Before finding my rightful place in web development my journey has taken me through mechanical engineering at iit madras, editorial journalism at hindustan times, documentary photography for maharashtra government and indian institute of human settlements, communication strategy for various organizations, and community organizing at Ambedkar Reading Circle. A common thread runs through all these experiences: the drive to create things that enhance and complement life.

Building backwards and retracing every step that led me here.

• 📸⚙️🖥️
  My lens-based art, previously photo-objects, has been transformed into interactive web experiences, exploring the intersection of personal and political.
• 🌳⚛️☁️
  Joined BeneathATree. Engineered end-to-end modules for a senior-living hospitality platform with React + Redux, AWS Lambda, MongoDB, and Alexa for Hospitality (A4H), reducing caregiver task turnaround time.
• 🎭⚙️👨🏽‍🏫
  Developed 'Dramas of Discrimination', a web application that facilitates workshops for diverse communities to foster inclusivity, blending systems thinking with Theatre of the Oppressed methodologies.
• 💍🧑🏾‍❤️‍🧑🏾🏠
  Married Pallavi, the love of my life.
• 📜🪞🖋️
  Awarded the Mirror's Fellowship for creative expressions on the (de)construction of masculinity.
• ⚖️✈️🎤
  Represented 'Ambedkar Reading Circle (ARC)' at the Second Global Conference on Caste, Business, and Society at the University of Bath, UK.
• 🩺🤲🏾️⌨️
  Took a sabbatical to care for my mother during a health relapse—began coding at her hospital bedside.
• 🖌️✊🏾💙
  Contributed to 'All That Blue' anthology, curating anti-caste creative expressions from India.
• 📚💙🫂
  Initiated community organizing and program design at the Ambedkar Reading Circle, making anti-caste philosophy and literature more accessible in public spaces.
• 📸🔵🖼️
  Exhibited at The Vaanam Art Festival, organized in Chennai by filmmaker Pa Ranjith's Neelam Cultural Centre.
• 📍📊🧑🏽‍💻
  Moved to Bangalore to work as a communication strategist at a games for public policy startup.
• 💊👨🏽‍👩🏽‍👦🏽️⏳
  Took a sabbatical to care for my mother during her health crisis, deepened my bond with my father.
• 🌟🎞️🏛️
  Awarded a scholarship and admitted to the Photography and Media MFA at the California Institute of the Arts for the second consecutive year, a rare testament to the institution's sustained belief in my work. One of the most avant-garde art schools in the world opened its doors again, even as life had other plans.
• 📦️🗞️💼
  Relocated to New Delhi to join Hindustan Times as a photo editor on the national desk.
• 🎨🎞️🌅
  Awarded a scholarship and named a candidate to the Photography and Media MFA at the California Institute of the Arts for Fall 2021, one of the most fiercely creative art institutions in the world. The first of two consecutive invitations from CalArts, both of which arrived as life was quietly insisting on a different direction.
• 🎓📷🌆
  Awarded a scholarship to the ICP-Bard MFA Program at the International Center of Photography, one of the most prestigious postgraduate programs in contemporary photography. ICP returned with a second invitation, this time for their graduate program with Bard College. Circumstances, again, made the journey impossible.
• 🗺️📷️📰
  Worked as a documentary photographer for governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the Maharashtra Government, Paani Foundation, Indian Institute of Human Settlements, and The Wire, covering rural and urban stories across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
• 📸🗽📜
  Received a scholarship to the One-Year Certificate Program in Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism at the International Center of Photography, New York.
• 🎓🤖📚
  Completed my Dual Degree Thesis, 'Robot Motion Planning using Derivatives of Rapidly Exploring Random Trees', at IIT Madras, earning both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering.

I did expect my love for engineering, storytelling, and photography to lead me to web development, and here I am happily coding away and hoping my past adventures make me a better builder!

Predictably, I've found myself crafting web experiences that mix art, storytelling, and systems thinking, whether it's transforming lens-based work into artistic narratives , designing Dramas of Discrimination to get people collaborating in new ways, or building this Dev Diary as a home for my writing, publishing systems, and engineering experiments.

For me, web development is an ideal avenue to channel my past experiences into building meaningful and innovative digital experiences.