“Integrity and human connection matter as much as innovation. In a world leaning heavily on automation and AI, staying true to your values and nurturing personal connections sets you apart.”
A storyteller, content strategist, and entrepreneur, Vrushali Negandhi has been in journalism, content strategy, and event production for the last 17 years. What makes her special is that she blends research-driven insight with human-centered storytelling to help organisations communicate with purpose and authenticity.
Born in Belgaum, her career is a quiet lesson in grit and focus. She built VAN Media Ventures LLP from the ground up to solve the problem of B2B brands not being human enough when they should be speaking to humans.
Vrushali ensures that her leadership is shaped by empathy and excellence, and she designs events and campaigns that do more than inform, build trust and inspire action and connection.
Vrushali also co-founded the Council of Industrial Excellence and Innovation, a platform that pushes sustainability and knowledge exchange across India’s cement and construction sectors. That practical, impact-first mindset feeds straight into her agency work.
VAN Media Ventures
VAN Media Ventures is a boutique B2B communications and events agency that specialises in bringing together insight, creativity, and innovation to help brands build trust and make an impact. Vrushali shares,
“We specialise in B2B events, digital campaigns, and brand storytelling — turning complex ideas into meaningful conversations that educate, engage, and inspire. Every project we take on is designed to create real results, whether it’s a thought-leadership conference, a digital awareness drive, or a complete brand repositioning.”
Vrushali believes in building relationships that go beyond work. With 17+ years of experience, she has cultivated strong networks across India and the Middle East, spanning pharma, manufacturing, software, infrastructure, and architectural products. In the first year of operations, she successfully brought 10+ brands on board, establishing a solid foundation for VAN Media Ventures.
Her strength lies in a unique blend of industry fluency and creative clarity, delivering work that not only captures attention but also drives tangible results.
Vrushali’s vision with VAN Media is to help organisations tell better stories. Their goal is to make complex work feel human and make communications count.
Giving Voice to Dreams
After 17 years in journalism, media, and events, Vrushali wanted to build something that reflected her values, voice, and the way she believes work should be done.
Mumbai was the obvious place to start. The city had taught her resilience, curiosity, and how to turn her dreams into something tangible.
“I arrived here years ago with nothing but ambition and a love for storytelling. This city taught me resilience, creativity, and the beauty of starting from scratch. I wanted to give back to it by creating something meaningful — a space where ideas could grow and stories could create impact.”
Vrushali started VAN Media Ventures to close that gap, turning technical ideas into stories that connect and deliver measurable outcomes.
A Competitive Edge
What makes VAN Media Ventures different is marrying strategy with emotion. We do not churn out content or run events for the sake of noise. We research, listen, and then craft stories that move people and deliver results.
Every project is built around measurable outcomes. They design campaigns to increase engagement, improve recall, and drive action. Their work routinely shows a 30 to 50 percent uplift in target engagement.
In an age of automation, Van Media keeps the human touch. Vrushali adds,
“We bring a personalised touch, guided by a journalist’s instinct for curiosity — turning data into stories that resonate. We blend insight with imagination, metrics with emotion, technology with heart, creating work that transforms rather than just performs. VAN isn’t just a partner — we’re a trusted extension of every brand we work with, turning vision into real-world impact.”
Rocky Road
Convincing people that B2B communication can be bold, huma,n and emotionally intelligent was the first real test. Many clients were comfortable with safe, corporate messaging that did not move audiences. Vrushali had to show that courage and clarity, when backed by evidence, deliver results.
Scaling without losing the personal touch was another constant tension. VAN Media grew quickly but Vrushali refused to let processes turn work into noise. She built repeatable systems that protect the creative spark while ensuring every project remains research-driven and bespoke.
Keeping journalism at the heart of the work felt like swimming upstream. The answer was not to resist technology but to use it wisely. VAN combines data and tools with human curiosity so stories remain empathetic and memorable.
Winning trust required proof, not promises. Vrushali led with case studies, measurable outcome,s and careful design. That slow, honest approach is what turned sceptical clients into long-term partners. Reflecting on the journey, Vrushali asserts,
“Looking back, these hurdles taught me that challenges are not roadblocks — they are opportunities to rethink, experiment, and evolve. By combining integrity, curiosity, and data-driven strategy, we didn’t just overcome obstacles — we transformed the way brands communicate and cemented VAN’s reputation as a trusted, impact-focused partner.”
Call for Celebration
“At VAN Media Ventures, success is measured by the difference we make, not just the campaigns we execute or the events we host.”
One of Vrushali’s major milestones is that VAN Media’s campaigns have increased audience interaction by up to 50 percent. She further adds,
“Even our curated events consistently earn 90%+ satisfaction ratings, turning B2B knowledge-driven conferences, summits, and workshops into immersive, memorable experiences. Each project is tailored and intentional, fueled by research and creativity, to ensure every touchpoint resonates.”
Apart from partnering with more than ten brands across India and the Middle East, working across pharma, manufacturing, software, infrastructure, and architectural products, she also co-founded the Council of Industrial Excellence and Innovation.
Ultimately, her biggest achievement is people. Building a team and a client list that trusts VAN to tell difficult stories with clarity is the outcome she values most.
The Next Frontier
Vrushali plans to grow VAN Media Ventures steadily and with purpose. She will deepen the agency’s footprint across the MENA and APAC regions, working with global brands that share a taste for thoughtful, research-driven storytelling, campaign,s and events.
A priority is launching owned IP events that bridge knowledge and networking gaps in key industries.
Technology will play a supporting role. Vrushali intends to adopt AI tools to improve personalisation, optimise outreach, and measure impact more precisely while keeping the human touch and storytelling instinct at the centre of every story.
“To achieve this, we plan to invest in talent, nurture a culture of curiosity and creativity, and continuously refine our processes to ensure each project delivers measurable impact. Ultimately, our goal is to transform how brands communicate, helping them build relationships, not just reach, and consistently turn vision into impact.”
The Takeaways
“The journey of building VAN Media Ventures has been a masterclass in resilience, curiosity, and purpose.”
Over the years, Vrushali has learned that persistence matters more than flash. Bold ideas will meet resistance, but steady work and patient persuasion turn skeptics into believers.
She also learnt that research and insight are the backbone of every meaningful campaign. Creativity without data can miss the mark, and data without human context can feel hollow. The sweet spot is where both meet.
Her message to budding entrepreneurs is,
“Embrace curiosity, take calculated risks, and never compromise on purpose. Challenges are inevitable, but they are also the greatest teachers — and the ones that transform vision into real-world impact.”
