IWP Fellows 2026

Karuna Kumari Kandregula is an independent researcher and writer from Andhra Pradesh. Her work explores governance, public policy, rural development, technology, climate and social issues, with a focus on how policies and institutions shape everyday life. Her interest in water emerged from seeing its influence across these themes, particularly in rural communities where it affects livelihoods, mobility, agriculture and access to essential services. Through the India Water Portal Fellowship, Karuna hopes to strengthen her field reporting and document grounded, underreported stories from the Lanka villages of the Godavari Delta. Her work aims to build a deeper understanding of the relationships between water, communities and local resilience.

Veni E N is a journalist from Kerala with a background in zoology and multimedia journalism. She previously worked as a health reporter with The South First in Chennai, covering public health and policy across Tamil Nadu. Reporting from different communities helped her recognise how often water sits at the intersection of health, livelihoods and local environments. Through the India Water Portal Fellowship, Veni hopes to deepen her understanding of water governance and strengthen her environmental reporting skills. She is particularly interested in producing stories that bring scientific research and community experiences together, making complex environmental and water-related issues more grounded, accessible and relevant to the people they affect.

Manthati Sai Kiran is a journalist from rural Telangana with training in Development Studies and journalism. His reporting examines climate change, water, environmental justice, public policy and rural livelihoods, with work from regions including Bastar and Malkangiri published in The Hindu Frontline, Village Square and The Migration Story. Growing up in rural Telangana shaped his understanding of water through rain-fed agriculture, seasonal migration and access to safe drinking water. The Telangana statehood movement further influenced how he sees water as a question of resources, justice and governance. Through the fellowship, Sai Kiran hopes to strengthen evidence-based reporting that connects local experiences with wider environmental and policy debates.

Satyam Kumar Jha is a freelance journalist based in Bihar and Jharkhand, reporting on the environment, health, agriculture and rural issues. His work has appeared in Down To Earth Hindi, Down To Earth magazine, Mongabay Hindi and IndiaSpend Hindi, among others. Growing up in north Bihar, he experienced both recurring floods and, increasingly, summer water scarcity. These contrasting realities drew him to stories about water sources, infrastructure and communities. Through the fellowship, Satyam hopes to deepen his field reporting, data analysis and community-centred storytelling skills, while bringing important water stories to wider audiences. He also enjoys travelling and exploring different cultures, languages and traditions.

Saumya Jyotsna has been writing since 2019, with a particular focus on women and social issues. Her work received the UNFPA Laadli Media Award in 2020, 2021 and 2022. She now wants to use her reporting experience to bring forward lesser-known and underexplored stories about water. For Saumya, water cannot be understood through a single lens; its connections with society, communities and everyday life make it a rich area for deeper storytelling. Through the India Water Portal Fellowship, she hopes to examine water from multiple perspectives and develop stories that open up new conversations around the subject. Outside work, she enjoys reading books and watching films.

Sachin Garkoti is a photographer, writer and researcher from Garkot village in Uttarakhand’s Champawat district. Deeply connected to the mountains and local communities, he is developing Untold Stories of Kumaon, an archive of migration, memories, cultural heritage and overlooked stories from the region. His work explores climate change, water, caste and gender inequality, and the challenges faced by rural communities. Growing up in the mountains, Sachin witnessed changing water sources, scarcity and their effects on everyday life. Through his storytelling, he hopes to document the memories, struggles and water experiences of villages across Champawat and Kumaon, while helping preserve the region’s cultural identity for future generations.

Rahul Kumar is a documentary filmmaker and multimedia storyteller who documents real-life stories from communities across rural India. While filming people’s everyday lives, he began to see how deeply water is connected to farming, livelihoods, health, climate and many other challenges. This experience encouraged him to look beyond what the camera captures and develop a deeper understanding of water-related issues. Through the fellowship, Rahul hopes to learn from experts, engage with different perspectives and strengthen his ability to communicate complex water issues through accessible visual stories. He believes storytelling can help build awareness, encourage conversations and inspire action towards a more water-secure future.

Roujat Ul Hussain Mondal is a documentary photographer and visual storyteller from Assam and a member of the Charua community. His growing curiosity about his community’s history and relationship with the Brahmaputra led him to document life on the river’s shifting chars. After completing the Green Hub Fellowship and directing Roots of Resilience – The Mangrove Story, he began Project Bheramara, a long-term documentation of Charua life. Through photography, film and oral histories, Roujat explores how water shapes memory, identity, livelihoods and biodiversity, alongside erosion, environmental change and climate-induced displacement. As an IWP Fellow, he hopes to amplify the lived experiences of underrepresented riverine communities.

Fazil NC is a documentary filmmaker based in Kerala and the founder of Bahr Films. Over more than a decade, he has documented communities, coastlines and culture across India, covering subjects ranging from climate and indigenous festivals to Kashmiri youth culture and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. He has worked with development organisations, undertaken independent projects in Lakshadweep and line-produced for broadcasters including National Geographic and History TV. He is currently directing a film on whale shark conservation for the Wildlife Trust of India. Through the fellowship, Fazil hopes to strengthen his grounding in water science and policy while reporting visually from remote and underrepresented regions.

Kiran Admache is a filmmaker from the Gond tribal community in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh. She is part of CICADA, a collective of young filmmakers, and has collaborated with organisations including PARI Network and Locavore. Her work uses film, photography and digital media to document community narratives, culture and everyday experiences. Through visual storytelling, Kiran is particularly interested in bringing underrepresented voices to the forefront and preserving indigenous knowledge and traditions. As an IWP Fellow, she hopes to build on this practice by exploring water through the lived experiences, knowledge and perspectives of communities, and telling stories that are rooted in place, culture and memory.