Alexandru Ionut Budisteanu is a young innovator and a computer geek born and raised in Hackerville – the cybercrime capital of the world. Alexandru puts a lot of passion and dedication in creating all kinds of software and devices in order to improve people`s lives. He won the $75,000 Gordon E. Moore award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, for a low-cost self-driving car that was using Artificial Intelligence. He also received the $10,000 IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship for a device that was trying to help blind people to see with their tongue. TIME magazine listed Alexandru as one of the Most Influential Teens of 2013.
Often called “Happiness Illustrator”, Alicia Souza is an artist known for her quirky designs. Based in Bengaluru, India, she has built a loyal fanbase through her distinctive, lighthearted illustrations that capture everyday life, humour, and emotions. She runs two online stores, selling a wide range of illustrated products, including planners, stationery, home decor, and accessories. Her work is often inspired by her personal experiences, her pets, and the little joys of daily life.
Alicia has collaborated with major brands like Google and Netflix. She has illustrated five published picture books and was published as a solo author-artist with Penguin for Dearest George, a beautifully illustrated book based on letters exchanged between her and her husband.
Her unique artistic style and entrepreneurial spirit have earned her multiple accolades, including being featured in Forbes India’s 30 Under 30 list.
Watch INK Talk
Anand Gandhi is an Indian filmmaker, playwright, entrepreneur, and thinker known for his groundbreaking work in cinema and storytelling. He gained international recognition for his debut feature film Ship of Theseus (2012), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and was widely acclaimed for its philosophical depth and visual storytelling. His work often explores themes of identity, consciousness, and the intersection of science and art. He has also created genre-shifting films like Tumbbad and impacted documentary cinema with An Insignificant Man. He executive produced the groundbreaking sci-fi comedy series OK Computer for Disney+. His films have premiered and won awards at eminent festivals including Toronto, Venice, London BFI, and Mumbai.
Beyond filmmaking, Anand Gandhi is deeply involved in science communication, artificial intelligence, and immersive storytelling. Anand founded SAFER, an informal network of scientists assisting governments during the pandemic. He co-founded Memesys Culture Lab, a studio that produces films, shows, board games, brand stories and science communication.
He produced the tabletop games SHASN and SHASN:AZADI, now played in over 75 countries. Anand founded ElseVR, one of the world’s first VR journalism channels. In addition, He heads the pioneering mythological storytelling studio Department of Lore.
Watch INK Talk
Anand Giridharadas is a writer, but the depth of his words speaks for itself. He is the author of The Persuaders, a New York Times bestseller; the international bestseller Winners Take All; as well as The True American and India Calling. A former New York Times columnist, his work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Time. A dynamic speaker and former NYU professor, he has been honored with awards like the Radcliffe Fellowship and the NYPL’s Bernstein Award for Journalism. He is also a political analyst on MSNBC and the publisher of The Ink, a newsletter on politics and power.
Anand Varma’s photos tell the story behind the science of everything from primate behavior and hummingbird biomechanics to amphibian disease and forest ecology. He started photographing natural history subjects while studying biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He spent several years assisting other photographers before receiving a National Geographic Young Explorer grant to document the wetlands of Patagonia. Varma has since become a regular contributor to National Geographic. His feature stories include “Mindsuckers” about mind-controlling parasites and “Quest for a Superbee” about the science behind honeybee declines
Anandee is one of six artists at Omaggio – India’s one-of-a-kind Performing Company created by Tino Sanchez and Peeya Rai Choudhary. She embodies the Company’s palpable passion for performance, who have all tirelessly pushed the internal boundaries of their artistic abilities and with it, those of Indian Contemporary Art.
A decade of craft work in contemporary dance, aerial circus, and theatre and also expression in multiple artistic productions and performances for ‘Meta’, Cirque du Soleil, global events for the Ambanis, Goenkas, etc. Omaggio has enthusiastically assisted the evolution and enrichment of India’s inchoate Performing Arts movement.
Anshulika brings with her over a decade of experience in the Media and Entertainment industry. She launched her entrepreneurial venture called Wishberry in 2012, which was India’s first crowdfunding platform for creative artists. In 2018, she also forayed into film production, and her Tamil film Mandela was also shortlisted among the 14 films being considered for India’s entry to the Oscars in 2021. She is currently working on Writers INK, a nationwide skill-building initiative in the area of written storytelling.
Watch INK Talk
Anusha Yadav is a documentary photographer based in Mumbai. She is also the Founder of Indian Memory Project – an online project that traces a personal history of India through pictures found in family archives. It aims to become India’s first open repository of a visual history made by its own people.
Anusha Yadav graduated in Communication Design from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in 1997. Yadav’s interest in photography began while still at design school. Subsequently, she attended University of Brighton to study photography for a semester.
After fifteen years of a successful career in graphic design and advertising, Yadav began working as an independent documentary photographer in 2006 in Mumbai, India. Since then she has photographed several significant events and personalities all over the country.
Yadav has exhibited at the NCPA Gallery in Mumbai, Vadehra Gallery- New Delhi, Tasveer Gallery – Bangalore, Art Motif Gallery – New Delhi and Her series on Portraits of a City – Salzburg, was exhibited as Public Art on the Banks of the River Salzach, Salzburg, Austria and produced as a book in July 2010. The show was redisplayed at Dhoomimal Art Center, New Delhi in March 2011 and is on show at the Austrian Cultural Forum until March 2012. Yadav’s next show will be on display at the UC Davies, UCLA in California, USA in November 2011 and then again at March 2012.
