Editors & Directors
Sujoy Dhar, [Group Editor and Director]
Sujoy Dhar is the Roving Group Editor and co-founder of India Blooms News Service (IBNS) with affiliates including Just Earth News, Not In Town, and Trans World Features. A former India writer for USA Today, he brings over three decades of experience across major Indian and international media houses, having worked with UNI, IANS, Thomson Reuters, the Associated Press, IPS, and The Washington Times, reporting from India as well as the US, Africa, and Europe. A Master’s in Journalism from the University of Calcutta, he teaches a Spring Semester journalism course at the University of Missouri and is regularly invited to speak at universities in India and the US. He is also an avid travel writer.
Susanta Paral, [Director]
Susanta Paral is the Multimedia Editor of India Blooms News Service (IBNS) and its travel affiliate Not In Town. A naturally creative mind, he leads the team in producing digital content across IBNS platforms. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism, Susanta also manages the media group’s finance and advertising operations. Beyond his editorial responsibilities, he is an accomplished painter known for his expressive, experimental style.
Core Newsroom Team
Supriyo Hazra, [Senior Editor]
Supriyo Hazra leads the Breaking News desk at IBNS, covering business, technology, automobiles, and consumer gadgets. A first-class Master’s in Journalism from the University of Calcutta, he was selected for the U.S. State Department’s IVLP fellowship in 2023. Passionate about emerging tech and digital trends, he enjoys travelling, long walks, and time with his daughter.
Souvik Ghosh, [Senior Correspondent]
Souvik Ghosh covers politics, sports, and entertainment, and is known for sharp breaking news and interviews with top Bollywood personalities. A Mass Communication graduate from Rabindra Bharati University, he completed a journalism certificate programme with the University of Missouri. Outside work, he follows sports, music, and maintains a disciplined fitness routine.
Deepayan Sinha, [Foreign Desk Editor & Senior Correspondent]
Deepayan Sinha reports on foreign affairs, defence, science, health, climate, and geopolitics. Trained by Voice of America on Ethical Use of AI, he also completed a Missouri School of Journalism certificate programme. A first-class Master’s in Journalism, he is known for accuracy and fact-checking. He enjoys photography, adventure sports, trekking, and bike rides.
Shabarni Basu, [Senior Editor]
Shabarni Basu is a Senior Editor at IBNS, where she handles breaking news, edits diverse newsroom copy, and writes on travel and lifestyle. A first-class first in M.A. (Mass Communication) from the University of Burdwan, she has over a decade of teaching experience in Journalism and Mass Communication at various colleges. Shabarni brings together strong editorial expertise and a passion for mentoring young journalists. Outside work, she enjoys travelling, reading novels, and experimenting with new dishes.
Asha Bajaj, [Canada Correspondent]
Asha Bajaj is the Canada Correspondent for IBNS and the Editorial Director and Publisher of Canadian Media (www.canadian-media.com), a digital news platform covering Canada, Indian diaspora and international developments across health, politics, environment, science, Indigenous issues, and humanitarian concerns. With extensive experience in covering Toronto and other parts of Canada, she highlights stories that shape diverse communities.
Avishek Mitra, [Staff Photographer]
Avishek Mitra is a photographer at IBNS whose work appears in major newspapers and digital platforms. He completed a remote photojournalism certificate programme with the University of Missouri. His portfolio spans cultural events, fashion, entertainment, and festivals, including striking coverage of Kolkata’s Durga Puja. He is known for visual storytelling with strong editorial clarity.
Rupak De Chaudhuri, [Contributing Photojournalist]
Rupak De Chaudhuri, formerly with Reuters and the Times of India Group, is now with IBNS and also contributes to Getty Images. His work ranges from political rallies and protests to festivals and daily life. His recent coverage of the 2025 Maha Kumbh and Kolkata protests earned wide international visibility. He blends editorial precision with real-time field coverage.
Suman Das, [Head, Canada Operations]
Suman Das is the Bureau Head of IBNS Canada, overseeing news operations and marketing for the North America arm of the news organisation. An accounts professional with a rich experience in finance, he by passion represents IBNS across Canada, contributing to its growing network of global news. Before joining IBNS, he worked with Maple Pictures/Alliance Films Corporation (2007–2012), gaining valuable experience in media and entertainment industry. He also founded and established the Canada arm of IBNS, operating as IBNS Canada.
