Born in Hyderabad, on 25th August, 1963, Ramen attended the prestigious Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a master’s degree in Business Administration, he moved to Rourkela, Odisha, to become a junior manager in the Rourkela Steel Plant’s Public Relations Department.

Ramen’s passion for writing dovetailed seamlessly with his profession which intrinsically revolved around communications. As a result, he could effectively pursue both with a significant degree of success.

He and his wife Madhavi were working at the steel plant as general managers in Public Relations and Marketing, respectively, when they decided to take voluntary retirement in 2020 to pursue their passions.

They are now settled in Bengaluru with their daughter Ankita, son Aniket, and black Labrador Aryan.

Ramen has had a tough life. He is a child from a broken home, a suicide survivor, a patient of brittle diabetes, silent thyroiditis and a rare condition called Haemangioma.

In November 2021 Ramen was diagnosed with second stage colon cancer. He underwent 3 septic shocks, 4 major surgeries, 10 rounds of chemotherapy, 5 rounds of radiation and was in the ICU for 40 days. He fought through all this with his exclusive mantra of ‘battling every tumour with humour’. His resilience and positivity are now an inspiration to many.

Apart from being obsessed with weaving words and ideas, Ramen is passionate about dancing. He believes that ‘one should dance like everybody in the world and her grandma is watching’.

He has given several ‘staged’ as well as ‘extempore’ performances indifferent parts of the world.

The beginning

Ramen commenced his writing career by writing satire and poetry for his school and college magazines and later for newspaper supplements.

In 1995, a couple of political satires Ramen wrote got him into trouble with his management. He was forbidden to indulge in this form of creative expression. At around this time their daughter Ankita was four and their son Aniket had just happened. Madhavi chided and challenged him to keep Ankita busy by telling her stories so that she could take care of Aniket. Ramen, instead of retelling stories decided to share his own yarns. He started cooking up little tales which Ankita lapped up. The stories which she liked the most went to the word processor and from there to the editors and publishers. This is how his journey as a children’s writer started.

His first book for children, Just a Second and Other Stories, came out in 1997..

His publishers

Since then, Ramen’s writing has been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins Publishers India, Hachette Book Group, Pratham Books, National Book Trust (NBT), Rupa Publications, Children's Book Trust (CBT), Navneet Publications, Readomania Publishing, Pauline Publications, Ponytale Books, Blue Pencil Publishers and Pustak Mahal.

Stories in Anthologies

Ramen’s stories have also been included in 11 anthologies published by the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC), Vikas Publishing House, Readomania Publishing, and Blue Pencil Publishers; and have also appeared in the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series.

Ramen has also to his credit several travelogues, satires, articles on relationships and parenting issues that have been published both online and offline.

Stories in children’s textbooks

Thirty-four of Ramen’s stories have been included in 26 textbooks for children.

Literary fest, conference, and seminar participation

• Ramen has participated by invitation at several children’s literature festivals including the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (April, 2019), Jaipur Literature Festival(January, 2018), Bookaroo Festival of Children’s Literature (May 2011, November 2012, April 2016, September 2017 & 2023) Hyderabad Literary Festival(January, 2019 & January 2024), Bhubaneswar Festival of Storytelling (BhuFesto – January 2018, January 2019, January 2023), Chandigarh Children's Literature Festival(April 2016), and Kalinga Literary Festival (June 2018 & 2019) and Chennai Storytelling Festival (February 2024).
• At the 31st International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) World Congress held in Copenhagen, Denmark, 2008, Ramen presented a paper entitled “Here and Now Writing : An Indian Paradigm.
• At the 36th IBBY World Congress held in Athens, Greece, 2018, presented a paper entitled “The Brave New World of Indian Children’s Literature”; and chaired two sessions.
• He has also participated at seminars organized by Sahitya Akademi (January 2018) Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU-September 2012), and the National Book Trust (NBT -April 2009), among others and presented papers on themes focussing on children’s literature.
• Ramen had the honour of being nominated as the resident author for the ‘author-illustrator’ workshop held in Goa in June 2012. The workshop was conducted under the aegis of NBT, India.
• He was also named as a jury member for the Best Children’s Author Category of The Times of India’s “Women AutHer” Awards, 2020.