Her photographs have featured in publications like Shots Magazine [UK], Slanted [Germany], Verve, Femina, The Sunday Guardian, Mid Day, Times of India, Asian Photography, Mint Lounge, Hindustan Times and CNNgo.com, Dezineconnect.com, Masala Chai among others.
Yadav is also the Founder of Indian Memory Project – an online and social archive to trace a personal history of India, through pictures and narratives found via family Albums & Archives. The first of its kind, she considers it to be one of the most incredible archives available online. Yadav currently works in India and sometimes the rest of the world.
WEBSITE: The Indian Memory Project, Anusha Yadav Photography
Watch INK Talk
An accomplished story engineer, Apoorva is an International EMMY Award-winning producer, most notably known for her critically acclaimed crime drama DELHI CRIME. She has collaborated with auteurs & filmmakers and developed a robust slate of genre-defying projects which include Book Adaptations, Animation Features, Scripted and Unscripted Films, and TV shows.
A fierce guardian of independent voices, Apoorva believes in telling urgent and mission-driven stories that have the ability to move, inform, stop you in your tracks, make you think or feel more deeply and share the same with the widest audiences possible, even if that means pushing boundaries and taking risks.
Ashwini Hiremath, co-founder of the Wild Wild Women collective, also known as “Krantinaari,” has been selected as an INK Fellow for her impactful work in empowering women through music, particularly rap and grassroots activism. As a multidisciplinary artist, Ashwini uses her art to advocate for gender equality, sustainability, and social justice. Her unique approach blends music with local-level activism, enabling women to address critical issues within their communities. Ashwini’s latest initiative—a mobile music studio for women in collaboration with Manzil Mystics—provides safe spaces for music creation and educational workshops, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality and quality education. Her work has already impacted hundreds of women and children, and her goal to empower women to gain recognition in music reflects her commitment to breaking gender barriers in the industry.
Aurelie works tirelessly to help people keep their traditions and cultures alive. She has worked with musicians in the Caribbean, Egypt, Mozambique, Morocco, India and Argentina. She takes the musicians she discovers abroad to numerous music festivals, has started collaborative projects with them, all in addition to making documentary films. In Mumbai, she worked with traditional musicians and street children, not only helping them to record their own music albums and videos, but also building bridges between the humanitarian world and culture.
Her first documentary was on the traditional music of Mozambique, entitled Mozambico, sketching the music, presented in the major Parisian music venue La Cite de la Musique where she invited 40 musicians to perform. She then went on to document the traditional life of a large gypsy family of musicians in Southern Egypt, through the eyes of the children, work that she shared with other children in France and India, through an interactive exhibition. After working for almost a year in Paris with the famous aerial photographer and filmmaker Yann-Arthus Bertrand, Aurelie is now working with another music community based in Rajasthan called the Langa, using the film as a tool to connect people – creating awareness, sharing the beauty of a unique heritage, empowering the new generation and hopefully contributing to the passing on the tradition.
Balazs Gardi is an award winning photojournalist covering conflict, humanitarian crises, and environmental issues. His photography often explores underreported stories that evoke deep emotional responses. Gardi has worked extensively in war zones, documenting the impact of conflict on civilians, and has also focused on global water scarcity, migration, and climate change. His in-depth work during the Afghan war won him numerous awards, including the prestigious World Press Photo award, for his impactful and thought-provoking visual storytelling.
His raw and intimate war-zone photography has been widely published and has received international recognition.
Through a long term project, Stories from the Water Front, he documented global water scarcity and its impact on communities worldwide. This work sheds light on how water access shapes geopolitics, migration, and survival.
His work has been featured in major international publications like National Geographic Magazine, WIRED, TIME, The New York Times, Discovery Channel Magazine, among others.
Watch INK Talk
An emerging artist whose skill and imagination is at once striking and impressive, she describes her own art as self-reflexive, introspective and thought-provoking. The conflict and fragility of the mind is a constant theme that pervades her body of work.
Benitha completed her MFA from the Government College of Arts & Crafts, Chennai, in 2002 in painting and printmaking.
Chakshu is an expert on the rules and procedures of Parliament and its functioning. He heads the legislative and civic engagement initiatives at PRS. For over a decade, he has championed citizen involvement in India’s lawmaking. He trains journalists, supports civil society in engaging with legislatures, and helped create India’s first comprehensive state legislation database.
Chandan studied Philosophy at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi (2009). Themes of beauty, imitation and abandonment interest him as a photographer.
He won the India Habitat Centre Fellowship for Photography in 2011, Oslo University Scholarship to participate in Chobi Mela in 2012, Neel Dongre Award in Photography in 2013 and the Foto Visura Spotlight Grant in 2014. He was also nominated for the Prix Pictet Award in 2015 and the Joop Swart Masterclass in 2016.
His artist book, ‘This World of Dew’, published by PHOTOINK, was released in 2015 and went on to garner much critical acclaim. ‘This World of Dew’ has been shown at the Benaki Museum, Athens and Parc Des Ateliers, Arles. He currently teaches at the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts & Communications, Delhi
Watch INK Talk
Charles Ma was initiated into the sacred world of Bharatanatyam under Guru Smt.Vidya Shimladka. His dance stands out for its distinct individuality, personality and control. Charles is also a contemporary choreographer and teacher. He believes that dance is sacred and the essence of his dance is a deepened spirituality and respect for its tradition and aesthetics.
