LURU Magazine × Namma Indies · Early working proposal

We would love to make this book with you.

A possible Namma Indies book and creative partnership

Akash, we like what you and the team are building. Namma Indies combines useful technology with the knowledge that neighbours already hold about community animals. We would like to help as a creative partner, starting with a book if that feels useful. We imagine Prarthana's photographs at its centre, subject to her interest and agreement.

Please treat everything here as a draft. Our editorial and design teams are fully focused on LURU Issue 5, so they have not yet developed or reviewed these ideas. The scope, format, schedule, budget and roles all remain tentative until we discuss them together.

Prepared for Akash, Aswin and Prarthana · Eight illustrated animals live on this page

Scroll · ಸ್ಕ್ರಾಲ್

This is an imagined pilot ward. Seven illustrated animals move around the map, and one more appears in §02. You can point at or tap any of them.

This is not a real map. We would not publish an animal's location without an agreed privacy and consent process.

The proposal in brief

Draft statusEverything here remains tentative. Our editorial and design teams are working on LURU Issue 5, so we will develop and review the proposal with them after an initial discussion.

What we likeNamma Indies joins computer vision with the local knowledge that neighbours already have. We would like to help Akash and the team communicate and grow that work.

One book ideaA bilingual book about roughly 40 of Bengaluru's known community dogs and cats, with about 120 photographs by Prarthana, subject to her agreement.

Draft budget₹24,00,000 before GST for a possible edition of 500 copies and a launch. We expect to reshape this after discussion and quotes. §07

Creative supportIf useful, LURU could also help with identity, the website, launch materials and funder documents under a separate scope. §11

Next stepA conversation about whether the book is useful and what Akash, Aswin and Prarthana would change. §12

the argument the book the budget next steps

00 · We started with the work already under way

We like how Namma Indies combines technology with the knowledge that neighbours already hold

This proposal responds to Akash and the team's work. We offer these ideas as possible contributions, not as a fixed plan for the project.

What we understand	How it could shape the work
Namma Indies uses computer vision and asks neighbours to confirm what they know.	The book could explain that approach through clear stories and invite readers to contribute to the registry. §01
Street-dog population work needs reliable records and sustained human participation.	The book could explain why recognition, fertility control and everyday behaviour need to work together. §01
Prarthana would make the photographs if she wants to join the project.	We would begin with a small set of walks and let her contact sheets guide the visual approach. §05
A funder may support the work.	We have included a draft budget of ₹24,00,000 before GST so the team has a concrete starting point. §07
Namma Indies includes cats as well as dogs.	The book would include cats throughout rather than treating them as an extra chapter. §02
The team may want a creative partner as the project grows.	LURU would be glad to help with the book and discuss other creative work separately. §11

01 · We think a book could help more people understand and join the work

The book could introduce Namma Indies through individual animals and the people who know them

A book cannot solve street-animal management. It can give people a clear way into the project, explain why reliable identification matters and show them how to contribute.

Bengaluru's 2023 census counted 2,79,335 street dogs and estimated that 71.8 percent had been sterilised [BBMP 2023]. Teams still need reliable ways to follow individual animals over time. Namma Indies is working on that problem by combining computer vision with local confirmation.

Research suggests that removal alone does not reduce free-ranging dog populations over time [J Anim Ecol 2013]. Other modelling suggests that fertility control works best when people also change how they manage food, waste and care [Sci Rep 2022]. A dependable registry could support that work. The book could explain the idea without asking readers to begin with the technology.

Namma Indies already explains the basic idea clearly: software can suggest a match, and neighbours can add the knowledge that makes the record useful.
Our reading of nammaindies.org

People already have close relationships with community animals. In one ten-city survey of 1,063 residents, 91.4 percent said neighbourhood dogs made them feel safer [Esya 2025]. The book could document some of those relationships while also covering bites, fear, public health and the limits of current data. We would keep that balance through reporting and fact-checking.

Possible first year

The team names and verifies animals in the pilot

Neighbours add records, and the team links those records to known feeders and care.

Possible third year

The team measures care against reliable records

Namma Indies can compare sterilisation and vaccination work with known animals.

Possible fifth year

Neighbourhoods maintain useful local knowledge

Residents, feeders and care teams keep the records current together.

0Street dogs in Bengaluru, BBMP census 2023

0Already sterilised, up from 51.2% in 2019

0Feel safer with neighbourhood dogs · 10-city survey, n=1,063

0Indies adopted by Bengaluru police for night patrol

02 · We would start with the animals people already know

We would build the book around community dogs and cats that people already know by name

The current idea covers animals known across the city, animals known on one street and animals that neighbours still remember after they have gone. We would also report on the people, care systems, conflicts and public data around them.

