Award-winning journalist and author Veena Rao’s journey from India to the Southern United States has been one of resilience and passion. As the founding editor of NRI Pulse, a leading news publication in Atlanta, Veena holds the distinction of being recognized by The Limca Book of Records as the first Indian woman to edit and publish a newspaper outside India.
Veena’s journey began in Mangalore, a coastal city in Southern India, where she developed a love for books. “I was extremely shy and quiet as a girl, so books became my escape. When I was 12, I started writing detective novels in my notebooks for my classmates to read during lunch break,” she recalls. Her passion for writing led her to pursue a master’s in journalism and communication, eventually working for the Indian Express newspaper.
New Beginnings
Moving to the United States presented its own set of challenges. “When we moved to the United States around the turn of the century, I was told it’s difficult for a journalist from India to make it in the USA. They had Americans for those types of jobs, and I was advised to get into IT,” Veena shares. Despite the advice, she stuck to her passion and launched NRI Pulse in 2004. “I had no business background or capital. What I had was enthusiasm and the willingness to work hard and learn.”
The initial vision for NRI Pulse was to create a platform that served the Indian American community in Georgia, providing news, features, and resources relevant to them. “Close to 20 years ago, I woke up with an idea. ‘Why not launch a newspaper to serve the Indian American community in Georgia?’ a little voice inside my head told me. And that was it,” Veena remembers. Today, NRI Pulse is the go-to news source for Indian Americans in the Southern US and around the country, proudly boasting an all-women team.
Launching NRI Pulse with zero capital, Veena faced numerous challenges, including establishing credibility and building relationships with advertisers. “It took a lot of hard work and perseverance to get to the 20-year mark. But we are still here and growing every day,” she says.
Making an impact
Veena has covered numerous impactful stories throughout her career. So are there any particular ones that stand out? “I am most proud of stories that have made a difference in somebody’s life or illuminated an issue. Recently, I wrote a report on the Indian American community’s outsized contributions, which made me proud, not of my writing, but of being Indian American,” she notes. Her team’s work has highlighted issues like racism, discrimination, gun violence, and heart health, providing valuable insights and enabling informed decisions within the community.
Balancing her role at NRI Pulse and her responsibilities as a board member of the Traveling South Asian Literary Festival, Veena finds time for personal joys like gardening, yoga, and traveling. She is particularly excited about the upcoming NRIStories event, a TEDx-style event where community members will share their transformative stories of courage, resilience, and triumph.
Empowering Immigrant Voices
Veena’s immigrant experience has shaped her perspective on journalism and storytelling. Her debut novel, Purple Lotus, reflects this influence. “Purple Lotus is the story of Tara, who, like me, is a journalist who moves from India to the Southern United States. Her story is not my story, but at some deeper, emotional level, her journey draws either from my own immigrant journey or from the stories of women I have heard about as a journalist,” she explains.
For aspiring journalists and writers, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, Veena advises embracing their unique perspectives and experiences. “Your voice and stories are important, and with patience and perseverance, you will make it,” she encourages.
Veena is optimistic about the increasing presence of South Asian voices in American media. “As the community grows, so will our representation in different fields, including mainstream media. These are exciting times,” she says.
In her personal life, meditation and walking wooded trails play a crucial role in sparking Veena’s creativity. “Almost every major scene, especially the emotional ones in Purple Lotus, was written during a morning meditation session or an evening walk,” she reveals.