Watch INK Talk
He identifies rare artists and engages them in collaboration with contemporary artists, which creates an accessible art form for everyone around the world. He has put together a platform for folk music called ‘La Pongal’ for Tamil folk musician to take their music outside of the interiors of Tamil Nadu.
WEBSITE: lapongal.com
Deepthi Sasidharan is an art historian, curator and founder Director at Eka Archiving, a cultural advisory and works on heritage and museum projects across India with the government, private and corporate clients. Deepthi has led Eka projects have been path-breaking in India, including setting up museums, seminal exhibitions and the creation of archives like those for Kalakshetra at Chennai, City Palace at Udaipur, Mumbai Police and Tata Trusts, Mumbai.
Dia Mehta Bhupal originally from Mumbai, now works and practices in Hyderabad, India. Educated at The Parsons School of Design in New York, she holds a BFA in Photography. Prior to enrolling at Parsons, Dia completed her foundation studies at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London. During her time at both Parsons and St. Martins, Dia has focused extensively on photography, with a particular emphasis on redefining everyday images as commonly interpreted by society. Dia creates fine art photography, primarily working with the constructed image.
Born into a farming family in Karnataka’s Mandya District in 1981, Eregowda’s journey to filmmaking was anything but conventional. His diverse career path includes roles as a house servant, office boy, driver, security guard, and gardener before he found his true calling in cinema.
Eregowda’s breakthrough came with the acclaimed film ‘Thithi,’ directed by Raam Reddy. He made significant contributions as the scriptwriter, second unit director, line producer, and casting director. His exceptional work earned him the Asia New Talent Award for ‘Best Screenplay’ at the 2016 Shanghai International Film Festival and the Karnataka State Award for ‘Best Dialogue Writer.’
Eregowda’s directorial debut, ‘Balekempa,’ a fiction feature, won the FIPRESCI award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2018. He continued to garner accolades with his documentary ‘Sarala Virala,’ which won the 66th National Award for Best Educational Film in 2019. Eregowda’s remarkable journey from humble beginnings to award-winning filmmaker is a testament to his talent, resilience, and passion for storytelling.
Gary is an environmental-and-water activist, and filmmaker. His foundation, Make a Change World, uncovers uplifting and inspirational stories with an aim to give a voice to the underrepresented and bring about social change. With his younger brother Sam Bencheghib, he has launched a series of expeditions – from kayaking the world’s most polluted river in Java on plastic- bottle kayaks, to standup paddling down New York’s most toxic waterways – to bring to light the impact of growing water pollution. In the past 2 years, Gary’s videos have been viewed by over 500 million people worldwide.
Gary is the co-founder of TOTO Express, an organization that seeks to redefine the way artisans monetize their work by digitizing the entire value chain. TOTO Express builds tools to allow artisans to take full control of how their art gets used, determine how they get paid, and simplify the movement of goods. But prior to TOTO Express, Gary has built a variety of ventures from food businesses in the US and China, to tearing apart old buses in India to create mobile classrooms. There were many failures along the way, but Gary has lived to tell the tale.
Originally from Silicon Valley in California, Gary is a recent MBA graduate from Stanford University where he was awarded their Social Innovation Fellowship. His current orgranization has also been honored by various organizations such as Echoing Green and Halcyon Fellowship.
Gazal did a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from NIT, Jaipur, and went on to work as a software engineer with Infosys Technologies for 2 years, before she decided to pursue one of the two biggest dreams of her life. She moved to Mumbai in 2005 to work in the movies. Today, she writes films for some remarkable people in the Hindi film industry, namely Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Govind Nihalani, Prakash Jha and Tanuja Chandra. In 2007, she took another life changing decision. She went through a medical process to fix a disorder she was born with. Her journey to being who she is, has been two-fold – the external path to find a place for herself in the daunting business of the movies… and the internal path of combat with her own identity and destiny.
Gingger Shankar is a singer, virtuoso violinist, composer, model and songwriter, and was born into one of the world’s most influential musical families. Her accomplishments include working with top producers and film composers, and recently contributing to Katy Perry’s album “Prism” on the single, ‘Legendary Lover’. Gingger is an INK Fellow from the class of 2015. She is also the only female in the world to have mastered the 10-string double violin, an instrument that covers the entire range of the orchestra’s double bass, cello, viola and violin, and of which there are currently only two in existence.
Haleem Khan grew up in a rich mix of Islamic and Telugu cultures, and was drawn to the classical Indian dance form of Kuchipudi. At 9-years-old, he started his training under the revered Guru Sri K.V Subrahamanyam, disciple of the venerated Guru Sri (Dr.) Vempati China Satyam. Haleem lives in Hyderabad and has given more than 800 solo and group performances all over India and abroad.
