Press Kit – Salik Shah

Current Bio (150 words)

Salik Shah is a writer, brand strategist, and systems thinker who designs civilizational narratives and frameworks at the intersection of culture, technology, and policy.

He began his career as one of India’s first social media strategists at Webchutney, contributing to campaigns including Tata Tea’s Jaago Re youth civic initiative. Trained at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he has worked on documentary storytelling for National Geographic and curated programming for the Goethe-Institut’s Science Film Festival across 20+ countries.

As founding editor of Mithila Review, he has spent a decade exploring how Global South voices imagine alternative futures. A Future of India Fellow and ExpertVetted Top 1% consultant, he has advised startups, VCs, and technology firms on narrative strategy and growth.

His current work focuses on “civilizational codes” for AI and public systems, with recent essays on AI operating systems, nuclear energy, and digital sovereignty. He is building Dirgha, an initiative on ethics and governance for India’s digital future.

Short Versions

100 words

Salik Shah is a writer, brand strategist, and systems thinker who designs civilizational narratives and frameworks at the intersection of culture, technology, and policy. As founding editor of Mithila Review and a former strategist on campaigns like Tata Tea’s Jaago Re, he has spent two decades bridging narrative, technology, and public engagement. A Future of India Fellow and ExpertVetted Top 1% consultant, he works with startups, VCs, and mission-driven organizations on scalable brands and growth strategy. His current work focuses on building “civilizational codes” for AI and governance through Dirgha, his ethics and policy initiative.

50 words

Salik Shah is a writer, brand strategist, and systems thinker working at the intersection of culture, technology, and policy. Founding editor of Mithila Review and founder of Dirgha, he works with startups and mission-driven organizations on narrative strategy while building frameworks for AI governance and civilizational design.

25 words

Writer, brand strategist, and systems thinker. Founding editor of Mithila Review. Builds civilizational frameworks for AI and governance. Based in New Delhi.

For Corporate/Consulting Clients

Salik Shah – Brand Strategist & Narrative Architect

Salik Shah is an Expert Vetted Top 1% brand strategist and narrative architect with nearly 20 years of experience helping startups, VCs, and Fortune 500 companies scale through clear positioning and growth strategy.

He began as one of India’s first social media strategists at Webchutney (then the country’s leading digital agency), working on national campaigns including Tata Tea’s Jaago Re civic initiative. His consulting work spans IT consulting firms, D2C brands, OTT platforms, and technology companies, with expertise in brand architecture, content systems, and go-to-market strategy.

Beyond commercial work, Shah is the founding editor of Mithila Review, an international journal of speculative fiction, and is building Dirgha, an initiative focused on ethical frameworks for AI and digital governance. A Future of India Fellow and FTII alumnus, he brings a rare combination of strategic discipline, systems thinking, and long-horizon perspective to client engagements.

Contact: salik.shah[@]gmail.com
Portfolio: Notion

For Literary/Media Contexts

Salik Shah – Writer & Editor

Salik Shah is a writer, editor, and the founding editor of Mithila Review, the only international journal of science fiction and fantasy published from India. His work has appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Locus, Tor.com, and anthologies including The Gollancz Book of South Asian Science Fiction.

His poetry collection Khas Pidgin (2017), a bilingual Nepali-English exploration of exile and identity, was nominated for the Elgin Award. His essays on global SF and futures thinking have been published in Locus and Strange Horizons, and his fiction is taught in courses at SOAS, University of London.

Shah’s current project is the Akhand Saga, a multi-volume speculative series reimagining Indian history across five eras, and he is developing frameworks for “civilizational codes” in AI governance through his initiative Dirgha.

For Speaking/Academic Contexts

Salik Shah – Systems Thinker & Civilizational Strategist

Salik Shah is a systems thinker working on “civilizational codes”—frameworks that connect personal character, corporate governance, national policy, and long-term survival in the age of AI.

A Future of India Fellow with experience spanning journalism, digital campaigns (including Tata Tea’s Jaago Re), film (FTII, National Geographic), and global science communication (Goethe-Institut Science Film Festival across 20+ countries), he brings a practitioner’s lens to questions of technology, sovereignty, and public systems.

As founding editor of Mithila Review and through recent essays on AI operating systems, nuclear energy, and digital sovereignty, Shah has spent 15 years asking how societies can design institutions that preserve dignity and agency inside rapidly changing technological systems.

He is currently developing Dirgha, an AI-native initiative on ethics and governance for India’s digital future.

Available for:

Keynotes and workshops on AI, civilizational design, and narrative strategy
Guest lectures on speculative futures and technology ethics
Panel discussions on digital sovereignty and public systems

Key Credentials (for quick reference)

Founding Editor: Mithila Review (2015–)
Fellowships: Future of India Fellow; former Seasteading Institute Ambassador
Recognition: Expert Vetted Top 1% (Upwork); Elgin Award nominee (poetry); taught at SOAS University of London
Institutions: Film and Television Institute of India (FTII); Goethe-Institut Science Film Festival; Plurality University (founding member)
Publications: Asimov’s Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Locus, Tor.com, National Geographic, others
Speaking: TEDx (“Finding a Home for Your Story“)

Website: salikshah.com
Contact: salik.shah[@]gmail.com
Social: Twitter/X: @salik | LinkedIn: salikshah

In the Press – Mithila Review

Interviews

Strange Horizons — May 2018. Read.
Samovar — January 2018. Read.
GQ India — September 2017. Read.
Gwendolyn Kiste — July 24, 2017. Read.
New Myths — March 18, 2017. Read.
Hindustan Times — January 15, 2017. Read.
Juggernaut — June 30, 2016. Read.

You can reach me at salik.shah[@]gmail.com for press queries and request for an interview. Thank you!

Photographs

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