The Talk in The Town

A New episode of Talk in the Town Is Here!🎉 In this special episode, to mark 10 years of Nāgrika, the team takes the mic and quiz our co-founders.This conversation between the co-founders and our team brings to the forefront the people who make it happen. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at how it all started, what we’ve learned, and how we are looking to move forward.Join us as we look back, look ahead, and celebrate the people, stories, challenges, milestones, and lessons that continue to shape our approach to balanced urban developments with citizens at the center. 💛🎧 Catch the new episode now, and celebrate a decade of small-town stories and big ideas with us.Small Cities, Big Love.#Nagrika #SmallCitiesBigLove #TalkInTheTown #PolicyResearch

On the 2nd Episode of Season 4 of our podcast “Talk in the Town”, we spoke to Mr. Nimish Sutaria & Mr. Shivkumar Rao - Members of Nagpur@2025. This is a citizen-led initiative to transform Nagpur by bringing together citizens, corporates, NGOs and the administration.Our first guest, Mr. Shivkumar Rao is the Founder-Member at Nagpur@2025. He has been working towards making Nagpur a model for civic responsibility. He is also the Former President of Vidarbha Economic Development Council and is also a CA & Founder-Director, R & Y Logistics. Our second guest, Mr. Nimish Sutaria is the Convenor, Nagpur@2025; He has been responsible for leading initiatives in shaping the future of education in Nagpur; he is a CA turned entrepreneur & also the founder of Astute Group, India’s largest non-franchise BFSI service provider.Nagpur@2025 has been working with city authorities and citizens in key areas like waste management, playground maintenance, and public sanitation through partnerships, including a non-financial MoU with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. They are actively working to make Nagpur cleaner, more citizen-centric city with a key focus on areas like waste management, public toilets, maintenance of open spaces and lake rejuvenation.Tune in to this episode to hear more about how Nagpur@2025 is bringing a positive change to the mindsets of citizens in Nagpur while also bettering the urban environment of the city. For more such insightful conversations about unique initiatives anchored by small city actors, subscribe to our monthly podcasts on #Spotify & #ApplePodcasts!#Nagrika #Podcast #TalkinTheTown #IndianPodcasters #TINT #Nagpur #Maharashtra #cleancity #SBM #SwachhBharatMission

On the 1st Episode Season 4 of our podcast “Talk in the Town”, we spoke to Ms. Retu Chatterjee & Mr. Anoop Nautiyal - Members of the Dehradun Citizens Forum [DCF]. This civic group of 400 residents is leading efforts to address Dehradun's pressing urban, social, & environmental challenges while championing a Green Agenda for the city.The DCF recently organised a "Mayor Samvad" on 18th January 2025 to advocate for sustainable urban policies in the upcoming Dehradun Municipal Corporation election, which is part of the Uttarakhand Municipal Elections. This event brought together mayoral candidates to present their visions for Dehradun’s future & sought their commitments to citizen-driven demands, such as better waste management, pollution control, & to "think green."Our first guest, Retu Chatterjee is a seasoned entrepreneur in the hospitality sector. Ms. Chatterjee has spent over 18 years advocating for environmental & social causes, along with promoting sustainable urban development. Our second guest, Anoop Nautiyal is a social activist, & environmental advocate. Mr. Nautiyal is committed to conserving Uttarakhand’s natural resources & empowering communities for a sustainable future.To go through the Urban Green Agenda for Uttarakhand prepared by DCF, visit: https://lnkd.in/d257Z_Ec

On episode 7 of Season 3 of our podcast "Talk in the Town", we spoke to Hemant Chaturvedi, former Bollywood cinematographer turned documentary photographer, on a mission to document & preserve Indian cities’ vanishing cultural heritage: the single-screen cinema theatres.Since 2019, Chaturvedi has traveled over 50,000 km across 22 states, visiting over 950 towns to photograph over 1,150 of these architectural & cultural icons before they are lost forever to multiplexes & urban development.Part 2 talks about the socio-economic and cultural underpinnings of what it means for such urban heritage to fade into oblivion.Click here to listen to part 1 of the conversation. Part 1 of this Podcast talks about Mr. Chaturvedi’s personal journey of breaking into & away from Bollywood to eventually produce one of the most essential stories of India’s urban transformation.

