Google Rewards Kids for Ingenuity in Creating Doodles

Culminating the sixth edition of Doodle4Google (D4G) contest, Google India announced Vaidehi Reddy as the winner of this year’s Doodle design competition. Chosen amongst 12 finalists, the resident of Pune was felicitated at an event in New Delhi. The theme for this year’s competition was ‘A place in India I wish to visit’, which saw record breaking entries of over 1 million, from more than 1700 schools across 50 cities! The final 12 Doodles were shortlisted and put up for online voting. Google’s National Jury comprised of political cartoonist Ajit Ninan,  and Art Director Children's Publishing at ACK Media, Savio Mascarenhas and the Google Doodle team lead Ryan Gerick, who selected the National Winner from these 12 finalists.

“Doodle4Google is the perfect platform for the youth of India to showcase their talent on an international platform. It allows youngsters from not only the metros but from Tier II, III and even IV cities to participate, which is evident from the entries seen this year. The response of over 1 million entries is indeed overwhelming and the talent which has surfaced through the entries is remarkable. We at Google are extremely encouraged by the fact that entries this year have come from across the country which is a clear indication that we are well underway to taking the Internet to the next billion,” said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Google India.

The winning Doodle titled “Natural and Cultural Paradise - Assam” will go live on the Google (India) homepage on November 14, Children’s Day and reflect the artistic merit, creativity, and expression of the theme. All the finalists will receive a certificate of achievement and a Chromebook laptop.

Commenting on the occasion, Software Engineer, Doodle Team, Kristopher Hom said, “It has been a wonderful experience to be present at a contest like Doodle4Google in India. I enjoyed witnessing young creative minds showcase and bring to life the places they want to visit in their own country. Being a part of the Doodle team, I am always inspired by such creativity. It is wonderful to see how each and every one of these entries is unique not only for their incredible creativity but also for the simple yet powerful message behind them.”