He has vast experience in teaching dance, choreographing both conventional and fusion, conducting workshops for both private and corporate groups. Haleem enjoyed immense success on his recent road shows in the United States and Malaysia, and immensely enjoys travelling and the continuous learning
Hanif Kureshi is a multidisciplinary artist and designer living and working in New Delhi, India. His work is focused on the intersection of art, typography and street culture. He is a creative director and Co-founder of St+art India Foundation which aims at making art accessible to a larger audience in India through the series of street art festivals. His ongoing project,handpaintedtype.com attempts to conserve and archive the vernacular street typography of India. His work has been exhibited at the London Design Biennale, Venice Biennale, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Triennale Design Museum in Milan, among others.
Hannah directed and produced Project 2×1, world’s first Google Glass documentary, which explored, through collaborative storytelling, the longstanding cultural divide between Hasidic and Caribbean neighbourhoods in Brooklyn, New York. By filming life through the eyes of local residents, she crafted a story and an interactive-screening experience that sparked inter-community dialogue. Beyond the rewarding nature of this local social-impact work, the project has earned broad attention through speaking engagements, and was featured in Fast Company, The New York Times, Huffington Post Live, and more.
Currently, Hannah aims to develop a mobile app to help address the growing health concerns around sedentary media consumption. By day, she is a marketer at a global experiential agency, where she helps generate the agency’s thought leadership on the future of brand engagement, social media, and creative culture.
Harshit Agarwal is an Indian artist working with emerging technologies, primarily artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D printing. His practice centers around exploring the poetics of technology in our already posthuman existence. He is a graduate of the MIT Media Lab (USA) and IIT Guwahati and has completed residencies at the Museum of Tomorrow (Brazil), Art Center Nabi (Korea), and X-Lab (Japan). He was recently the first artist-in-residence for Google Arts and Culture in India. He has authored several publications and holds patents at the intersection of human-computer interaction and creative expression.
Harshit has been active in the space of AI and Art for a decade. He was the only Indian artist among seven international AI art pioneers at the first global exhibition of AI Art in a contemporary gallery at Nature Morte Gallery in 2018. He held India’s first solo exhibition of AI Art at the Emami Art Gallery in Kolkata in September 2021. His work has been nominated twice for the prestigious Lumen Prize, ranking among the top 3% of global tech art submissions. His work is part of the permanent exhibition at the largest computer science museum in the world, HNF museum in Germany. He has exhibited work at premier museums, galleries, and art festivals around the world, including the Ars Electronica Festival (Austria), Asia Culture Center (Gwangju, Korea), Tate Modern (UK), and many others. He curated India’s first AI NFT exhibition – Intertwined Intelligences with six global AI artists (including his works) at the Terrain.art platform.
He has delivered several talks about AI and Art, including at TEDx and INK Talks. His work has been extensively covered in international media, including BBC, New York Times, Artnet, and STIR World.
Watch INK Talk
Harshvardhan is an independent visual artist who makes street art across India. He has been running his travel studio, Inkbrushnme since 2007 which has been producing children’s illustrated books, graphic novels and character designs for animation and gaming projects.
Making a work of art for Harshvardhan is a ritualistic performance. Born in India and exposed to its rich cultural and literary heritage, he has dedicated his time in discovering mythologies and reinterpreting its essence through street art and digital paintings.
Isha began her journey in dance at the age of 8 under the guidance of her mother and Guru, Daksha Sheth. She trained in yoga, gymnastics, and various movement traditions from different states of India, including Kathak, Kalaripayattu, Malkhamb, Aerial ring technique and Mayurbhanj Chhau. Today, she is one of India’s most prominent young dancers. She has also acted in both Bollywood and Malayalam films, and has films like “Luck by Chance”, “David” and “5 Sundharikal” to her credit. She has performed at various venues, including “Lets Dance” Festival in Leicester, Jamshed Bhabha Theater in Mumbai, The Perth International festival and at The South Bank Center in London.
James Sebastiano is a documentary filmmaker. He He has spent the last 3 years exploring the root causing of anxiety and mental health issues which has resulted in the making of ” Chasing the Present”. In addition to filmmaking , he is also a marketing expert, conscious entrepreneur, passionate about ethical and environmentally sustainable business and is currently studying psychology.
Joi Barua is a musician from Assam, India who fell in love with music at the age of four, after his father gifted him a violin. Growing up, his town had one piano and no music teachers, and his father had to cross the border and get him a keyboard from Bhutan. Since then, Joi has been making waves in the advertising, music, and film circuit in Mumbai with his musical stylings and melodious voice. He is also the lead vocalist of the band Joi and has a mixed musical style incorporating elements of rock, soul, jazz, folk and world music.
Watch INK Talk
Kalki Koechlin is an Indian film actress of French origin. She has starred in critically acclaimed films such as That Girl in Yellow Boots and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Kalki also stars in award-winning plays which she writes and directs.
Kalyan Varma is a wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and explorer dedicated to documenting nature and environmental issues His work brings the wonders of the wild to a global audience. For over a decade, Kalyan has collaborated on landmark wildlife series for BBC and Nat Geo, capturing nature’s most breathtaking moments. He co-founded India Nature Watch, Asia’s largest wildlife photography community, and Nature InFocus, the continent’s biggest nature photography festival.
Kalyan also won the 67th National Film Award for his documentary Wild Karnataka in 2021. Beyond the lens, he’s passionate about sharing knowledge, conducting workshops, and inspiring the next generation of wildlife storytellers.