• 3 of Ramen’s books brought out by National Book Trust (NBT), India, have notched up sales of more than one million copies during the period 2020 - 2024.
• His battle with cancer has been showcased by the hugely popular ‘Humans of Bombay’ and has garnered more than 4 million views
• He Bagged 41 prizes for his stories in the Competition for Writers of Children’s Books organized by the Children's Book Trust (CBT) over the years, among the highest to date by any Indian writer.
• He was selected as a Mentor by Scholastic Writers Academy.
• He was felicitated by the writers and publishers of Sri Lanka for his significant contribution to children’s literature in December 2017.
• He won the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) “Hall of Fame” award, one of the highest recognitions for public relations professionals in India, 2020.[8]
• He received the ‘Dr. Kashi Nath Bakaya Memorial Award for Humorous Writing’ for ‘Chronicles of a Corporate Executive’, 2021.
• He was chosen as the ‘Author and Storyteller of the Year’ on ‘Talking Stories’, UK’s number one Radio Programme dedicated to the art of storytelling.
• His book ‘Shriek and Other Spooky Tales’ won the ‘Best Book’ (Fiction-Young Adults) award at the ‘Enlit Book Awards 2024’!
• Ramen’s story “The Wise Kanhu” was adapted as Kamishibai, the traditional form of storytelling in Japan and published by Doshinsha Publishers (2007). Ramen is probably the only Indian writer whose work has been adapted as Kamishibai.
• His story “The Spirit of Diwali” was published in ‘Searching 9, Learners Book’, Oslo (Norway). He was the only Indian writer to be featured apart from Rabindranath Tagore.
• Ramen’s books have been translated into endangered languages like Birhor, Parhaiya and have also been brought out in Braille.
• His Picture book ‘We are Different’, brought out by NBT, India has been published in 10 languages.
• Eight of his books have been translated into Odia
• Six of Ramen’s books have been recommended by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as supplementary readers: A Tale of Tails; Boond; Now or Never; Paplu the Giant; The Royal Sweeper; and We are Different.
• Paplu the Giant, a read-aloud book, has won particular attention in the publishing world. It was:
  • Selected by its publisher Pratham Books for storytelling sessions worldwide to mark International Literacy Day (celebrated annually on September 8) in 2013. Volunteers organised storytelling session based on the book in more than 25 languages in 27 states across India as well as abroad.
  • Distributed by Pratham in collaboration with the National Association for the Blind.
  • Bought out as an audio book by “Radio Mirchi” in five languages as a part of its CSR initiative Mirchi Cares.
• The Sri Lankan Department of Education included his story ‘Internet in the Jungle’—translated into Sinhala—in a textbook for Grade 5 students. 3.2 lakh copies of the textbook were distributed across the island nation.
• Seventeen of Ramen’s children’s stories have been featured as podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Gaana, Spotify, jioSaavn, Castbox, and Stitcher. The stories are in Little Tales for the Little People, an original series presented by Gaathastory.
  • The first edition of his maiden book for adults, Mohini, portraying the struggle of a young woman from working as an “extra” in Hindi films to becoming the number-one Bollywood heroine, was sold out in the first week of its release.
  • Ramen’s first book in non-fiction, Effective Parenting: A New Paradigm—based entirely on his hands-on experience as a writer—received excellent response in both its print and e-avatars and is currently in its second reprint.
  • Ramen’s book of ghazal and geet in Hindi – Intehaa found an appreciative audience. Two of the ghazals were produced as music videos and got an awesome response.
  • His research-based literary pieces have found a place in different anthologies.

Ramen has so far written 53 books across genres and age groups.

Picture books - 3 – 6 years

BETTER THAN THE BEST– National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi(2007), THE CACTUS– National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi(2009), A TALE OF TAILS– National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi(2013), WE ARE DIFFERENT– National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi(2013)BOOND– National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi (2013) - THE ROYAL SWEEPER– National Book Trust (NBT), New Delhi(2013), THE DAY IT RAINED FISH – Pratham Books, Bengaluru, 2019, THE GIFT -Niyogi Books (2025)

Early Readers – 7 -10

PAPLU THE GIANT– Pratham Books, Bengaluru(2011), THE PERFECT MATCH- Pratham Books, Bengaluru(2015), MY GRANDPA, MY BESTIE, Readomania (2023)

