Prashant Kishor’s Company I-PAC: History, Campaigns and Rivals

“Prashant Kishor company” is one of the most common questions about Indian political consulting, and the answer has changed over time. This guide sets out what I-PAC is, which campaigns Kishor and I-PAC worked on, who runs the firm now, and how two other frequently searched names, Sunil Kanugolu and Varahe Analytics, fit in. Every factual claim below is linked in the sources at the end.

What Is I-PAC and Where Did It Come From?

I-PAC stands for the Indian Political Action Committee. Its origin is Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), a campaign and publicity group that Kishor and others set up in 2013 ahead of the 2014 general election, in which Narendra Modi led the BJP to victory. After 2014, Kishor and several CAG members regrouped as I-PAC to work on Nitish Kumar’s campaign in the 2015 Bihar Assembly election.

Before politics, Kishor spent about eight years in public health with the United Nations, including a role with UNICEF, and he began working with Narendra Modi’s team in Gujarat around 2011. The spelling “IPAC” or “ipack” is common in searches; the organisation styles itself I-PAC.

I-PAC’s own website describes it as a political consultancy that works on large election campaigns. In practice, its reported work spans surveys and research, campaign communication, social media, and voter-outreach programmes, organised around one client’s campaign at a time.

Which Campaigns Did Prashant Kishor and I-PAC Work On?

The table lists the major campaigns commonly attributed to Kishor and his teams, with the published outcome for the client. It is a record of engagements, not a claim that the consultant alone decided any result.

For the Tamil Nadu engagement in detail, see our analysis of how I-PAC worked on the DMK’s 2021 campaign.

Is Prashant Kishor Still With I-PAC?

No. On 2 May 2021, the day the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu results were declared, Kishor said in a televised interview that he did not want to continue as an election strategist. He had also held a political role earlier: he joined the JD(U) as vice-president in September 2018 and left the party in 2020.

After his exit, I-PAC continued under its co-founder and director Pratik Jain, with directors Rishi Raj Singh and Vinesh Chandel. The firm’s recent record is mixed:

• It worked for the Trinamool Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, in which the party won 29 of West Bengal’s 42 seats.
• Its client YSRCP suffered a heavy defeat in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh election.
• The Trinamool Congress extended I-PAC’s contract to the 2026 Assembly election, which the BJP won with 208 of 294 seats to the Trinamool’s 80.
• In January 2026, the Enforcement Directorate searched I-PAC’s Salt Lake office in Kolkata and Pratik Jain’s residence in connection with a coal-smuggling money-laundering probe. I-PAC publicly objected to the searches. No finding against the firm is stated here.

What Is Prashant Kishor Doing Now?

Kishor moved into electoral politics in Bihar. His Jan Suraaj campaign became a registered political party, the Jan Suraaj Party, on 2 October 2024. In the 2025 Bihar Assembly election the party contested 238 of 243 seats, won none, and polled roughly 2% of the vote.

In Tamil Nadu, Kishor agreed in February 2025 to act as a special adviser to actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for the 2026 Assembly election. He described the arrangement as guidance rather than a formal consulting contract, working through the party’s own campaign team. TVK won 108 of 234 seats in 2026, the largest total of any party.

How Much Does Prashant Kishor Charge?

There is no verified public fee schedule for Kishor or I-PAC. Figures that circulate online are usually unattributed estimates, and engagements differ widely in scope, length and geography. We do not publish a fee range we cannot source. For how political consulting is actually priced, and how to compare proposals, see our guide to political consulting costs in India.

What Is Sunil Kanugolu’s Company?

Sunil Kanugolu, a former McKinsey consultant from Ballari in Karnataka, founded and leads MindShare Analytics. He worked on the BJP’s 2014 campaign, then for the DMK in Tamil Nadu from 2015 to 2019 and for the AIADMK in 2021, which it lost. He is best known for the Congress’s 2023 Karnataka campaign, in which the party won 135 of 224 seats, and he now serves as chief adviser to the Karnataka Chief Minister with cabinet rank.