Neighbours explain how each animal got its name

These stories show how people identify one animal among many and keep local knowledge current.

We introduce animals that many people already know

Possible stories include the 37 indies adopted by city police [DH], Cubbon Park regulars and familiar campus cats.

We spend time with animals known on a single street

A darshini cat or a dog that sleeps near one gate may have a small group of people who know its habits well.

Neighbours remember animals that are no longer there

We record what people remember, what records remain and how the street changed after an animal left or died.

We credit the people who share care and local knowledge

Feeders, guards, shopkeepers, residents and clinic teams speak in their own words and review how we represent them.

We show what everyday animal care involves

A reported clinic day could cover ear notches, costs, transport and the work that volunteers do.

We explain the evidence and its limits in plain language

The book could cover census data, fertility control, vaccination and the limits of city-wide estimates.

We give readers a simple way to add what they know

The final pages could explain the registry and invite readers to contribute a verified record from their own area.

We would include cats throughout the book. We would also report on bites, fear, conflict and grief alongside care. Endnotes would identify the evidence and separate established findings from working assumptions.

03 · We would develop the format together before committing to it

We would develop the book's size, structure and visual language with Akash, Prarthana and the people in it

Our current sketch uses 160–180 pages, about 120 photographs and a numbered edition of 500 copies printed in Bengaluru. We would test these choices through reporting, contact sheets, a print quote and a physical dummy.

One edition · 500 copies

One draft format uses a numbered cloth-bound edition

Possible run: 500 copies, numbered 001–500

We have allowed for a sewn text block, durable paper and one digitally printed animal profile tipped into each copy. A printer would need to test and quote this before we confirm it.

Where the copies go

The team could give the copies to people who support the work

The receiving entity would record every placement

We suggest starting with the people in the book, then placing copies with the funder, libraries, care organisations and contributors to the registry. Akash and the funder should decide the final distribution plan.

F·01

Each profile introduces one animal clearly

A profile could include a name, non-identifying visual details and a short line from someone who knows the animal.

F·02

Maps show areas without exposing exact locations

Illustrated density maps could show pilot areas while protecting individual animals and people.

F·03

Prarthana helps set the rules for the photographs

We would agree on cropping, sequencing, credit and colour with Prarthana before design begins.

F·04

Captions follow the language of each conversation

We would use Kannada and English, with Kannada leading when the source conversation began in Kannada.

F·05

QR links follow an agreed privacy model

Akash and Aswin would approve what each link opens before we connect a printed profile to any online record.

F·06

The final pages invite readers to contribute

A simple prompt could direct readers to add an animal they know, subject to the registry's verification process.

We would test several visual approaches in the dummy. The sketches below show possible references, not settled designs. Our editorial and design teams would review them after Issue 5.

Plate XIV · The pilot ward

The Corner-Office Cat

Felis catus bengalurensis

fig. 1 · the wallfig. 2 · the stare

Borrowed from · natural-history atlases

Field-guide pages can record identifying details in a familiar format.

TIGER ಟೈಗರ್

🐕

Beat	Gate no. 4
Years on street	6
Feeder	Shantamma
Biscuit rating	★★★★★

Borrowed from · cricket cards and Panini stickers

Profile cards can organise basic facts in a quick, accessible way.

ನೆನಪು · in memory

Ranga of 5th Cross

c. 2011 – 2023

"He walked the children to the school van every single morning."

✿ ✿ ✿

Borrowed from · newspaper remembrance columns

A remembrance page can record dates and a short account from someone who knew the animal.

Kaju, 5.40 am, before the chai crowd · ಕಾಜು

Borrowed from · the quiet Japanese photobook

A quiet photograph and a short caption can give some stories enough space.

SUPERIOR ★ QUALITY

ನಮ್ಮ ಇಂಡೀಸ್

Namma Indies

🐾

500 ONLY · BENGALURU

Borrowed from · matchbox labels and signpainting

Chapter openers can draw from local print, signpainting and packaging.

Possible references include Rohit Chawla's Rain Dogs, Traer Scott's Street Dogs, natural-history atlases, cricket cards, matchbox labels and newspaper remembrance columns. We would use them as research references and develop an original system for Namma Indies.

04 · We would agree on results before production begins

We would set a small number of practical measures with Namma Indies and the funder

The figures below are working targets. Akash, the team and the funder would confirm the baseline, method and owner for each measure.

