Aindrila Roy
Aindrila Roy is a stay-at-home mom with her fingers in many pies. She writes, reads, makes jewelry, sings, dances and is a huge Paleontology nerd. Her book, I See You, was self-published on Amazon. She also has stories in anthologies, such as City of Screams and Dark Valentine. Several of her movie reviews have been published in the Monster magazine. She is currently working towards pitching her second novel, and building a Paleontology blog. More by Aindrila Roy
Alakananda Mookerjee
Alakananda Mookerjee lives in Brooklyn, and is a Francophile. More by Alakananda Mookerjee
Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney
Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney is the Donor Engagement Advisor at India Currents and Founder/Producer at desicollective.media. She brings her passion for community journalism and experience in fundraising, having served on the boards of several educational and philanthropic non-profits.
She also reports on the South Asians diaspora covering the social and cultural impact of issues like immigration, health, social justice, politics, census, elections, technology and the arts.
Anjana is a 2021 and 2022 Fellow of USC Annenbergโs Center for Health Journalism, reporting on domestic violence in the South Asian community. She also won a grant from Altavoz Labs to report on aging in 2022 and the 2024 Journalists in Aging Fellowship from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the Journalists Network on Generations to report on menopause.
She has received Journalistic Excellence awards from the San Francisco Press Club and from California News Publishers Association for In-Depth Reporting. Her stories have appeared on India Currents, Palabra, San Diego Herald-Tribune, Indiaspora and American Kahani. More by Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney
Anuj Chakrapani
Anuj Chakrapani loves music and cinema among all art forms. He believes their beauty lies in their interpretation, and that the parts is more than the sum. Anuj lives in the SF Bay Area and works for a large technology company. More by Anuj Chakrapani
Avatans Kumar
Avatans Kumar is a columnist, author, public speaker, and media panelist. He is a recipient of the California News Publishers Assocoation and San Francisco Press Clubโs journalism award. He is the curator of Gods in Exile, an anthology of short stories. He has contributed chapters in Westland Booksโ Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade and BlueOne Inkโs Padma Bharatis: Ordinary Indians Extraordinary Triumphs. Avatans has also been involved in translating original English work into Hindi. Notable works include Prof. Subhash Kak and Ambassador Arun Sahuโs poetry collections เคชเฅเคฐเคเคพเคถ เคเคฐ เคเคพเคฏเคพ เคเคพ เคชเคฅ and เคเคเฅเคตเคพเคจเคพ เคเคฐ เค
เคจเฅเคฏ เคเคตเคฟเคคเคพเคเค respectively.
Column: Beyond Occident โ A column exploring a native perspective on the Indian diaspora. More by Avatans Kumar
Bindu Gopal Rao
Bindu Gopal Rao is a freelance writer and photographer from Bangalore who likes taking the offbeat path when traveling. Birding and environment are her favorites and she documents her work on www.bindugopalrao.com. More by Bindu Gopal Rao
Jaya Padmanabhan
Jaya Padmanabhan is editor emeritus, contributing writer, and board member of India Currents.
She is a veteran journalist, essayist, and fiction writer with over 250 published articles and short stories. She has received 25 awards for journalism and 8 awards for fiction, most notably the San Francisco Press Club’s Overall Excellence Award three times and the Lorian Hemingway Award for short fiction.
Her columns and articles can be found in India Currents, PBS Next Avenue, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Standard, Forbes, The Bold Italic, and Elemental.
Find out more at http://jayapadmanabhan.com/ More by Jaya Padmanabhan
Jyoti Bachani
Dr. Jyoti Bachani is a Professor of Strategy and Innovation at Saint Maryโs College of California. She is a former Fulbright Senior Research Scholar, with degrees from London Business School, UK, Stanford, USA, and St. Stephenโs College, India. She translates Hindi poems, and has edited a poetry anthology called โThe Memory Book of the Poetry of Diaspora in Silicon Valley.โ More by Jyoti Bachani
Kallol Basu
Dr Kallol Basu is passionate about Bangla heritage and has been writing about it for many journals . When he is not executing duties as a business transformation consultant – with a IT service major – he keeps an eye out for intriguing historical trivia and unearths forgotten stories More by Kallol Basu
Lalit Kumar
Lalit Kumar works in the California Bay Area’s tech sector and enjoys writing about adventure and travel. He is the author of two books, “Years Spent, Exploring Poetry in Adventure, Life and Love” and “Yosemite of My Heart-Poems of Adventure in California”. Instagram @lalitk06 or check him out at www.lalitkumaronline.com More by Lalit Kumar
Lopamudra Basu
Lopamudra Basu is a professor of English and Philosophy and Chair of the Literature Committee at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University. More by Lopamudra Basu
Mona Shah
Mona Shahย is a multi-platform storyteller with expertise in digital communications, social media strategy, and content curation for Twitter and LinkedIn for C-suite executives. A journalist and editor, her experience spans television, cable news, and magazines. An avid traveler and foodie, she loves artisan food and finding hidden gems: restaurants, recipes, destinations. She can be reached at:ย mojoexplore.com
Column: Dig in Meals: A column highlighting Indian spices in recipes that take traditional Indian food and add a western twist. More by Mona Shah
Monita Soni
Monita Soniย grew up in Mumbai and works as a pathologist in Alabama. She is well known for her creative nonfiction and poetry pieces inspired by family, faith, food, home, and art. She has written two books:ย My Light Reflectionsย andย Flow Through My Heart.ย She is a regular contributor to NPRโs Sundial Writers Corner. More by Monita Soni
Mukund Acharya
Mukund Acharya isย a regular columnist for India Currents. He is also President and a co-founder ofย Sukham,ย an all-volunteer non-profit organization in the Bay Area that advocates for healthy aging within the South Asian community. Sukham provides curated information and resources on health and well-being, aging, and lifeโs transitions, including serious illness, palliative and hospice care, death, and bereavement. Contact the author atย sukhaminfo@gmail.com.
