Writing
When my book “The Underage CEOs” was released, I branched out into journalism and content marketing writing, too. Since then, I have written articles for leading publications, as also content for businesses. I have written books and scripts for videos. I write on topics that are close to my heart, such as travel, music, business, branding, food and social impact. I see writing as a way to nourish these themes within myself, while, at the same time, helping people & organisations take their messages to their audiences.
My pieces have found place in Conde Nast Traveller, Christian Science Monitor, GQ, Open Skies, Mint, The Hindu, Scoot, Financial Chronicle, Scroll and other leading publications.
An essay of mine, titled “Life on the Edge” finds place in a book called ‘Railonama‘. This is an anthology of poems, essays and stories revolving around the magic of train travel. The book is available here.
BLEFA is a leading maker and supplier of beer kegs across the world. Since June 2019, I have been writing articles on beer for the global blog of BLEFA, as their India-representative.
This is what Mr. Joerg Roeder, Sales & Marketing Manager, BLEFA GmbH has to say about me:
We at BLEFA are running a company blog (www.blefakegs-blog.de). The goal of this blog is to distribute relevant news about the beer market, but also publishing stories about new beer trends. Ganesh is part of our blogger team since 2019 and has always delivered high quality content on time, which fits perfectly in our blog. We can highly recommend to work with Ganesh! His attitude and the quality of his articles makes it very pleasant working with him.
If you want to commission compelling, contextual articles, thought papers, books, blog posts or videos as part of your communication strategy, I could be just the guy for you. I’d love to exchange emails or discuss this with you on a call.
Write to me at thewholehog@gmail.com or DM me on LinkedIn or Facebook.
My published work
Profiles
The woman who’s appeared for 700-plus exams – to help disabled students: a profile of Pushna Nagaraj, this appeared in Christian Science Monitor in Aug 2019
Change agent in a village in Jharkhand – a profile of young change-maker Shadab Hassan. Published in Christian Science Monitor.
Cinema
Pieces written for “Music and lyrics”, my column in Scroll on Hindi films and their music
For Anand Bakshi, his life was his muse
Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s story is as much about their friendship as it is about their tunes
The other Bappi Lahiri, who gets drowned out by disco and synth
You can never think of ‘Razia Sultan’ without thinking of Kabban Mirza
The Shiv-Hari partnership proves that quality always trumps quantity
How Shailendra gift-wrapped cosmic truths through his songs
Composer Ajit Varman was a meteor in the firmament of Hindi cinema
Thodi Si Bewafaii’ and the magic of one-off collaborations
Songwriter Gulshan Bawra combined soul and depth with a sense of fun
Travel & Places
Going Dutch in Galle – on the wonderful seaside settlement of Galle in Sri Lanka. In Khaleej Times, November 17, 2017.
The French Life – on the langorous town of Chandannagar in West Bengal. In Mint, November 9, 2017.
A Colonial Retreat – on Chandannagar again. In Travel 3sixty India, November 2017 issue. Click on this link and turn to Page 72.
The City of Nawabs – a guide to the city of Lucknow. In Travel 3sixty India, November 2017 issue. Click on this link and turn to Page 30.
Taste of the town – on some signature eateries in Bangalore that serve local fare. Silkwinds, September 2017. Click on this title and turn to Page 20.
Heels, wheels and holidays – on how more Indians are embracing running and riding vacations. The Hindu, August 23, 2017.
In search of Mirza Ghalib – a pilgrimage to where the poet lived and died in Old Delhi. Khaleej Times Wknd., August 11, 2017
Crown Jewel – on the beautiful palace of Padmanabhapuram. Gulf Life, August 2017.
Marine history – how to spend a weekend in Kannur. Mint, July 28, 2017.
Knocking about in Kannur – soaking in the leisurely charms of Kannur, a small town in North Kerala. JetWings, July 2018.
A writer’s life – in which I give you an enchanting glimpse of the life and times of R.K. Narayan in Mysore. Mint, May 19, 2017.
History on Wheels – on the quaint railway museum in Mysore, a trainspotter’s delight. Click on this link and turn to Page 52.
Colonial Lucknow – in which I trace the connection of this Awadhi city to the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 and marvel at the native embroidery style of chikan. Mint, April 13 2017.
Walking the boulevards of Lucknow – cover story in the April 2017 issue of Vistara, Air Vistara’s in-flight magazine. Click on the link and turn to page 30 to read the story.
History through art – on how history, art and the sea come together at Fort Kochi, making it a great place for a vacation. In Mint – Jan 19, 2017.
Travel trends in 2017 (What to expect in the new year) – The cover story in Trujetter magazine, Jan-Feb 2017 issue. Click on this link and turn to page 26-27.
Steeped in tradition – on the lush mountain town of Munnar in Kerala, and its tea legacy. In Tiger Tales, Jan-Feb 2017. Click on the link above and turn to page 40 for the story.
An insider’s guide to the Margazhi festival in Chennai – in Conde Nast Traveller India, December 2016
Temple Tales – in Trujetter, September 2016 issue (please look under the section titled ‘Culture’).
Soul-searching in Auroville – Scoot magazine, Aug-September issue, 2016. Click on this link and turn to Page 19 of the magazine to read the piece.
Rains and akka’s abode – in Mint, August 26, 2016.
9 lovely breakfasts to have in Bangalore – Conde Nast Traveller India, August 3, 2016.
Shelf life – exploring the old-world bookstores of Bangalore. In Tiger Tales-Asia, Nov-Dec 2015.
Soulful Experiences – in SpiceRoute, October 2015.
48 hours in Kochi – in SpiceRoute, July 2015.
Bangalore on your plate! – in Financial Chronicle, March 2015.