JUST A SECOND AND OTHER STORIES– Vikas Publishing House, Pvt. ltd., New Delhi (1997), THE MAGIC PILLS AND OTHER STORIES Vikas Publishing House, Pvt. ltd., New Delhi (1999), INTERNET IN THE JUNGLE AND OTHER STORIES Sanbun Publishers, New Delhi. (2003), BABOLITO AND OTHER FANTASIES– Navneet Publications (India) Ltd., Mumbai(2005), THE BRAVE FRIENDS AND OTHER STORIES– Pauline Publications, Mumbai (2007), TALES OF LORD JAGANNATH – B.K. Publications Pvt. Ltd., Bhubaneswar(2014), A GHOST CALLED FACHAAK & OTHER STORIES (2022),

Middle Grade Fiction : 11-14 YRS

FOLK TALES OF ORISSA– Children’s Book Trust (CBT), New Delhi(2009), A TSUNAMI CALLED NANI – Mango Books, Kochi(2016), AGAINST ALL ODDS– Duckbill Books, Penguin Random House, New Delhi(2017) - THE SIEGE OF CRICKET Readomania Publishing New Delhi (2018),

THE WILL TO WIN–Dahlia Publishers Pvt. Ltd., Kerala (2001), THE MAD SCIENTIST AND OTHER STORIES– Rupa & Co., New Delhi(2004), CHECK AND MATE AND OTHER STORIES– Rupa & Co., New Delhi(2004), THE MIRACLE PARK– Dahlia Publishers Pvt Ltd., Kerala(2004), NOT A MERE GAME AND OTHER STORIES– Navneet Publications (India) Ltd., Mumbai (2006),

TERROR IN FUN CITY (NOVEL)– Navneet Publications (India) Ltd., Mumbai(2008), NOW OR NEVER (NOVEL) Ponytale Books, New Delhi(2010), BRAVE NIRMAL AND OTHER STORIES – Pauline Publications, Mumbai (2012), INDIA FIRST: Modern Parables of Peace and Patriotism, Ukiyoto Publishing House, Canada

Books for Young Adults : 15-18 YRS

THE INDIAN MASAAI – Frog Books, Mumbai (2015), AND THE JHELUM FLOWS – Authors’ Ink Publications, New Delhi (2016), STORIES OF RESILIENCE – Protsahan Foundation, New Delhi (2019), THE CANINE CHRONICLES – Blue Pencil Publishers, New Delhi), SANA – National Book Trust, New Delhi (2021), SHRIEK AND OTHER SPOOKY TALES – Readomania, New Delhi, 2023

Non-Fiction(Biographies & graphic books)

JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT (Graphic Book) – Butterflies, New Delhi(2010), , A SPECIAL ACT – A Comic Book on POCSO Act, Butterflies, New Delhi(2017), APJ ABDUL KALAM – A Scientist & A Sage – B.K.Publications Pvt. Ltd., Bhubaneswar (2018), DILIP TIRKEY : An Authorized Biography – Paschima Publications, Bhubaneswar (2018), COPING WITH CANCER, Hands-on Strategies for Managing the Big ‘C’ - Readomania, New Delhi (2024), WHEN SILENCE SPEAKS, The fight against domestic violence in India – Readomania, New Delhi (2025)

WHAT, WHY AND HOW – A Graphic Book on Diabetes – Butterflies, New Delhi(2012)

Books for Adults : 18+

MOHINI (2014) – Bluejay Books Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi

EFFECTIVE PARENTING: A NEW PARADIGM (2014) - learningandcreativity.com

DIFFERENT SHADES OF EVE – Woven Words Publishers (2019)

CHRONICLES OF A CORPORATE EXECUTIVE (2021) Blue Pencil Publishers, New Delhi

INTEHA : Gazal. Geet. (Hindi)(2015) – Authors’ Ink Publications, New Delhi www.authorsinkindia.com

Co-Authored Books:

THE MATCHLESS PEARL AND OTHER MYTHICAL TALES – Swapna Dutta & Ramendra Kumar Pustak Mahal, 2006.

MELANGE OF MAVERICKS & MUTANTS - Ramendra Kumar and Santosh Bakaya. (e-book). Blue Pencil Publishers, 2022.

FOR BETTER or VERSE : Better or Verse: Passion, Profundity and Politics – Ramendra Kumar, Santosh Bakaya and Ampat Koshy, Authors Press, 2023.