Meet Veena Rao of NRI Pulse Newspaper in Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Veena Rao.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a newspaper journalist. I worked several years on the news desk of Indian Express, one of the largest circulated Indian newspapers in India. When we moved to the US, I worked for a couple of publications here in Atlanta where I gained some experience in reporting, design, and layout. I also gained access to local organizations and businesses. As a reporter, I used to cover around town events, so the community knew me.

My skills and experiences came together to help me launch NRI Pulse Newspaper in 2006. NRI Pulse is a free monthly newspaper that serves the South Asian communities in Georgia and other Southeastern states. NRI Pulse is available at major Indian-American retail locations around town. Copies are also available at several county libraries, so anyone with an interest in India is able to pick up a copy.

I am eternally grateful to the Limca Book of Records (the Indian version of the Guinness Book of Records) for recognizing me as the first Indian woman to edit and publish a newspaper outside India. This honor has validated my efforts at running a quality publication.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Launching a newspaper seemed like a very exciting, glamorous mission! What I didn’t know in the summer of 2006 was the sweat, toil, disappointments, and persistence it would take to keep the mission alive. It certainly hasn’t been easy.

There is nothing glamorous about paying bills. Ours is a free newspaper, which relies completely on advertisements for its survival. Selling ad space has been the biggest challenge and the least attractive part of my job.

But I believe in persistence. We have survived by keeping our overheads low. Another reason why we survived is that we cover news that is not found on the internet. Stories about men and women of our community and their activities form a large chunk of our coverage, and this ensures that our copies are picked up month after month. People will always be interested in knowing what’s happening in their community.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about NRI Pulse Newspaper – what should we know?
NRI Pulse has grown to become the number one source for local and national Indian-American news in the Southeast USA. There are no other media that covers our region every day. Our print copies are distributed primarily in Georgia, but we reach a much wider readership through social media, email broadcasts and the digital edition of our newspaper (www.NRIPulse.com).

We recently launched a video news channel, possibly the first Indian-American publication to do so.

Looking back, I don’t think this is a journey I would have ever imagined or thought of as possible 15 years ago! I think I just happened to have the right skills and be at the right place at the right time.

I also happen to be very persistent by nature.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We have a team of like-minded people who are passionate about bringing news to the community. NRI Pulse wouldn’t be where it is today without the contributions of Jyothsna Hegde, Mahadev Desai, Namita Sudan, and many many others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nripulse.com
• Phone: 404-664-2805
• Email: editor@nripulse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nripulse/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NRI-Pulse-Newspaper-109670120193/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NRIPulse
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnqWJ89BQqcxCRoLEGV1Ojg

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