Watch INK Talk
Kelli is an American-born cultural anthropologist based in Indonesia, whose work focuses on the role of the media in the construction of religious identity. With a strong belief in the potential of new media to change perspectives, she is launching a collaborative platform to facilitate the circulation of stories and voices from the communities of Eastern Indonesia. Her work has landed her in interesting situations – she once lived with and studied the Toraja people of South Sulawesi, whose practice it is to live with the mummified bodies of their deceased relatives.
Watch INK Talk
Kiran, who performs as Madame Gandhi, is a Los Angeles-based musician, activist and music industry thinker who was recently listed as Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2019. Madame Gandhi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Women’s Studies from Georgetown and an MBA from Harvard. Her 2018 TED Talk “Own Your Voice” about making music that is purposeful has been viewed over 200K times. Having gained recognition as the drummer for MIA, and as the viral free-bleeding runner at the London Marathon 2015, Madame Gandhi’s mission is to elevate and celebrate the female voice.
Laura is an Architectural Choreographer, known for her groundbreaking work in Augmented Dance; the fusion between movement and technology. Her most recent work includes Mass Crane Dance (www.masscranedance.org ) which was launched as part of her Creative Fellowship with WIRED Magazine. Mass Crane Dance is a spectacular meeting of music, light, and synchronized construction cranes dancing across the skyline at night.
Laura founded her award-winning and innovative dance company Guerilla Dance Project (www.guerilladanceproject.com) to specialise in Augmented Dance. They are resident at the Pervasive Media Studio, in Bristol, creating installations and spectacle shows. The company have been commissioned worldwide including USA, Brazil, Ireland, Croatia, Dubai and Indonesia. They are currently working with 7 UK and European Universities on a new touring shows Slow Into Motion, Kicking the Mic and Transference. Guerilla Dance Project have won multiple awards for digital innovation
Manu S Pillai is the author of the critically acclaimed The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (2015), Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (2018), and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (2019). Formerly chief of staff to Shashi Tharoor MP, he is also a winner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (2017). His other essays and writings on history have appeared in Mint Lounge, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Open Magazine, The New Statesman, and other publications.
Navneeth Sundar is a composer, keyboardist, iPad musician and performer. Started as a musical prodigy, Navneeth Sundar owned the stage since a very young age with his performances by creating a distinctive approach to classical-fusion music.
Making his presence felt in the classical and fusion music scene, he is one of the most technically complex artists, well known for being the first musician to explore Carnatic music beyond the constriction of instruments with the help of an iPad, acknowledged by the Limca book of records.He has scored the music for films in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil and also runs his band “Navneeth Sundar Ensemble” performing his independent music scores and also covers of famous songs, rearranged by him.
Nirali is an Indian Classical Vocalist from Mumbai. She nurtured the dream of being a classical vocalist from her childhood; backed by support from her parents and her music Guru Vikas Parikh. Nirali was the recipient of Shrestha Sadhaka Award by Gujarat Sangeet Academy.
Nirali’s horizons expanded when she formed a world music act called ‘MaatiBaani’, with her husband Kartik Shah (a music Composer and Producer). MaatiBaani literally means ‘language of the earth’ and the duo collaborate with musicians all over the globe; through the internet. Each song is a story in itself and often speak of ‘one love’.
Nirupa Rao is a botanical illustrator based in Bangalore. Her illustrations are inspired by field visits into the wild, and are informed by close collaboration with botanists. In 2017, she was named a National Geographic Young Explorer, and received a grant to pursue her work. She has been published in Harper’s Bazaar India, and named in their list of Indian Women to be Proud of; in Chickpea, USA and Medicor (published by the Karolinksa Institutet, Sweden). Her first book, Pillars of Life, with 80 beautiful illustrations of trees native to the Western Ghats rainforests, has been published by the Nature Conservation Foundation and authored by botanists Divya Mudappa and Shankar Raman.
Pavitra Mohan started MASALA CHAI, a blog that showcases South Asian or ‘desi’ art and design from around the world. The idea was to scour the web for sub-continental art that was innovative and broke the ‘brown’ mold. She refers to this new breed of art and design as ‘desihip’, and has showcased over 450 artists and designers.
She has also worked with retail giant Harvey Nichols on an Indian themed exhibition, where she curated the up and coming designers under fashion and interiors.
Born and brought up in Kerala, Jalaja secured BFA and MFA in Fine Arts from RLV College, Kochi. Through her work, she tries to trace the history of ‘man’ within the collective ‘human’ history. This history has much importance in her works. Jalaja offers a counter vision of a wide laugh and a deep cry within the canvas of many histories of man.
Her most recent exhibitions inlcude, Mattanchey, curated by Riyas Komu, Uru Art Harbour, Kochi in 2017. Dissonant Image, three solos, Gallery exhibit 320, New Delhi in 2016. Face it: HERstory, curated by Bose Krishnamachari, Kashi Art Gallery Cochin in 2014. Walking on the Planet curated by Pietro Gagliano, Casa Masaccio, San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy in 2015. Being in her Shoes – ‘Celebrating Women’s Creativity’ Kalakriti Art Gallery in Hyderabad, 2015. People without Memory is a People without Future curated by Sumesh Sharam and Sererna Trinchero, Casa Masaccio, San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy (2013).