Kanugolu did not run the DMK’s winning 2021 Tamil Nadu campaign; that was I-PAC. Our Sunil Kanugolu Tamil Nadu profile sets out his full, sourced Tamil Nadu record.

Which Party Does Varahe Analytics Work For?

Varahe Analytics was incorporated in Chennai in August 2021 and has been reported as a consultancy contracted by the BJP, including for social media campaigns during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. It is reported to be run by Rangesh Sridhar.

How Do I-PAC, MindShare Analytics and Varahe Compare?

For a wider, unranked look at India’s consulting market, see our shortlist of political consulting firms in India. If you are choosing a firm, the criteria-led comparison explains what to ask before hiring.

What Should a Tamil Nadu Candidate Take From This?

National names attract attention, but the record above shows two practical points. First, the same firms have worked for rival parties across cycles, so a consultant’s past client list is not a guarantee of fit. Second, outcomes vary: I-PAC’s clients won in 2021 and lost in 2024 and 2026. Candidates should judge any consultant on the named team that will do the work, the evidence behind its methods, and a written scope, not on reputation alone.

Think Politically works with candidates and parties across Tamil Nadu. See how our political consulting service in Tamil Nadu works, or request a confidential assessment of your constituency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the name of Prashant Kishor’s company?

Prashant Kishor’s company is I-PAC, the Indian Political Action Committee. It began as Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) in 2013 and took the I-PAC name around the 2015 Bihar election. Kishor left election consulting in May 2021, and I-PAC is now led by co-founder Pratik Jain.

Is Prashant Kishor still working with I-PAC?

No. He announced on 2 May 2021 that he was quitting as an election strategist. He founded the Jan Suraaj Party in Bihar in October 2024, and in 2025 agreed to act as a special adviser to Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu without a formal consulting contract.

Did I-PAC work for the DMK in Tamil Nadu?

Yes. I-PAC worked on the DMK’s 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly campaign, which the DMK-led alliance won. Sunil Kanugolu, who had earlier worked for the DMK from 2015 to 2019, was with the AIADMK in 2021.

What is Sunil Kanugolu’s company?

Sunil Kanugolu founded and leads MindShare Analytics. He is best known for the Congress’s 2023 Karnataka campaign and serves as chief adviser to the Karnataka Chief Minister with cabinet rank.

Which party does Varahe Analytics work for?

Varahe Analytics has been reported as a consultancy contracted by the BJP, including for social media campaigns in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. It was incorporated in Chennai in August 2021.

Sources and Review Record

1. Wikipedia, “Prashant Kishor”: career before politics, CAG and I-PAC origins, campaign record, JD(U) role, Jan Suraaj Party; accessed 29 September 2026.
2. India.com, 2 May 2021 (reporting his NDTV interview): Kishor announces he is quitting election strategy.
3. The Week, 9 January 2026: Pratik Jain as I-PAC co-founder and director.
4. The Wire and News On AIR, 8 January 2026: ED searches of I-PAC’s Kolkata office and I-PAC’s response.
5. ThePrint and Telangana Today: I-PAC’s work after Kishor, the 2024 results and the Trinamool contract extension.
6. Wikipedia, “2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election”: BJP 208 seats, AITC 80.
7. Wikipedia, “Jan Suraaj Party” and Deccan Herald, November 2025: party founding and 2025 Bihar result.
8. The News Minute and Business Standard, February 2025: Kishor as special adviser to TVK.
9. ThePrint and The South First: Sunil Kanugolu, MindShare Analytics and the chief adviser role.
10. Decode, May 2024: Varahe Analytics incorporated in Chennai on 26 August 2021, run by Rangesh Sridhar, contracted by the BJP for 2024 social media campaigns; Storyboard18: Varahe’s BJP campaign work.

Content review: rewritten and fact-checked on 29 September 2026. This version replaces an earlier draft that contained unsourced figures and errors about I-PAC’s location, Kishor’s exit date and Varahe Analytics. Report an error through our editorial standards page.