Sameer Raichur

Frankfurt, June 2024. These images were made during my second residency @basisfrankfurt facilitated by @goetheinstitut_bangalore #documentaryphotographer

Some outtakes from commissions for @bloombergbusiness in the past 6 months. The stories were set in Bangalore, Trichy and Kochi. #documentaryphotographer #editorialphotographer #portraitphotographers

India’s tech sector is breaking down, with widespread burnout, mass layoffs, and a series of suicides.⁠ ⁠ In his new Rest of World feature, @parth.mn1991 writes about the death by suicide of Nikhil Somwanshi, a 24-year-old machine-learning engineer who moved from his small village to Bengaluru to work at Ola Krutrim, an AI startup worth $1 billion. Getting a job at Krutrim was a big deal for Somwanshi and his community, but he soon found himself working 15 hours a day. In the words of his cousin, the job “broke his spirit.” ⁠ ⁠ Swipe through to read a series of revealing quotes from workers Parth spoke with while reporting on the crisis facing India‘s IT industry. Then click the link in bio to read the full feature, “Death of an Indian tech worker.”

Nikhil Somwanshi came from a family of farmers based in the fertile plains of Northern Maharashtra. He distinguished himself early on with his prodigious academic talent and continued to win accolades throughout his academic life, culminating in a medal for excellence from one of India’s elite scientific institutes. When he was hired by an AI start-up valued at over a billion dollars, it seemed like the upward trajectory of his life would continue. Instead, within a year of landing his ‘dream’ job, Nikhil died by suicide - becoming victim to exploitative management and a toxic work culture within the company. India’s celebrated IT sector has long been seen as a ticket to upward mobility for young graduates looking to improve theirs and their family’s financial circumstance. What is less known, is how vulnerable these young employees are to exploitation. Stifling deadlines, relentless work schedules and a culture of bullying has to led to increased worker related illnesses, both physical and mental. This story by @restofworld and @parth.mn1991 looks behind the glass façade and manicured environments to the stark reality of the Indian tech workers powering the balance sheets of these global behemoths. Thanks to @bubaczery for the opportunity to work on this story. 1) A bird’s-eye view of Jalagaon district of N Maharashtra where Nikhil’s family is from 2) Nikhil’s relatives at his family home 3) Behind the glitzy facades of Bengaluru’s tech parks lay uncomfortable truths about the situation of the workers within 4) Nikhil’s uncle Pramod Somwanshi went to Bengaluru to retrieve his nephew’s body 5) Agara Lake where Nikhil’s body was found 6) Nikhil’s childhood friend Amol Patil in whom he confided his desire to leave Bengaluru 7) Workers at a multinational IT company’s offices 8) An IT worker who wished to remain anonymous, spoke about the continued negative impacts in his life after signing an exploitative work contract with a company straight out of college. #documentaryphotographer #bengaluru

Feeling awed and insignificant(in the best possible way) in the vast visual expanse. #trekkinghimalayas #dhauladharrange #himalaya

1) A nod to Koudelka at 4000 mts 2) Unnamed peak in the mist near Kalihani Pass 3) pack horses at Kalihani pass - 4800 mts 4) Rock with red lichen at Kalihani pass #himalaya #dhauladharrange #barabanghal #trekkinghimalayas

The Dhauladhar Himalaya at night in October, 2025. The post-monsoon nights were cloudless and still, the vast theatre of the cosmos was serene and also unnerving. The only sound was usually that of running water, sans that, the silence was deafening. #Himalayas #dhauladharrange #nightsky

Some tearsheets from the past year. 1) Nandan Nilekani for rest of world @restofworld 2) my project Chariots of Frolic in the Harvard Business review @harvard_business_review 3) Rohan Bopanna Tennis academy for 40-A mag @40a_mag 4) An editorial feature on Bangalore’s breakfast culture for Going Places magazine @goingplacesmagazine 5) Third wave coffee for Global Coffee Report #editorialphotographer #bengaluru #portraitphotographer #documentaryphotographer

