When Nupur Joshi Thanks launched Paper Planes back in 2014, it was to bring independent print magazines from around the world for readers here in India. With a roster comprising publications like The Gentle Woman, The Paris Review, Little White Lies and Monocle among others, the Paper Planes shop has since diversified to offer an eclectic shopping menu of design accessories, maps, and books. The store notwithstanding, Nupur wanted her passion project to contribute to the growing pool of quality writing and design in India. That’s how the Paper Planes digital magazine was born.

Four-and-a-half years later, Paper Planes finds itself at a most curious point in its journey. The magazine, which is focused on design and culture, and is put together by a small yet dynamic team of creative collaborators, was last week nominated for The Webby Award, a leading international award, instituted in 1996, to honour excellence on the Internet. “It’s an award that we had been eyeing for a while,” Fabiola Monteiro, editorial director, tells us. “Being a Webby nominee means that our work has been singled out as one of the five best in the world in the ‘Magazine’ category. We’ve also been informed that we’re among the top 12 per cent of the nearly 14,000 projects entered.” Paper Planes is competing for two awards—The Webby Award and The Webby People’s Voice Award—and is the only Indian publication to be part of the magazine category this year. For an independent digital publication, seeking to win a title previously won by the likes of The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and National Geographic, the nomination itself, admits Monteiro, is a huge win.