MOVES: Geeta Anand moves to Mumbai for Wall Street Journal

Geeta Anand, the New York-based senior special writer for the Wall Street Journal's investigative group, is moving her job to Mumbai for a few years. She's going to be joining the Journal's India team, where she will continue to do investigative work on health, science and the environment (among other stories). She will report to the paper's India bureau chief, Paul Beckett, and joins Peter Wonacott, Eric Bellman and Jackie Range as correspondents based in the country (in addition to stringers and others).

Asked why this job at this time, Anand told SAJAforum: "I've always wanted to write about India, and now is the time where it works both for my family and for the Wall Street Journal for me to be there."

She is also the author of 2006 nonfiction book, "The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million--And Bucked the Medical Establishment--In a Quest to Save His Children," which is scheduled to be made into a movie titled "Crowley" by the producers of "Erin Brokovich." Just this week, Variety reported that this will be Harrison Ford's next movie (as an actor and executive producer and that filming begins in the fall.

Anand, who shared a 2003 Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting for a series of stories on "the roots, significance and impact of corporate scandals in America", is moving with her husband and daughters to the city where she was born and raised. Before moving to the U.S. to study at Dartmouth College and launch her journalism career, she was a top swimmer in India, representing the country in international competition and setting various womens records.

In July 2007 at the SAJA Convention, she was asked by Sonu Munshi about the possibility of working in India:

Q: What do you think of the publishing scenario in India, with Raju Narisetti leaving the Wall Street Journal and launching a business newspaper there?  Is it an attractive place to be in for business journalists?

A: I think it’s great. I’d love to work in India, but right now I’ve got all kinds of considerations including my husband’s job and my kids, so that makes it complicated. Maybe in a few years, I would move. It would be great to get teenagers out of high school here and plonk them in a convent school in India. (flashes an evil grin)

That's a photo by Preston Merchant of Anand at her SAJA Convention salon.

She joins several U.S.-based South Asians who have moved to India in recent years for major editorial opportunities (help us update this list - saja[at]columbia.edu):

• Naresh Fernandes of the Wall Street Journal, now editor of Time Out Mumbai
• S. Mitra Kalita of the Washington Post (currently on leave and working in at Mint, a Delhi business daily, as a columnist and editor)
• Manjeet Kripalani, South Asia bureau chief of BusinessWeek
• Somini Sengupta, South Asia bureau chief of the New York Times
• Raju Narisetti, former deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, who moved to New Delhi to launch Mint, a business daily
• Pankaj Paul, managing editor of the Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal, who moved to New Delhi to become managing editor of The Hindustan Times
• Anil Srivatsa, host of "Anil Ki Awaaz," and one of best-known South Asian radio personality in the U.S., now in Delhi as chief operating officer of India Today's Radio Today FM operations
• Jyoti Thottam, senior editor of Time, moving to New Delhi to be South Asia bureau chief
  (see Thottam's announcement and listen to a webcast with her)

She doesn't really need them, but SAJA has recently compiled a list of tips for Americans going to South Asia for the first time (add your own tips, story ideas, resources).

Post your comments below. We'll make sure Geeta Anand sees 'em. Journalists wishing to contact her should write to saja[at]columbia.edu (subject line = "Pass onto Geeta Anand")

Previous SAJA coverage of Anand:

• SAJA Convention Q&A with WSJ's Geeta Anand - July 2007
• SAJA webcast and interview with Geeta Anand, author of "The Cure" (includes audio interview and text profile) - Aug. 2006
• SAJA member profile - Jan. 2006
• Geeta Anand wins major science writing prize - Nov. 2007

Comments

[Ashok]

Bombay girl, fellow Cathedral & John Connon School alum (Head Girl in the 12th grade, swimming captain). Go Cathedral!

[Ashish Dimri]

Dear SAJA,
Few months back, a noted Indian daily carried a personality feature on her.
Ms.Anand will present right picture of a very powerful , but misunderstood democracy!
yours,
ashish dimri

[Jaya Kamlani]

Ashish,

I am assuming the Indian-American journalists who are covering India on an assignment will give us a true picture of India. Often in America, we read a lot of hype of a 'shining India' only to discover that two-thirds of its people still live in poverty, many of its people are still illiterate, and child labor is very prevalent. I visit India every year or two for extended periods and have carefully observed what is happening.

About a year or two ago, Somini Sengupta had written a series of articles in the New York Times about the severe water shortages in India and the contaminated rivers of India, including its sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers. I thought she did an excellent job by telling it like it is.

By the way, Ashish, what do you mean by India as a "powerful but misunderstood democracy"? Can you clarify? Is it truly a democracy when there is such a wide gap between the rich and the poor? When there are Maoists/Communists prevailing in so many states of India? When India gives a nod to almost everything China says these days?

Jaya Kamlani

[Neeru Nanda]

Dear Geeta,

Welcome to Mumbai! More appropriately, welcome BACK to Mumbai. You are one of our 'achiever' journos and we are proud of you. Mumbai's private and public sector is sure to court you big time but I'm pinning my hopes on you that you will pick up a (I'm at a loss for the right word)good, needy, expository topic on health or environment, and do all - write a book, win the Pulitzer and make a movie on an important Indian issue.

All the best to you. I hope to meet you sometime, somewhere at some do in Mumbai. Neeru Nanda

[Harriet Vidyasagar]

Welcome to Mumbai...I moved 5 years ago to work in India: Navi Mumbai in the area of IT Literacy with the then undivided Reliance Group. As a journalist I would like you to come and take a look at our DENG (Digital Electronic News Gathering) services at RCOM.....and should you need a photographer/video for any assignment, I would love to help!

[Deepak Harichandan]

Welcome home welcome to mumbai.
I hope your Mumbai stint will give enough fuel to ur energy to produce investigative work on the current India's booming economy. I am sure you will be a inspiration to all the media faternity in India

Heartiest congratulation and wish you all the best

Deepak Harichandan
Design Editor
New Indian Express

[aleka]

hi Im mommy's(geeta's)daughter