Pulkit is a writer and filmmaker based in New York City. Growing up in six countries across four continents, Pulkit’s global upbringing drives him to discover and tell stories that connect people intrinsically to one another beyond traditional and restrictive boundaries. With a background in cinema studies and film/TV production from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Miami University (Ohio), he has worked in creative and production capacities on a range of international projects including narrative films, Sundance-backed documentaries, web content, commercials, short films and multimedia campaigns. Pulkit’s first short film as writer/director “Jason.” was screened at numerous festivals, won the Reel 13 online vote competition and was broadcast on PBS. He has also produced the documentary “The Forgetting Game” (distributed by IndiePix Films), experimental short “Acetate Diary” (Official Selection, Tribeca Film Festival 2014), and executive produced “Three Shades of Brown,” a British-Asian comedy web series. As a writer, Pulkit has also written numerous arts and culture articles for Buzzfeed, The Aerogram, NewsLaundry, The NRI, and more.
Pulkit is currently developing his debut feature film as writer/director, titled “Colony.” The project was one of ten selected from around the world for the Cine Qua Non Lab in Mexico, as well as one of 25 selected in the ‘Emerging Storytellers’ program by IFP (Independent Filmmakers Project) in New York City.
Reena Esmail is an Indian-American composer celebrated for her unique fusion of Hindustani and Western classical music. Esmail holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music and was a Fulbright Scholar in India, where she studied Hindustani classical music.
Her life and work have been featured in PBS Great Performances’ Now Hear This (Season 3) and Frame of Mind, a podcast by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her music has been featured on multiple Grammy-nominated albums, including The Singing Guitar (Conspirare), BRUITS (Imani Winds), and Healing Modes (Brooklyn Rider). Many of her choral works are published by Oxford University Press. Her work has been recognized with awards and fellowships from United States Artists, the S&R Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Kennedy Center. Her doctoral thesis, Finding Common Ground: Uniting Practices in Hindustani and Western Art Music, explores the challenges and techniques of cross-cultural collaboration. Her notable work like This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity and Teen Murti highlight her ability to merge musical traditions while addressing themes of unity and spirituality.
Currently, Esmail serves as the Swan Family Artist in Residence (2020-2025) at the Los Angeles Master Chorale. She also serves as Artistic Director of Shastra, a non-profit dedicated to bridging Indian and Western musical traditions, further solidifying her role as a trailblazer in the world of cross-cultural composition.
Alien in camouflaging roles but for human conveniences: Mental Health Advocaate, Hononrarium Prof, Mime Artist, Author and Writer, Protagonist of an award winning documentary called “A Drop of Sunshine”.
Website – https://valresh.com/
Sai Gaddam is a computational neuroscientist and an author. He co-founded Comini Learning, a microschool aimed at providing an alternative, progressive education to children. The institution offers a progressive Finnish early education program tailored to the Indian context. Through his education ventures he blends neuroscience, technology, and education to transform early learning. He earned his Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from Boston University and has co-authored notable books like “A Billion Wicked Thoughts” and “Journey of the Mind”.
In the past, Gaddam also invented Makkhichoose, a price comparison browser extension designed for online shoppers in India. His latest venture, Giffie, an AI-powered educational tool, bridges his passion for neuroscience and learning technologies to shape the future of education.
Sameer has over 8 years of experience in the restaurant business in both India and the USA. With a degree in Chemistry and an MBA, he started his career in banking before realizing that his interests lay in the world of hospitality and restaurants. Sameer’s time at Shalom in Delhi became his education in the business and from here he went on to Cornell University’s Hotel School and to work in New York. Whilst in New York, Sameer had the opportunity to work at some of the finest names in the business – Chef Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud and Danny Meyer’s North End Grill.
Driven by the passion to build a restaurant that fit in the Indian context, both socially and culturally, in 2013 Sameer joined hands with Yash Bhanage, and Chef and Mentor Floyd Cardoz to develop the concept behind The Bombay Canteen, where they have formed an environment that is not only welcoming but places a strong emphasis on excellence in both service and food.
Sarah Elizabeth Chawla co-founded Delhi based online music magazine and events company Wild City in 2011. Over the last 8 years the company has evolved into a brand that champions alternative music culture in the region through events, concerts, parties, workshops, skills development platforms, cultural collaborations, and consultancy projects. In 2013 Wild City co-founded Magnetic Fields festival – an annual music and arts festival now going into its 7th year. Growing from a small gathering of 400 guests to 4000 attendees in its last edition, the festival has organically evolved to represent India’s emerging creative community seamlessly marrying this alongside traditional Indian culture.
Satya’s 9 year long journey has ranged from scoring for Indian films to collaborating with Indian artists and musicians. While her artistic footprint has evolved from eastern traditional to western electronica, Satya’s spiritual vision is moulded by a blend of the two. Her label, Tabula Rasa, hopes to play a key role in revolutionizing the electronica movement.
Watch INK Talk
Shankar Tucker is an American clarinetist, composer, and music producer renowned for his ability to seamlessly blend Indian classical music with contemporary Western influences. A graduate of the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, Tucker has carved a niche for himself in the global music scene through his innovative compositions and collaborations.
His breakthrough came with “The ShrutiBox,” an online music series where he reimagined Indian classical and contemporary songs with a fusion of Carnatic, Hindustani, jazz, electronic, and orchestral elements. This project brought him widespread recognition, attracting millions of listeners worldwide and leading to collaborations with talented Indian and fusion artists.
