PM Modi felicitates top 12 winners of HT's 'My Country, My Lens' contest as it concludes centenary celebrations

According to a release, the ceremony held on Saturday at the HT Leadership Summit 2025, PM Modi presented citations to the winning photographers in the presence of Hindustan Times Chairperson and Editorial Director Shobhana Bhartia.

The contest, launched to mark 100 years of the Hindustan Times, invited citizens to capture India "through their own lens."

It received an overwhelming 10,000+ entries from over 30 cities, submitted across four themes -- Borders, Rivers, Monuments and Communities of My Country.

A jury featuring acclaimed photographers Rohit Chawla, Dhritiman Mukherjee and Ajay Aggarwal shortlisted the Top 100 entries, from which the Top 3 photographs in each category were selected for felicitation by the Prime Minister.

After viewing the exhibition, PM Modi praised the creativity and depth of the winners' work."I watched the exhibition and will request everyone to see it. The photographer friends have captured moments in a way to make them immortal... believe it can become a source of great strength for photography in the country," he said.

Bhartia noted that the contest was a way to honour not just HT's centenary but also India's diverse stories.

"The photographs we received reflect the depth, diversity and dynamism of India and capture the spirit that has always inspired our journalism," she noted.

The Top 100 photographs were unveiled as part of a special exhibition at the summit, where policymakers, global leaders, thinkers and artists experienced the visual narratives. The display formed a contemporary archive that showcased how Indians interpret their landscapes, communities, and national identity. The centenary celebrations also highlighted the newspaper's historical legacy.

Founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1924, Hindustan Times emerged as a key voice of India's freedom movement, backed initially by the Akalis and later guided by leaders such as Lala Lajpat Rai, Madan Mohan Malviya and GD Birla. Over the decades, HT provided a platform for towering figures including Subhas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Martin Luther King Jr and MS Swaminathan.

With the Prime Minister honouring the Top 12 photographers and the Top 100 exhibit unveiled at the summit, Hindustan Times officially concluded its year-long centenary celebrations. (ANI)