We deliver the agreed edition and project records. The working plan includes 500 numbered copies, source files, consent records and a placement ledger within about 24 weeks.
Namma Indies measures registry growth. The current targets are 500 named indies by launch and 150 new contributors within six months, subject to a week-one baseline.
The receiving entity records where copies go. It reports placements, QR visits and completed contributions at launch, 90 days and six months.
The team assigns clear ownership. The receiving entity owns the edition and the ledger, while Namma Indies owns its registry data and reporting method.

05 · We would make the book in stages and pause for clear approvals

We would plan for about 24 weeks after the team confirms funding, scope and availability

This schedule is tentative. Our editorial and design teams are currently focused on Issue 5, so we would confirm a realistic start date only after we discuss the project with them.

Weeks 1–3

We begin with a small set of walks and contact sheets

Prarthana, if she joins, photographs a pilot with feeders. LURU develops an initial story structure. We keep spending below ₹1,00,000 until the team reviews the contact sheets and plan.

Weeks 2–14

Prarthana photographs across the agreed neighbourhoods

The draft allows about 22 shoot days across ten neighbourhoods. Namma Indies verifies each animal and connects the record to its registry process.

Weeks 8–16

LURU reports, writes and fact-checks the book

We gather oral histories, draft essays, prepare bilingual captions and check the science and policy sections with suitable reviewers.

Weeks 12–20

We design and test a complete physical dummy

We develop profiles, maps, cover and binding. The team approves the dummy and final specification before we place a print order.

Weeks 20–24

We print, check and distribute the agreed edition

LURU supervises the press check and supports the launch. The book can follow its own schedule if the app or registry needs more time.

We would build time into the schedule for weather, animal welfare and access. The team would record any change at the next review.

06 · Namma Indies would guide access, privacy and the important decisions

We would need Akash and the team to shape the work with us rather than simply approve it at the end

Akash and the team identify the pilot area and introduce us to the first feeders and care partners.
Aswin explains the available data and helps define a privacy model that does not expose an individual animal's location.
Namma Indies helps arrange one clinic day and a practical consent process for people, quotations and animal records.
Prarthana decides whether she would like to join. If she does, we agree on her schedule, fee, licence, credit and working process with her.
The funder confirms its format and names the receiving entity that will own the edition and placement ledger. More in §08.
We agree on simple brand, safety and privacy guidelines and hold a short review every two weeks during production.

07 · We have prepared a draft budget so we have something specific to discuss

We currently estimate that this version of the book would cost ₹24,00,000 before GST

₹24,00,000 before GST.

GST ₹4,32,000 · draft total ₹28,32,000 · Bengaluru travel included · subject to discussion and quotes

This is an early planning estimate, not a quotation or offer. Our editorial and design teams will review it after Issue 5. We also need a matched print quote, Prarthana's agreement and the funder's requirements. We expect the number and allocation to change as we make those decisions together.

₹1,500Print allowance per copy

31.25%Of fee reserved for print

40 / 30 / 30Funding · dummy · delivery

Photography₹5,00,000About 22 walk days at dawn and dusk across ten neighbourhoods, processed for print

Editorial₹3,50,000Eight essays, oral histories, bilingual captions, translation and fact-checking

Design and art direction₹4,00,000Book, profiles, cover, case, pre-press and dummy

Illustration and maps₹1,00,000Density-map endpapers and chapter marks

Production, rights and management₹1,50,000Consent, licensing, scheduling and press supervision

Printing the edition Planning cap · quote pending₹7,50,000One run: 500 numbered cloth case-bound copies with tipped-in profiles, proofing and freight

Launch₹1,50,000Event production, first registry drive and social cut

Project fee before GST₹24,00,000

We have used ₹7,50,000 as an unquoted print allowance. Before we confirm the budget, LURU would obtain a written Bengaluru quote covering pages, paper, colour, binding, tip-ins, proofing, packing, freight, overruns and taxes. We would also prepare a simpler specification that stays within the agreed cap. The team would approve any reallocation with the dummy. Out-of-town travel would need written approval. The receiving entity would own and place the copies. LURU has not included any share of later income.

We can adapt this section after we receive the funder's format

08 · We would agree on rights, credits, consent and ownership before we begin

The team would put these working principles into a clear agreement before production starts

T·01

The receiving entity owns the agreed edition

The agreement would credit LURU for editorial, design and production and define which source files the receiving entity receives.

T·02

Prarthana keeps copyright in her photographs

She would grant a specific licence for uses that she approves, and every use would carry her credit.