Column: Sukham Blog โ A monthly column focused on South Asian health and wellbeing. More by Mukund Acharya
Nandini Patwardhan
Nandini Patwardhan is a retired software developer and co-founder of Story Artisan Press. Her writing has been published in, among others, the New York Times, Mutha Magazine, Talking Writing, and The Hindu. Her book, โRadical Spirits,โ tells the deeply-researched story of Dr. Anandi-bai Joshee, Indiaโs first woman doctor.
Column: Unalienable – Reflections on Independence and Belonging More by Nandini Patwardhan
Nandita Bose
Nandita Chowdhury Bose is Contributing Editor at India Currents. In Mumbai, she worked at India Today and Society magazines, besides other digital publications. In the United States, she has been a communications consultant. More by Nandita Bose
Neha Kirpal
Neha Kirpal is a freelance writer based in Delhi. She has worked for over a decade in print, television, and online media. Her diverse interests in the culture beat include books, music, travel, films, and theater. More by Neha Kirpal
Partha Sircar
Partha Sircar is a retired Civil Engineer, currently residing in Concord, California. He has a BE in Civil Engineering from Bengal Engineering College in Shibpur, India, and a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a 55-year resident of the United States, including the last 38 years in California. He loves to write and has written several articles in India Currents over the last few years on various topics including on Indian history and Indians at the Olympics. He can be reached by e-mail at psircar@yahoo.com. More by Partha Sircar
Piyali Biswas De
Piyali Biswas De is a versatile Indian dancer, instructor, and choreographer in the Greater Seattle region. When she is not dancing, Piyali works as an IT professional and spends time with two beautiful daughters who seem eager to follow in her footsteps. For the past six years, she has run an Indian dance academy named Dance Tantra in the greater Seattle region. She is very active in Indian American cultural scenarios. In addition, she founded a Non-Profit called Sadhana to impact the community through Art. She is a speaker screener for TEDxSeattle in Art and culture. Being a fitness enthusiast and committed CrossFit athlete, she promotes fitness to individuals of all ages through dance teaching. More by Piyali Biswas De
Pradeep Srivastava
Pradeep Srivastava is a retired engineer, who currently lives in Albany, California. He has been writing for more than three decades.
Column: A Grandpaโs Guide To Getting By – Our grandpa-in-residence Pradeep Srivastava offers his advice for overcoming a habit we all share. More by Pradeep Srivastava
Pragalbha Doshi
Pragalbha Doshi, E-RYT500 – lives with her family in San Jose, CA. As a therapeutic yoga teacher, she facilitates therapy, healing & change for people who struggle with chronic symptoms of stress, physical & emotional, and who want a productive & fulfilling life www.yogasaar.com. She regularly writes inspiring poetry and prose on her blog Infinite Living. More by Pragalbha Doshi
Preeti Hay
Preeti Hay has a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media and Journalism and a Master’s degree in English Literature, majoring in Post Colonial Literature. She has worked for Indian publications including The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Sunday Midday, and Society Magazine. Nothing like walking into regular work without knowing you might end up meeting Shah Rukh Khan at a Press conference!
In America, she has written for publications including India Currents, Khabar Magazine, Yoga International, Yogi Times, and Months to Years Magazine.
She trained under Pat Schneider, the Founder of Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA), a highly acclaimed creative writing method. She is passionate about creative writing and her fiction and poetry have been published in anthologies. When she is not working, Preeti is mostly chasing her busy two-and-a-half-year-old son all over! More by Preeti Hay
Rajesh C.Oza
“Dr. Oza is a novelist and facilitates the interpersonal dynamics of MBAs at Stanford University. His novel, Double Play on the Red Line, is available from Chicagoโs Third World Press. He can be reached at satyalogue.com.” More by Rajesh C.Oza
Ranjani Rao
Ranjani Rao is a scientist by training, writer by avocation, originally from Mumbai, and a former resident of the USA, who now lives in Singapore with her family. Ranjani Rao is the author of Rewriting My Happily Ever After โ A Memoir of Divorce and Discovery, and Ranjaniโs Reflections Newsletter.