He has performed alongside legendary artists such as Zakir Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Raghu Dixit. His versatility as a musician has also seen him contribute to Bollywood, including a collaboration with Amit Trivedi for Coke Studio India.
Continuing to push musical boundaries, Tucker’s most recent project is a collaboration with Vidya Vox for her 2024 album, “Sundari”. This latest work showcases his signature fusion style.
Watch INK Talk
Shipra Jain is the vice president of Design and Merchandising of BlueStone.com, a leading online jewellery retail brand. Her last assignment was a design-it-yourself jewellery site Sheyna, based out of USA, that lets users create their own necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. The website received accolades from key media segments such as Oprah’s blog, NBC’s Today Show and People Style Watch. Shipra has also previously worked with Jewellery brands such as Tanishq.
Shipra strongly believes in breaking the norms that the jewelry industry holds for being secretive and having hidden costs. She is inspired by innovation and advocates for being transparent and is paving a new way to buy jewelry in India.
Shruti Ganguly is an award-winning filmmaker and writer dividing her time between Oslo and New York City. She was a member of Obama’s ECCO committee of 30 leaders and creators in entertainment, chairing its Asian Caucus, and is on the Creative Council for Emily’s List. Shruti has made videos for Google, Unilever, Nike, Conde Nast, Chanel, and crafted the #MySentence series on prison reform for the Obama Administration. She has produced several films that have gone to Sundance, Venice, Tribeca and Berlin.
In late 2017, Shruti started honto88, a production company that works in a variety of formats – from narrative and documentary features to series, and branded content. She launched it with a narrative feature, Green Dolphin, by director Chris Kenneally and EP Keanu Reeves. Shruti worked for several years with James Franco on films, and produced an experimental art performance with him and Marina Abramovic, called Bird Shit, which premiered at the MoMA. Previously, Shruti worked at NYLON, MTV, and Conde Nast, producing the CLIO-winning 73 Questions series. Shruti is currently writing a genre film for Sony, and is developing a multi-generational drama for Netflix. She is a co-founder of the Resistance Revival Chorus and a Contributing Editor for Vogue India.
Shruti received her Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, and went to NYU’s dual MFA/MBA program at Tisch and Stern. She hails from India, by way of Oman.
Sneha Khanwalkar is an Indian music director who works in Bollywood. She is best known for her score for the film, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, and also for Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1, Part 2; the latter earned her a nomination in Best Music Director category at the 58th Filmfare Awards.
Sophie Morgan is a British TV host, producer, travel writer, speaker, artist, and disability advocate, known for her bold perspective and commitment to inclusion. A wheelchair user since 18, she has broken barriers in travel, adventure, and media representation, redefining possibilities.
Recognized as one of the UK’s most influential disabled people, Sophie’s impact extends beyond television. In 2010, she designed Mannequal, a wheelchair for mannequins that allows disabled shoppers to see how clothes would fit. In 2024, she made history as one of the first disabled women to serve as a Paralympic correspondent in the U.S., taking the mic for NBC Sports.
Today, she leads Making Space Media, a production company dedicated to amplifying disabled voices in film, TV, and promotional content.
Watch INK Talk
Stuart is a futurist whose work enables collective foresight and imagination through design. For the past decade he has developed experiential futures (transmedia interactions and immersive situations embodying future scenarios) to support strategy, changemaking, storytelling and education. Stuart is currently the Director of the Situation Lab and Assistant Professor of Strategic Foresight and Innovation in the Faculty of Design at OCAD University, Toronto.
As a consultant and facilitator Stuart has worked with diverse organisations including the United Nations Development Programme, Arup, IDEO, General Electric, the University of Oxford, the Sydney Opera House, the government of Singapore, Wired magazine, and the National Film Board of Canada. He recently co-created the award-winning imagination game The Thing From The Future, and is currently helping to design the Museum of Future Government Services in Dubai.
Ugesh Sarcar is India’s first and only contemporary and revered street magician. Ugesh mastered diverse forms of the “King of Arts,” including Street Magic, Mentalism, Hypnosis, Illusion, Paranormal, and Psychic abilities. “Ugesh Sarcar’s 3rd Degree,” his first national TV appearance, became an instant hit and the highest rated show for the channel in over 3 years. He is founder at Fans Tribe Pvt. Ltd, recognised for pioneering transformative strategies that bridge the gap between celebrities and their fans through AI, nurturing meaningful communities. He is also the creator of the world’s only completely interactive Zoom Mentalism Experience Your Mind is Mine 2.0.
In 2024, Sarcar embarked on an all-India tour of “Your Mind is Mine”. Each performance was tailored to reflect the local culture, ensuring a unique experience for every audience.
Beyond live performances, Sarcar has contributed to Indian cinema by training actors like Shah Rukh Khan for “Don 2” and serving as the Technical Director for Magic in “Guzaarish,” where he designed and executed magical effects.
Watch INK Talk
Vandana Srinivasan is a Playback Singer, Indian Semi-classical Musician, Independent Artiste & Live Performer based in Madras. She has been working in the Indian Film Industry for over a decade with many notable film numbers across languages to her credit, as well as Live Concerts around the globe. She has had the honour of representing Indian music at the London Olympics 2012 through a detailed live performance at the Olympic Village. She & her partner Anand Pattathil run Madras Mehfil, a Music Collective specializing in Ghazal, Sufi, Semi-classical, Devotional & Retro genres across all Indian languages. She is also keen on exploring the business side of things & is involved in a few interdisciplinary ventures. As for her current & future plans, she hopes to make traditional art forms more accessible by creating relatable frameworks through her collaborative musical explorations.
