Candid Studio Founder Sudhir Chekuri Honoured with Outstanding Event Photography Award at Pragathi Ratna Awards 2026

Hyderabad-based entrepreneur recognised for building a professional photography brand with a 20-member team, handling approximately 100 shoots every month

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 12: Transforming a college-day passion for photography into a growing creative enterprise, Hyderabad-based entrepreneur Sudhir Chekuri, Founder of Candid Studio, has been honoured with the Outstanding Event Photography Award at the prestigious Pragathi Ratna Awards 2026 – Telugu Excellence Honours.

The recognition celebrates his entrepreneurial journey, commitment to professional photography, and contribution to creating employment opportunities for young creative professionals.

The award was presented during a grand ceremony held on October 25, 2026, at PBR Convention Hall, Bandlaguda, Hyderabad. Organised by Unik Life Groups under the leadership of its Founder and Business Growth Strategist Venu Kalyan, the event featured acclaimed Indian actress Shriya Saran as the chief guest.

With a growing team of 20 professionals and the operational capacity to handle approximately 100 photography assignments every month, Candid Studio has developed into a professional photography business serving customers across Hyderabad.

From College-Day Passion to Entrepreneurship

For Sudhir Chekuri, photography began as a personal passion during his college years. Fascinated by the ability of photographs to preserve emotions, relationships, celebrations and important milestones, he developed a strong interest in capturing meaningful moments.

Over time, this passion evolved into a professional ambition, eventually leading to the establishment of Candid Studio.

However, building a photography business came with significant challenges, particularly the financial investment required to purchase professional cameras, lenses, lighting equipment and other essential resources.

Rather than depending on substantial initial investment, Sudhir adopted a disciplined, step-by-step approach to business development.

During the first year, he reinvested earnings from photography assignments into purchasing equipment, gradually expanding the studio’s technical capabilities.

This approach allowed him to strengthen the business while maintaining financial discipline.

What began as an individual creative pursuit gradually developed into an organised photography enterprise supported by a professional team and structured operational processes.

Capturing Life’s Most Precious Moments

Candid Studio operates across multiple photography segments, providing professional services for weddings, baby photography, family celebrations, special occasions and corporate events.

The company’s services include wedding photography, baby photography, event photography and corporate photography.

Each assignment presents a unique opportunity to document emotions, milestones and experiences that hold lasting significance for customers.

Wedding celebrations bring together families and generations, while baby photography captures the earliest milestones of childhood. Corporate photography documents professional achievements, organisational events and important business occasions.

Candid Studio focuses on delivering these services through a combination of creative photography, professional execution and timely delivery.

The company seeks to preserve meaningful moments while offering customers a dependable photography experience.

Building a 20-Member Team and Handling 100 Shoots Every Month

One of the significant milestones in Candid Studio’s entrepreneurial journey has been its development into a professional team of 20 members.

The company currently handles approximately 100 photography shoots per month, reflecting its operational scale and ability to coordinate multiple assignments.

Managing a growing photography business involves more than creativity. It requires planning, scheduling, coordination, equipment management, editing workflows, customer communication and timely project delivery.

Recognising these operational requirements, Sudhir Chekuri has focused on developing systematic processes within the organisation.

These processes help Candid Studio manage multiple shoots within a single day while maintaining professional standards and meeting customer delivery commitments.

The studio’s growth demonstrates how operational discipline and teamwork can support the expansion of businesses in creative industries.

By combining artistic capabilities with structured business management, Candid Studio has developed a foundation for continued growth.

Empowering Young Creative Professionals

Beyond photography services, Candid Studio has also created employment and professional development opportunities for young people interested in the creative industry.

With a team of 20 members, the organisation provides a platform for emerging photographers and creative professionals to develop their abilities through practical experience.

Sudhir Chekuri believes in encouraging energetic and talented youngsters to explore their creativity while developing the technical and professional skills required in the photography industry.

Through hands-on assignments, teamwork and exposure to different photography categories, team members have opportunities to improve their skills and gain experience.

This approach supports the development of young talent while contributing to the wider creative services ecosystem in Hyderabad.

