Ritam Bhatnagar is the founder of India Film Project (IFP), Asia’s largest content festival. Born in Surat and raised in Ahmedabad, he studied electronics at St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, and later pursued an incubation stint at IIM Ahmedabad’s Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE). His first exposure to content curation came while interning with the Ahmedabad International Film Festival, an experience that planted the seed for his own creative venture.
In 2011, at the age of 21, Ritam launched the Ahmedabad Film Project from his college hostel room. The concept was simple yet ground-breaking: a 50-hour filmmaking challenge where teams would script, shoot, and edit short films over a single weekend. The first edition attracted 600 participants from 18 cities. The event soon expanded its reach, rebranding as India Film Project and opening its doors to participants across the country and, eventually, the globe.
Under Ritam’s leadership, IFP has grown from a niche filmmaking challenge into a multi-disciplinary creative festival, bringing together filmmakers, writers, musicians, designers, photographers, and performing artists. By 2024, the festival had drawn over 53,000 participants from more than 42 countries, offering challenges and events in filmmaking, music, design, writing, photography, and performance. It has become a launchpad for countless creators, many of whom have gone on to make feature films, win national awards, and establish careers in the creative industries.
Beyond IFP, Ritam has explored several passion projects. He created Talk Shop, a web-based conversational series featuring noted filmmakers such as Konkona Sen Sharma and Sujoy Ghosh. A self-confessed Lego enthusiast, he is also working towards building what he envisions as the largest Lego city in India and eventually the world. His work has been featured in Forbes, and he has spoken at TEDx events and served as a Global Shaper for the World Economic Forum.
From a college hostel room in Ahmedabad to building one of Asia’s largest creator communities, Ritam Bhatnagar’s journey reflects his belief in the power of collaboration, creativity, and accessible platforms that turn aspiring creators into industry-ready professionals.