On episode 7 of Season 3 of our podcast "Talk in the Town", we spoke to Hemant Chaturvedi, former Bollywood cinematographer turned documentary photographer, on a mission to document & preserve Indian cities’ vanishing cultural heritage: the single-screen cinema theatres.Since 2019, Chaturvedi has traveled over 50,000 km across 22 states, visiting over 950 towns to photograph over 1,150 of these architectural & cultural icons before they are lost forever to multiplexes & urban development.Part 1 of this Podcast talks about Mr. Chaturvedi’s personal journey of breaking into & away from Bollywood to eventually produce one of the most essential stories of India’s urban transformation.

On episode 6 of Season 3 of our podcast Talk in the Town, we spoke to R. Gyaneshwar Singh and H S Dharmendra, core members of the Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP), Mysuru. RKP is a non-profit organization which supports the conservation of indigenous craft traditions such as paintings, dolls, and indoor games in and around Karnataka.H S Dharmendra is an art historian and curator. He is the Head of Research at RKP, where he designs artifacts, dolls, traditional game boards, and leads research on traditional crafts of Mysuru.R G Singh is a prominent art collector and cultural revivalist. He is the Honorary Secretary of RKP, and has been instrumental in reviving traditional Indian arts, organizing iconic exhibitions like Bombe Mane and Kreedaa Kaushalya.Since 2000, Mr. Singh and Mr. Dharmendra, along with Dr. Dileep K.C.R. Gowda, together have researched traditional Indian board games, teaching them to thousands through workshops.

On episode 5 of Season 3 of our podcast Talk in Town, we spoke to Ms. Vanitha Mohan. She is a prominent entrepreneur and passionate nature lover based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Ms Mohan is currently the Chairman of Pricol Limited and the Managing Trustee of Siruthuli, an NGO she founded.Siruthuli focuses on environmental conservation, particularly on water management and increasing the green cover in Coimbatore. Siruthuli has been instrumental in projects like cleaning and reviving the Noyyal River and promoting rainwater harvesting to recharge groundwater.Siruthuli has been instrumental in rejuvenating lakes in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. They have successfully restored 40+ local water bodies in Coimbatore, creating reservoirs capable of holding up to 20000 million cubic meters of water.

Meet our guest for the 4th episode of season 3 of our podcast "Talk in the Town," Mr. Debashish Bhattacharyya from Kolkata, who has been an anchor in driving the citizens of Kolkata to campaign against the systematic elimination of trams in the city of joy.Mr. Bhattacharya is the President of the Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and modernization of Kolkata’s tramways.He is among the strongest pro-tram voices in Kolkata, which is also the only city in India where trams still exist but are facing existential threats. A retired scientist, Bhattacharya has been at the forefront of advocating for the tram system, emphasizing its environmental benefits and potential to alleviate traffic congestion.

The 3rd episode of season 3 of Talk in the Town features Dr. Sangeeta Rajgir from Bhopal, Founder and Member Secretary of the Bhopal Birds Conservation Society and State Coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network of Madhya Pradesh.She is an avid conservationist and researcher working on wetland conservation and avian biodiversity. She has played a significant role in bird conservation efforts, particularly in the Bhoj Wetlands of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.Dr. Rajgir coordinated a project aimed at the conservation of the Sarus crane, the world's tallest flying bird, which had seen a decline in population in the Bhoj Wetlands. Through community-led conservation efforts, the project successfully increased the Sarus crane population in the region. Additionally, Dr. Rajgir has been involved in birdwatching camps as a key resource person, sharing her expertise and knowledge to educate and engage others in bird conservation.This episode is power-packed with lots of information on birds and how their population is declining, which Dr. Rajgir has explained in a very easy-to-understand manner for common citizens.

The Second episode of this Season of Talk in the Town features Mrs. Shama Pawar, founder of The Kishkindha Trust, Anegundi, Hampi. She is an artist, conservationist, designer, and social impact leader, driven by a profound passion for cultural heritage. Ms. Pawar has played a pivotal role in actively engaging the local community in Anegundi, situated within the Hampi World Heritage Town, to create a vibrant landscape of creative economies and cultural industries.Through her innovative conservation methods, she has made significant contributions to preserving the authenticity of this historic town. In this conversation, she shares what it takes to instill sense of ownership among the community and much more.