Directly comparable to Epistle's positioning as a niche communications consultancy serving the built environment and design sectors.
• Resonance: Global marketing and communications consultancy focused on real estate, destinations, and lifestyle. Comparable to Epistle in serving built environment clients with brand strategy, PR, and storytelling expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9d6feb0TXD_RbJ-Ku_Kh7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/EpistleCommunications
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epistle-communications
• Instagraminstagram.com/epistle_communications
• Xx.com/epistlecomm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Epistle