I am an independent photojournalist, filmmaker, and National Geographic Explorer based in New Delhi and Hyderabad, India. My work explores the many inequalities that influence migration, health and the environment, with a particular focus on rural and indigenous communities across the country.
In the summer of 2008, I quit an IT job to work on commissioned projects photographing communities in HIV/AIDS interventions in southern India. Over the next three years, this work resulted in several publications and, more importantly, deepened my understanding of rural India, which continues to influence my current work. During this time, I also worked towards a master’s degree in journalism from Osmania University, Hyderabad.
I am a member of Panos Pictures and the recipient of Amnesty International UK’s Media Award for Photojournalism in 2022 for my photographs of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural India.
I speak fluent English, Hindi, and Telugu and can also understand Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi and Bengali.
EDITORIAL COMMISSIONS AND PUBLICATIONS
National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Monocle, Al Jazeera, GEO, The Economist, The Guardian, Le Monde, Financial Times, Rest of World, CNN, BBC, Scientific American, Foreign Affairs, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Nature, Wired, Le Point, Quartz, The Caravan, Vogue India, Forbes India, The Indian Quarterly, Tehelka and The Indian Express, among others.
NGO, NON-PROFIT CLIENTS
UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, FAO, UN Women, Greenpeace, Oxfam, The Clinton Foundation, Teach for America, HCL Foundation, Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration, The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Worldvision India, HLFPPT, India HIV/AIDS Alliance, Public Health Foundation of India, Project Management Institute and Wadhwani Foundation.
COMMERCIAL, CORPORATE AND AGENCY CLIENTS
Facebook, Apple, YouTube, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Lowe Lintas, Airbnb, CFA Institute, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Primark, Sanofi Aventis, Systra and Keolis.
AWARDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND EXHIBITIONS
Chennai Photo Biennale Awards \ Winner, Climate, Environment and Conservation, 2024.
Centre for World Environmental History, University of Sussex, UK \ Presentation, 2024.
The South Asia Forum, Queen Mary University of London, UK \ Presentation, 2024.
National Geographic Society \ Storytelling Grantee, 2023.
American Photography 39 \ Winner.
Srishti Award for Documentary Projects, Chennai Photo Biennale Awards \ Winner, 2023.
Amnesty International UK Media Award for Photojournalism \ Winner, 2022.
Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Grant for Photography \ Nominee, 2022.
Red Ink Awards for Excellence in Indian Journalism \ Shortlisted, 2022.
Chennai Photo Biennale \ Communities of Choice, Shortlisted Artist, 2022.
Oxford Climate Journalism Network \ Fellow, Second Cohort, 2022.
Asian Press Photo \ Winner, Contemporary Issues, 2022.
News Photo Awards \ Shortlisted, Healthcare Category, 2022.
Chennai Photo Biennale Awards \ Winner, News and Current Affairs: Single Image, 2022.
Chennai Photo Biennale Awards \ Shortlisted, News and Current Affairs: Photo Story, 2022.
National Geographic COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists \ Grantee, 2021.
Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India \ Artist Talk, 2021.
Leica Oskar Barnack Award \ Nominee, 2021.
Victoria and Albert Museum, London \ Turbinebagh, 2021.
World Press Photo 6×6 Global Talent Program \ Nominee, 2020.
UNSUNG-Srishti Digilife Grant \ Nominee, 2020.
International Center of Photography, New York \ #ICPConcerned Exhibition, 2020.
Verzasca Foto Festival, Switzerland \ Shortlisted and Digital Projection, 2020.
Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India \ Exhibition, 2020.
Photometria Festival, Greece \ Exhibition, 2020.
Round Lemon and Leeds City Museum \ Protest for Progress Exhibition, 2020.
Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India \ Digital Projection, 2018.
Worldvision India \ Ek Nazar Exhibition, 2016.
Imagely Fund \ Honourable Mention, 2016.
