DELHI—Brussels-based public affairs and public relations firm Interel is launching an operation in India. The new company, Interel Consulting India, will focus on public affairs, strategic communications and association management. It will be headquartered in Delhi, with plans to expand across the country, and led by Preeti Bakaya.

The new office is the latest step in Interel’s geographic expansion, which began in earnest when it was part of Hasgrove—during which time it acquired a public affairs business in the UK and formed a partnership with lobbying firm Blank Rome in Washington, DC—and is now clearly going to continue following the firm’s management buyout last year.

Bakaya had been working as a senior advisor, focused on India business, at Interel’s Brussels office since 2010. Earlier, she was a communications consultant for Momenta Global, a leading technology and media firm based in Dubai with operations in the Middle East and North Africa, and led corporate public relations initiatives for Microsoft in India.

“As a diverse democracy, India offers opportunities for growth but can also deter potential investors.” Bakaya says. “It is therefore critical that companies partner with firms that can assist and provide a comprehensive view of the complex socio-political and economic structures in India.”

Interel now has offices in Berlin, Brussels, Delhi, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague and Washington, DC.