A taste of the cardamom hills – about and around Kumily in Kerala. In Jetwings International, January 2015; page 59
Singaara Chennai – in Travel3sixty (the in-flight magazine of Air Asia), December 2014 issue
48 hours in Bengaluru – in Spice Route (the in-flight magazine of Spice Jet), December 2014 issue
The magic of Malabar – on happytrips.com
Glorious Galle – In JetWings International (the in-flight magazine of Jet Airways), February 2012 issue, Page 27
Content marketing pieces for the global blog of BLEFA
A bit of India in your beer: how brewers in India are treading new ground by localising their beers.
Let’s talk beer: the launch of beer discovery and community app Buzzd is an interesting development.
Ace of Clubs: a chat with the co-founder and the brewmaster of The Biere Club, Bangalore’s first brewpub.
Come, let’s get Toit: Toit is a great blend of cozy old-Bangalore vibes and fine craft beer. This is its story.
The Road to Certification: As craft beer in India steps into its 2nd decade, it is time for more industry professionals to take up formal certifications. Written as part of my column in the BLEFA magazine.
Prost– a quiet yet significant change has taken place in the Indian craft beer scene. Our tribe of women brewers has been growing steadily.
Beer, books and all that jazz – how has Windmills Craftworks been going strong and steady for nearly a decade? An in-depth look.
Born in Michigan, brewed in Bangalore – a close look at Arbor Brewing Co., Bangalore, one of India’s earliest and best brewpubs.
Testing times – the Covid-19 pandemic has affected breweries and pubs in India badly. How are they coping? And what next?
Raising the bar – on how the Beer Star program is educating brewer aspirants, serving staff & beer lovers of India on the nuances of craft beer.
In Conversation with Anitha Raghunath, Editor – Brewer World
Fostering the Craft Culture in India – a look at how communities, beer brands and pubs are coming together to help people appreciate craft beer better.
Does Beer Have a Gender? – in which I explore the genderisation of beer by brands and the media and why that is wrong. For the BLEFA blog.
Alchemy in a Glass – on the behind-the-scenes work and life of brewmasters. Written for BLEFA’s blog, as a tribute to all brewers.
A Heady Run – for BLEFA. This piece captures the fascinating story and life of the Hash House Harriers, a group that meets regularly at some scenic spot outside Bangalore to run and chug beer.
Craft Beer Coming of Age in India – for BLEFA. BLEFA is a reputed Germany-based MNC that supplies beer kegs to pubs worldwide. I am the company’s India correspondent.
Food & Drink
Avial: A Perfect Mishmash. I look at the history, the recipe and the adaptations of avial, a popular dish in parts of South India. Published in the food magazine, Roundglass Thali.
One-Pot Meals and Dak Bungalow Chicken – frugal cooking and journeys to our culinary roots. Published in The Humming Notes.
Rum and Reggae come to Bangalore – A preview of RumBah, Bangalore’s only luxury bar dedicated to rum. Published in GQ.
Taste of the town – on some signature eateries in Bangalore that serve traditional, local fare. Silkwinds, September 2017. Click on the link above and turn to Page 20. Or Click here to read the online version.
5 new watering holes in Bengaluru – MW magazine (Man’s World), July 2017.
9 lovely breakfasts to have in Bangalore – Conde Nast Traveller India, August 3, 2016
A mouthful of heaven – on the biryani and how it binds people together in India. In Financial Chronicle, July 2015
Something’s brewing – on the emergence of the craft beer culture in the top cities of India. In Financial Chronicle.
Music
Madras, music, margazhi – on the annual Carnatic music and dance festival held in Madras, JetWIngs, Nov 2015
Sound of healing – how music is helping autistic children lead a happier life
Memories of the Mandolin Man – in Financial Chronicle
The following pieces were published in the online version of Sruti, India’s premier magazine for music and performing arts:
He touched a chord with his sitar
A sabha-hopper’s guide to enjoying the music season
Health and lifestyle
Tyred and tested – in Financial Chronicle
Wheels of joy – in Financial Chronicle
Honey, I plumped the kids! – in Financial Chronicle
Personal essay
Midnight’s child – on my love for midnight and what makes it special for me. Published in asiavillenews.com.
Bringing up a child
I used to write a regular column on children’s upbringing, their development and the parent-child relationship on on mycity4kids.com, a popular portal.
What gender stories are we telling our children?
Keep the chill out and the fun, in
Let’s make 2017 a leap year for our children
The family that cooks together comes closer
A nutritious snack to keep me going
When will we men step up for our wives?
Eat rough, if you want to live fine.
Five ways to bond with your child
Our little back-to-school ritual
Discovering the magic of words
Moving to a new place: misplaced anxiety
Our bucket list for the summer holidays
15 things we adults can learn from children
Dear young mom, are you actually a barren woman?
Recycling waste at home – a new beginning
Buying stuff for children – no child’s play
The call of the great outdoors
Making our children entrepreneurial
Rape in the land of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati
Your child could be a genius. She needs your help.
Oh, for a burden-free childhood!
What dream will your child have?
Bonding with my child, one hug and one dance at a time
King of fruits, queen of hearts
For single mothers, every day is Mother’s day. And Father’s Day, too!
You have just one life, my child; so, make it count
Tradition – an endangered species
Unleash the music lover in your child
How innocent is that rhyme, actually?
Entrepreneurship
Going Places – on F5 Escapes in mindyourbusiness.in
Campus Tycoons – In Financial Chronicle
Start-up Founders: why two are better than one – On nenonline.tv
Why your start-up needs a mentor – On yourstory.com
Branding
Brands in crisis – don’t be an ostrich! – in Brand Wagon, Financial Express, July 2015
Me, myself and I – how personal branding can help you – Financial Chronicle, October 9, 2015
Communities
Ties that bind – In Financial Chronicle