Public Photography Showcase (online) | Through Your Eyes We offered six prompts on a public open call to young photographers, who were then mentored by photojournalist Sameer Raichur @sameer.raichur . We are proud to have a public, online showcase of their work under the prompts Adjust, Froth, Dust, Raste, Mane, and Put Scene. Visit the interactive showcase at the 'Through Your Eyes showcase' link in our bio, or paste in browser /anthropocene-programmes/climate-through-your-eyes @JahnaviPhalkey

Meet the Mentor for Sci560: Through Your Eyes! 📸 Sameer Raichur is an independent photographer based in Bangalore and a member of Diversify Photo and Native Agency. A former corporate lawyer, he transitioned into photography after graduating with distinction from the Hallmark Institute of Photography, USA, in 2012. His work explores themes of nostalgia, memory, masculinity, and overlooked subcultures and traditions. He specialises in portraiture and documentary photography, and supports his personal practice through editorial and corporate commissions. Sameer’s work has been exhibited at Forum Art Gallery, Bhau Daji Lad Museum, and An Lanntair Arts Centre, and was featured in the 2020 New York Times Portfolio Review. As a mentor for Sci560: Through Your Eyes, he will work closely with selected participants to help sharpen their visual storytelling and guide them in developing their final piece. Apply through the link in bio! #photography #visualstory #bengaluru #mentorship @jahnaviphalkey @sameer.raichur @rnp_foundation

Part V The Bahnhofsviertel is a magnet for artists for whom some of the high ceilinged ‘Altbau’ hold a special allure. The neighborhood inhabited the famous painter Max Beckmann’s memories, he painted the Hauptbahnhof or central train station from memory while he was in exile in Holland during the Nazi era. The first 3 images were made at Maxin’s beautiful apartment. To support his various artistic endeavours he works multiple jobs that include carpentry and flight steward. He admitted to me that he would never dare to venture to some streets in the bahnhofsviertel while in his steward’s uniform for fear of harassment or worse. As I stepped out of his apartment I was made aware of the loud ramblings of a mentally Ill destitute man. He seemed to be directing his ire in the direction of a man in a crisp business suit loudly gesticulating into his AirPods, unaware of the world around him. Further down the road, I walked past the Sri Lankan family hauling their week’s groceries as I dipped into the Indian store to buy some spices for dinner prep later that night. This is an excerpt of the work I made during my 3 month residency in 2021 at @basisfrankfurt under the aegis of the bangaloREsidency expanded program by the @goetheinstitutbangalore #visualartist #frankfurtammain #bahnhofsviertel #culturalexchange #artistresidency

Part III The Bahnhofsviertel is also a magnet to drug addicts from across Europe. It is impossible to take a walk around the streets of the district without encountering an addict, sleeping off their exertions on the sidewalk or in the act of ‘taking a hit’ - a visceral and shocking experience for the uninitiated. By all accounts, the addiction problem was far worse in the late 90s and early 00s, when reports suggest, that hundreds of addicts lined the district’s streets and parks every week. The Taunusanlage is now a beautiful park dotted with post-modern sculptures and surrounded by up-market residential apartments. One long-time resident recalled a time not too long ago when the park was crowded with addicts and vagrants. In order to tackle this open drug scene, the city decided to adopt new approaches, one of which was the introduction of Drug Consumption Rooms or ‘DCR’. DCRs are supervised health care facilities that enable the consumption of pre-obtained drugs under safe and hygienic conditions. There are 4 DCRs in Frankfurt and the images you are seeing are from the centre at Niddastraße which has facilities where psychotropic substances can be consumed intravenously and through inhalation. In 2020, 3521 individuals made use of the 4 facilities in Frankfurt. This is an excerpt of the work I made during my 3 month residency in 2021 at @basisfrankfurt under the aegis of the bangaloREsidency expanded program by the @goetheinstitutbangalore Image captions 1) remnants of a promotional campaign to raise TB awareness 2) a recreation from the staff of the DCR 3) Artwork left by a client 4) Hoodies designed for awareness of hygienic drug use. 5) pipes to smoke crack cocaine 6) room for intravenous consumption 7) Inhalation room #visualartist #frankfurtammain #bahnhofsviertel #culturalexchange #artistresidency