India Currents is an important facet of America’s emerging multi-cultural identity. It’s a monthly publication that explores the heritage and culture of India as it exists in the United States. The magazine covers a wide range of subjects – politics, arts, literature, travel, and even recipes – tat are of interest to a general readership. Over the years, India Currents has won considerable recognition for it’s content, including awards from New America Media, The Arts Council Silicon Valley, and the South Asian Journalists Association as well as nominations for the Utne Independent Press Awards.
India Currents has been in publication since 1987, when it started as a utility for the burgeoning South Asian community. Today, the magazine is published in two print editions as well as online, but it remains true to its original ethos and is free to all California subscribers.
For the first time in 21 years, India Currents has two women at its helm. Vandana Kumar, a veteran in the publishing business, has worn many hats in two decades – from working on advertising and the calendar to serving as Editor and now as Publisher of the magazine. Her goal for India Currents is that it be a “passionate voice of the community that evolves with the changing diaspora, while remaining accessible, usable and relevant to the times.” That’s where Ragini Srinivasan comes in: a second generation writer and aspiring academic who’s not much older than the magazine itself. As managing editor, Srinivasan is expanding India Currents’ relevance for a younger, more web savvy readership with stories that challenge established notions of the immigrant experience. Both women agree: it’s an exciting time to be thinking about India in the Unites States.
