Host Institution India: New York University

Aananth Daksnamurthy

Mr. Aananth Daksnamurthy is currently pursuing writing, translation, and title acquisitions as a freelancer. As a literature connoisseur, he is closely following the broad contours of Indian vernacular publishing.

His foray into writing happened when he joined the founding team of a Delhi-based news organization, The Print. In his professional journey, he has gathered various experiences in the publishing industry, from a business analyst to a contributing journalist. For a brief period, he was also engaged by the Editors Guild of India. As part of the team that built India’s first academic fellowship for lawyers, he has dabbled in the Indian higher education space for a while. In his latest stint, Mr. Daksnamurthy was a consultant with the Government of Tamil Nadu, leading their media team for the Industries Department. On several occasions, he has also had the privilege of drafting speeches for the Chief Minister and senior bureaucrats.

Born in Tiruchirappalli, Mr. Daksnamurthy graduated with a B. Tech in mechanical engineering from SASTRA University. He also has a postgraduate diploma in liberal arts from Ashoka University as a Young India Fellow. He is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a Climate Reality Leader.

A graduate program in publishing as a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow will not only help Mr. Daksnamurthy excel in key publishing business functions but also open doors to a vast network of industry executives, publishers, and editors. His objective is to build a space for vernacular languages in public discourse within India and the world.

Amrutha Sai Anju Kosuru

Amrutha Kosuru is an independent journalist from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, presently stationed in Hyderabad, Telangana. In 2022, she worked as a fellow at the People’s Archive of Rural India, where she delved into multifaceted subjects such as agriculture, art and crafts, climate change, food, public policy, and gender through her insightful reporting in the rural regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Recognized for her exceptional work, Amrutha was honored with a Jury Appreciation Citation at the Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity in 2023. She received this recognition for her compelling article on the lives of widows of manual scavenging workers and the challenges they face. Specializing in rural and literary reportage, Amrutha is a firm believer in the transformative power of compelling storytelling.

Amrutha has more than three years of experience in ground reporting and editing for both print and digital media. She has previously worked with and written for The Hindu, The New Indian Express, and NewsMeter. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in journalism from the Asian College of Journalism.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow, Amrutha is working on her journalistic skills which will allow her to expand the scope of her reportage in India, and help her delve deeper into narrative journalism, serving as a powerful tool to address integral issues plaguing India.