Business Development
Nikhil Kapoor, [Marketing and Branding]
Nikhil Kapoor is the Business Development Manager for IBNS, based in New Delhi. An entrepreneur with strong expertise in digital marketing, PR, and brand communication, he is also the founder of Floodlightz Media Solution, a Delhi-based agency established in 2014 that specialises in integrated digital campaigns, media management, and strategic brand solutions. With extensive experience across marketing communication, events, and digital outreach, Nikhil brings a sharp business-development focus and a deep understanding of India’s evolving media and branding landscape.
Advisory Board
Subhra Priyadarshini, [Chief Editor, Nature India]
Subhra Priyadarshini is Chief Editor of Nature India and Global Supported Projects, Nature Portfolio. Formerly with PTI, The Telegraph and Down To Earth magazine, her journalistic interests span most scientific disciplines, mathematics, medicine and technology. She is the President of Science Journalists Association of India (SJAI), a member association of World Federation of Science Journalists(WFSJ), which aims to widen the impact of science journalism in India. She is an avid birder and amateur bird photographer, and loves history and Indian classical music.
Pradip Bagchi, [Senior Advisor, NCAER; former senior editor, The Times of India]
Pradip Kumar Bagchi is a Senior Advisor at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), where he leads editorial and communication functions. He has nearly 34 years of experience across India’s top media organisations, including senior roles at The Times of India, India Today, NewsX, CNN-IBN, United News of India, and All India Radio. He has also served as visiting faculty in print and broadcast journalism at leading institutes such as IIMC, TV Today Media Institute, Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, Xavier University, Amity School of Communication, among others.
Mala Dasgupta, [Media and Public Relations Consultant]
Mala Dasgupta, a seasoned media strategist, champions digital communication as the definitive future of public relations. Valuing authenticity and clarity above all, she builds brand narratives on verifiable facts rather than fleeting sensationalism. Her signature strength is her ability to engineer stories that are credible, meaningful, and genuinely memorable. For Mala, sustainable brand communication is always anchored by truth, trust, and demonstrable long-term value..
Ramananda Sengupta, [Geopolitical Analyst and Associate Editor, StratNews Global]
With a career spanning more than three decades, Ramananda (Ram to his friends) has served as Foreign Editor at The Telegraph, Outlook magazine, and The New Indian Express. He helped set up rediff.com’s editorial operations in San Jose and New York, led sify.com, and was the founding editor of India.com. His work has appeared in national and international outlets including the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, Global Times, and Asahi Shimbun. Through all these years, his core pursuit has remained the same: understanding rising India’s place in the world. He also makes a mean salad, cooks unforgettable oil-less pepper chicken, and needs only beer and rhythm & blues to lift his soul. Speak to him about foreign and strategic affairs, media, South Asia, China — and India, always.
Manik Banerjee, [Sports Journalist and Mountaineer]
Manik Banerjee is a veteran journalist and Consulting Sports Editor of a newswire service, renowned for his authoritative reporting on adventure and mountaineering as well as cricket, soccer, and other sports. A life member of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, he has served on its governing council and currently chairs its National Sports Climbing Committee, in addition to holding key roles in HMI, the Himalayan Association, and the Himalayan Club. He is a recipient of the IMF’s Nain Singh–Kishen Singh Lifetime Achievement Award (2017–18) and the West Bengal Government’s Lifetime Adventure Award, among others. His career also includes a fellowship at Germany’s International Institute for Journalism in Berlin. Beginning with news agency UNI, where he rose to Eastern Regional Manager, he later worked with the Associated Press and several international organisations over a span of more than five decades.
Sahana Ghosh, [Associate Editor, Nature India]
Sahana is an award-winning Indian journalist with an eye on science and the environment. She is a co-founder and secretary of the Science Journalists Association of India. She co-led the Bay Bridges, a science communication project on the Bay of Bengal delta. She is a member of the inaugural Oxford Climate Journalism Network and, in 2021, was named one of 16 Women Restoring the Earth by the Global Landscapes Forum. In 2023, she completed a residency at the Max Planck Institute for History of Science on ocean science history.