T·03

We record consent and protect private information

We would seek recorded permission for identifiable people and quotations. The team would approve how print maps and QR links handle location data.

T·04

The team decides whether to share reusable assets later

After the first edition, the partners could choose to release selected layout templates for future city editions.

T·05

We agree on editorial and safety guidelines together

LURU would report and write within a short set of brand, fact-checking, welfare, safety and privacy rules.

T·06

DERS LLP contracts for LURU's work

Namma Indies would name an eligible grant recipient or fiscal host. That entity would own the edition, maintain the placement ledger and decide how to use any remaining copies.

09 · We think LURU could be useful because we already make independent editorial projects

LURU can bring reporting, editing, design and print production into one small team

LURU is an independent Bengaluru magazine that publishes three times a year without print advertising. We have put more than 3,700 copies of our first four issues into circulation. We report, edit, design and manage print production ourselves.

Issue 3 included “Show Dogs,” a reported story from a dog show in Solapur that also considered how people value breed dogs and community dogs differently. That issue won a Foreword INDIES Silver. This experience does not make us experts on Namma Indies. It gives us a useful starting point for asking questions and making the book with Akash, Prarthana and the wider team.

We know how to make an independent print project from first interview to final press check. We would bring that experience to the collaboration and rely on Namma Indies for the science, product knowledge and community relationships.
How we see the working relationship

10 · We have listed the main open questions so we can resolve them together

We would turn the decisions below into clear responsibilities before anyone signs an agreement

This list is also a draft. Akash, Aswin, Prarthana, our teams and the funder will identify other questions.

Open question	How we could handle it
Could the funder use ₹24,00,000 for direct animal care instead?	The funder and Namma Indies should compare this proposal with other uses of the grant. If they fund the book, we would agree on production, distribution and registry measures in advance.
What happens when animals, weather or access change the schedule?	We would plan extra shoot days, work with feeders and review the schedule at each approval point.
What happens if the pilot does not support this book structure?	We would keep the pilot below ₹1,00,000 and use the contact sheets to change the chapters, counts, format or schedule before larger spending begins.
What format does the funder need?	We would adapt the itemised budget and milestones after the funder and receiving entity share their requirements.
What happens if the app or registry needs more time?	We would set the book's schedule separately and print only records that Namma Indies has verified and approved.
What happens if law or public policy changes?	We would cite claims and complete a final policy and legal fact-check before the book goes to press.
Can the printer make this edition within ₹7,50,000?	We would obtain a matched written quote and agree on a simpler fallback specification before placing an order.
Who owns and tracks the 500 copies?	The receiving entity would own the edition, maintain the placement ledger and report at agreed intervals.

11 · We would also be glad to help beyond the book if that would be useful

We like what Akash and the team are building, and we would like to support Namma Indies as a creative partner if possible

The book is the clearest place for us to start. We would also be happy to discuss identity, product language, launch materials and funder communication. These ideas sit outside the draft book budget, and nobody needs to decide on them now.

P·01

We could develop a practical identity and writing system

This could include a wordmark, type system and Kannada–English guidance that builds on the current website.

P·02

We could make the website and contribution flow easier to use

We could review the current WhatsApp path and help more people understand what to do on their first visit.

P·03

We could help plan a modest, useful launch

This could include the event, a short film, social assets and hands-on help for early contributors.

P·04

We could help the team explain its longer-term plan

We could turn the two-, three- and five-year goals into a clear roadmap with agreed measures.

P·05

We could adapt the story for funders and partners

We could prepare decks, applications and reporting documents for specific audiences and formats.

Namma Indies · Co-founder

Akash Kulgod

Akash is a cognitive scientist and the founder of Dognosis. He brings research, product and fundraising experience to Namma Indies.

Namma Indies · Engineering

Aswin R

Computer-vision and full-stack engineer at Dognosis, building IndieDex, its map and WhatsApp intake.

Possible photographer

Prarthana

Prarthana photographs people and place. We would be glad to make the book with her if she wants to join. prarthanaphotos.com

Editor and producer

LURU Magazine

Bengaluru's independent print magazine and studio, published by DERS LLP.

12 · We would like to discuss the idea before we develop it further

We would like to hear what Akash, Aswin and Prarthana think the book should become

A first conversation can tell us whether the book would help, what the team would change and when our Issue 5 schedule leaves room to work on it properly. Nobody needs to prepare anything.

Find a time to talk

Or just write: editor@lurumagazine.com

We would love to make this book. If the idea feels useful, we can shape it together and agree on a realistic start after our Issue 5 editorial and design work gives the team room.