This multidisciplinary contest is the first of its kind in India that invites photographers and filmmakers to present their work and experiences from across the country.
The third edition of this competition will open on the 15th of August 2019 and will close on the 1st of October 2019. You can take a look at last year's winners here.
India has a coastline of 7500 km where maritime culture is flourishing, however, traditionally we are intimidated by the ocean and rarely venture into the deep waters. Blue India will raise consciousness amongst the people towards greater care and protection of our oceans and encourage ocean sports such as diving, surfing and sailing to a larger audience. The main focus of this competition is documentation of the ocean environment of India, where underwater photographers and videographers become the voice for our marine environment, in the way that wildlife photographers have become for our terrestrial forests. In addition to creating a community of ocean lovers, the objective of Blue India is to build a ‘documentation bank’. ReefWatch can use this to further their marine conservation efforts by obtaining records of animal sightings in various parts of the ocean based on the geo-locator facility in the entries.
The following rules are the general rules that all entrants under the photography category must follow. Please also read the rules specific to the category you wish to enter under and our conservation guidelines.
COMING SOON
Prahlad Kakar is the Advertising Film Director for Genesis Film Production, one of India’s oldest and foremost ad film production houses since its inception in 1977. Prahlad founded Genesis in 1977 and invented a genre of television advertising in India in the years that followed. Prahlad has ruled the advertising world with his brand of irreverent humour, memorable brain-building campaigns and has created award winning commercials for the most reputed corporates and agencies in India and the Asia Pacific region. After having assisted renowned feature film-maker Shyam Benegal, he moved on to making advertising films. Prahlad is a certified SCUBA diving instructure, successfully running Lacadives, India’s first dive school.
Amongst the small fraternity of underwater photographers in the country, Sumer Verma is one of the best. With a portfolio that ranges from wildlife to fashion, Sumer’s skills are at the leading edge of a new breed of imaging in India. As part owner of the Lacadives group of dive centres and as one of India’s leading SCUBA diving instructors, Sumer has spent innumerable hours in and around the sea. Sumer is the recipient of a number of prestigious awards, both national and international, for his creativity in still underwater photography as well as videography. His work has appeared on NDTV and in Outlook Traveler on one end of the spectrum and Vogue on the other – indicative of the range and flexibility in Sumer’s inimitable style. Follow him on Instagram: @luminousdeep
Divia Thani is editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Traveller, which launched in India in October 2010 to wide acclaim, and is the country’s foremost luxury travel title. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh, where she has returned to since collect the inaugural Sheth International Young Alumni Achievement Award and also as a commencement speaker. A Mumbai native, Divia has been at the forefront of lifestyle publishing in India and part of the core teams to launch international brands such as CN Traveller, Vogue and Time Out in India.Divia has trained extensively in Middle Eastern dance and enjoys travelling and science writing. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @diviathani
Bittu Sahgal, an environmental activist and writer, is the founding editor of Sanctuary Asia, India’s premier wildlife and ecology magazine. He is a member of the National Board for Wildlife of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. He is also at the forefront of the battle to protect India from the worst impacts of climate change. He has produced over 30 conservation-related documentaries. He contributes regularly to his Blog where he expounds on topical environmental issues. Follow him on Instagram: @bittusahgal