Column: Desi Roots, Global Wings โ a monthly column focused on the Indian immigrant experience More by Ranjani Rao
Ritu Marwah
Ritu Marwah is an award-winning author โ๏ธ and a recognized Bay Area leader in the field of ๐ art and literature. She won the 2024 and 2023 Ethnic Media Services award for outstanding international reporting; 2022 San Francisco Press Club Journalism excellence award as well as 2021 and 2020 California Award for Journalism. A California reporting and engagement fellow at USCโs Annenberg Center for Health Journalism and fellow at UCLAโs Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS). Ritu curates and moderates panel at the South Asian Literature and Art festival and Indians for Collective Action. ๐ Her body of work is recognized and awarded for its versatility and range of excellence by the Indian American Women Empowered, Claremont McKenna College, Ding Ding TV ๐บ๐ธ Ritu covers breaking news in politics, health and lifestyle. More by Ritu Marwah
Shabnam Arora Afsah
Shabnam Arora Afsah is a writer, lawyer, and short story writer who is working on her first novel based on the Partition of India. She is a committed political activist and also runs a food blog for fun! More by Shabnam Arora Afsah
Shalini Kathuria Narang
Shalini Kathuria Narang is a Silicon Valley based software professional and freelance journalist. She has written and published extensively for several national and international newspapers, magazines and websites. She is originally from New Delhi and is settled in the Bay Area with her husband and two daughters for 25 + years. She loves to hike, read fiction and nonfiction, and read and write poems on subjects ranging from parenting and philosophy to growing and thriving. Rumi and Paulo Coelhoโs works are some of her favorites. To read all of Shaliniโs poems, go to her blog site: Rhythm and Rhyme. More by Shalini Kathuria Narang
Suman Bajpai
Suman Bajpai is a freelance writer, journalist, editor, translator, traveler, and storyteller based in Delhi. She has written more than 17 books on different subjects and translated around 160 books from English to Hindi.
Column: The Cultured Travelerโ A column exploring the many miles of what South Asia has to offer. More by Suman Bajpai
Sunil Kakkar
Sunil Kakkar, an IITK computer engineer by profession, spends his fun time
โRomancing The Degchiยฉโขโ as itโs Chef De Passion and writing shayari/poetry emanating from โSuneel Ke Dil Seโ. His blogs have been referred to, in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News. More by Sunil Kakkar
Vidya Murlidhar
Vidya Murlidhar is a childrenโs book author, essayist, and teacher who lives in Charlotte, NC. A seasoned golf widow and a rookie empty-nester, she is learning to revel in her own company and looks forward to a life of traveling solo and having new experiences.
Column: Tiny Tales From the Heart โ A monthly column that presents the world as seen through the eyes of Desi kids. More by Vidya Murlidhar
Umang Sharma
Umang Sharma is a media professional, avid reader and film buff. He has worked as a journalist for over 12 years and is addicted to breaking news! He enjoys researching and writing about socio-political, cultural and economic issues. Umang is an avid traveler who loves discovering the essence of new places and weaving stories about the little things in everyday life. More by Umang Sharma
Interns
Adi Anand, IC-Youth Writer
Adi Anand is a 10th grader living in the Bay Area. He is an avid sports fan. In his free time, Adi likes to read. More by Adi Anand, IC-Youth Writer
Ashir Rao, IC-Youth Writer
Ashir Rao is a student at Los Gatos High School, CA. He likes programming and history โ especially as it relates to current events. More by Ashir Rao, IC-Youth Writer
Kaashvi Mittal, IC-Youth Writer
Kaashvi Mittal is a sophomore at Saint Francis High School. Her interests include computer science, AI, and writing!ย More by Kaashvi Mittal, IC-Youth Writer
Medha Sarkar
Medha Sarkar is a Freshman at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, California. She enjoys writing about social issues and her experiences as an Indian-American teen. More by Medha Sarkar
Sanjana Karthik
Sanjana Karthik has her own writing organization โ Your Words Matter To Us, a mental health app โ myEsprit, and is the host and co-founder of the Shawmulticultural show โ The Reality Is. Her poetry and articles have been recognized by the Mayor of Whiterock, and various magazines and radio stations, and have been published in anthologies. She is always engaging with her community and advocating for menโs rights, mental health, restorative justice, and other integral topics. More by Sanjana Karthik
Amann Mahajan, IC-Youth Writer
Amann Mahajan is a senior at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Gunn’s newspaper, The Oracle, as well as the co-Editor-in-Chief of its arts and culture magazine, Helios. Outside of working on school publications, Amann enjoys running her student-led review magazine, Zenith, playing piano, and watching movies. More by Amann Mahajan, IC-Youth Writer