Watch INK Talk
Varun Agarwal is an Indian entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker known for his various innovative ventures.
At the age of 22, he founded Alma Mater, one of India’s first E-Commerce companies, specializing in custom apparel and memorabilia for educational institutions across India. The company scaled from a startup to a million-dollar enterprise within three years. Alma Mater is India’s largest company for customised merchandise for schools and colleges. He also founded Mento, an online alternative education platform where he has engaged India’s best industry experts as faculty.
A dynamic speaker, Varun has delivered over 500 keynote talks across eight countries, addressing leading corporations and premier educational institutions. His national bestseller, “How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-Founded a Million Dollar Company,” chronicles his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the obstacles he overcame. The book’s widespread success led to a Bollywood adaptation, set to be directed by Nitesh Tiwari (director of Dangal) and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur.
Varun is also a film-maker and runs a Youtube Channel called The Enthu Cutlets which has close to 25 Million views on Youtube and Fb combined.
Watch INK Talk
Vicky Roy is an internationally acclaimed photographer whose journey from a street child to a celebrated artist embodies resilience and determination. At the age of 11, Vicky Roy ran away from home as child and became a ragpicker. He found refuge at a NGO for street children where he met a photographer that changed his life. In 2007, he held his first solo exhibition, “Street Dreams at the India Habitat Centre. Vicky pursed his passion for photography and was selected to photo document the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in NYC. His photography has been showcased internationally, including participation in the Houston FotoFest Biennial and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2018.
Roy’s work often reflects his own experiences, focusing on marginalized communities and street life. His notable projects include “Home Street Home” (2013) and “This Scarred Land: New Mountainscapes” (2017).
Roy was named in the Forbes Asia “30 Under 30” list in 2016 and served as a MIT Media Lab Fellow. He also co-founded Rang, a Delhi based community of artists working towards creating an open and a democratic space for them.
For four years, Roy worked on“Everyone is Good at Something”, capturing the lives of individuals with disabilities across India. The culmination of this endeavour is a book featuring 100 stories from across India, aiming to challenge the stigma surrounding disabilities and promote inclusivity. This exclusive project was featured by The Guardian in march 2025.
Watch INK Talk
Internationally acclaimed American conductor, Viswa Subbaraman, is currently the Artistic Director/Music Director of The Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee. In his inaugural season at the Skylight, highlights include a number of critically acclaimed and audience acclaimed productions such as a Bollywood production of Beethoven’s Fidelio, which he both stage directed and conducted, a production of Hans Werner Henze’s El Cimarrón, and Philip Glass’ Hydrogen Jukebox.
Previous to his time with the Skylight, Subbaraman was the Artistic Director/Founder of Opera Vista, Houston’s innovative contemporary opera company. In his time with Opera Vista, he was selected by the HoustonPress as a 100 Creatives 2012: one of the one hundred most creative people in Houston. Opera Vista and Subbaraman were also honored with the 2010 Mastermind Award from the HoustonPress for artistic creativity and innovative outreach.
Equally comfortable in the orchestral realm as with opera, Mr. Subbaraman served as Assistant Conductor of the Orchestre National de France where he assisted Kurt Masur and visiting guest conductors. Subbaraman has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. at the Kennedy Center as a Debut Conductor in the National Conducting Institute.
WEBSITE: www.viswasubbaraman.com
Yash Dongre heads the American side of the business at House of Anita Dongre. Having completed his post-graduation in International Marketing from Hult Business School, USA, he is currently spearheading the company’s expansion strategy in the US and recently launched the company’s first store in New York.
Yash has a keen interest in social enterprise and entrepreneurship projects, and has invested in a social impact driven start-up X Billion Labs. The company claims a business-driven approach giving ROI and works in the domain of water, digitization, social cause, marketing, renewable energy, skill development, education, rural development, agriculture and e-commerce.
He is a core member of the Anita Dongre Foundation, undertaking its CSR activities as part of his profile. He led the Charoti Project launched by the foundation, in a small village about 2 hours from the city of Mumbai. They trained completely unskilled women from the village, equipping them with technical skills and employment opportunities, making them economically independent. The Anita Dongre Foundation is focused on turning villages into self-sustainable units. Recently, Yash Dongre addressed over 2000 students at the annual United Nations Young Change Makers Conclave on Anita Dongre Grassroot’s journey of adapting an enterprise approach towards sustainability.
Watch INK Talk
Zain Memon is a story-teller, media-tech specialist, futurist and Media-Producer based out of Mumbai and Goa. He co-founded Memesys Culture Lab, a cinema and new media studio at the intersection of science, philosophy and culture.
In the past few years, Zain has created the world’s first open-source film project, ran India’s largest crowdfunding campaign for a documentary and created India’s first Virtual Reality Platform. He is currently working on Shasn, a political strategy board game. His well-rounded expertise in storytelling, technology, narrative design, and game-design allows him to bridge the gap between technology and effective storytelling.
Subscribe to our newsletters for latest updates, inspiring talks, and access to our vibrant community.
