Vaidehi Reddy of Pune wins sixth edition of Doodle4Google contest

Google India announced Vaidehi Reddy as the winner of this year’s Doodle design competition, called Doodle4Google contest. The Pune girl was chosen amongst 12 finalists and was felicitated at an event in New Delhi.

Google's Doodle4Google competition is an annual Google (India) competition that was launched back in 2009 and is open to students from class 1 to 10, who are invited to design the Google doodle to celebrate Children's Day in the country.

This year's theme for Doodle4Google competition was 'A place in India I wish to visit' that saw over 1 million entries from more than 1,700 schools across 50 cities in India. Google had shortlisted 12 doodles that were put up for online voting.

“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 national winner will receive a medal from the search giant, a Chromebook and a free trip to the location featured in the image. And while the 12 other finalists won’t have their creations showcased on the Google homepage, they will be visible on the Doodle website. These participants are also entitled to a certificate of achievement and a Chromebook.

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.”

All the finalists’ doodles can be seen at  http://www.google.co.in/doodle4google/