The company’s journey highlights how entrepreneurship can create opportunities not only for founders but also for individuals seeking professional careers in specialised creative fields.

Combining Creativity with Business Systems

The photography industry requires a balance between creative expression and reliable service delivery.

While artistic ability is essential for producing compelling photographs, customer satisfaction also depends on professional coordination, communication, consistency and timely execution.

Candid Studio’s business model reflects this understanding.

By establishing organised workflows and building a coordinated team, Sudhir Chekuri has worked towards ensuring that the studio can manage increasing assignment volumes without losing focus on quality.

The ability to handle approximately 100 shoots every month illustrates the importance of process management in scaling a creative business.

The company’s development from a passion-driven initiative into a structured organisation also highlights the role of disciplined reinvestment and gradual capacity building in entrepreneurship.

Recognition at Pragathi Ratna Awards 2026

Sudhir Chekuri’s entrepreneurial efforts and contribution to the photography industry were recognised at the Pragathi Ratna Awards 2026, where he received the Outstanding Event Photography honour.

The inaugural awards ceremony recognised 81 achievers across 10 broad industry categories, celebrating contributions to entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, hospitality, technology, entertainment and social development.

The event was organised under the theme “Celebrating Telugu Progress”, bringing together accomplished entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals, innovators and social contributors from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Actress Shriya Saran attended the ceremony as the chief guest and presented awards to the recipients.

For Sudhir Chekuri and the Candid Studio team, the recognition represents an important milestone in their professional journey.

The award acknowledges the dedication, teamwork, creative capabilities and consistent efforts involved in building a photography enterprise in Hyderabad.

It also serves as encouragement for the entire team to strengthen its standards, develop new capabilities and pursue greater professional achievements.

A Vision to Expand Across Hyderabad

Looking ahead, Sudhir Chekuri envisions expanding Candid Studio through multiple branches across Hyderabad.

His growth plans extend beyond opening additional locations.

A central part of the vision involves developing leadership capabilities within the existing team and creating opportunities for employees to take on greater responsibilities.

By identifying and nurturing potential team leaders, the company aims to build a stronger organisational structure capable of supporting future expansion.

The proposed expansion is intended to help Candid Studio serve more customers while creating additional employment and career development opportunities for young creative professionals.

Sudhir’s approach reflects a long-term entrepreneurial vision focused on business growth, leadership development, team empowerment and professional service standards.

An Entrepreneurial Journey Built on Passion and Persistence

The growth of Candid Studio illustrates how a personal interest can gradually evolve into an organised and expanding enterprise.

From the early challenges of arranging funds for professional equipment to reinvesting initial earnings, building a 20-member team and managing approximately 100 photography assignments every month, Sudhir Chekuri’s journey reflects persistence and systematic business development.

His experience also highlights the importance of combining technical expertise with operational efficiency and people management.

As Hyderabad’s event photography and creative services sectors continue to evolve, Candid Studio aims to strengthen its position by focusing on customer experience, professional quality and team development.

The recognition at the Pragathi Ratna Awards 2026 marks another milestone in this journey.

For Sudhir Chekuri and his team, the objective remains centred on a simple yet meaningful purpose: capturing life’s special moments and preserving memories that last for generations.

About Candid Studio

Candid Studio is a Hyderabad-based professional photography company founded by entrepreneur Sudhir Chekuri.

The company specialises in wedding photography, baby photography, event photography and corporate photography.

With a team of approximately 20 professionals, Candid Studio handles around 100 photography assignments every month, supported by organised workflows and coordinated team operations.

The company focuses on professional photography, customer service, timely delivery and the development of young creative talent.

Founder Sudhir Chekuri plans to expand the business through multiple branches across Hyderabad while building leadership opportunities within the organisation.

Website: https://candidstudio.co

About Pragathi Ratna Awards 2026

The Pragathi Ratna Awards 2026 – Telugu Excellence Honours were organised by Unik Life Groups under the leadership of Founder and Business Growth Strategist Venu Kalyan.

The inaugural ceremony was held on October 25, 2026, at PBR Convention Hall, Bandlaguda, Hyderabad.

The event recognised 81 entrepreneurs, business leaders, educators, innovators, professionals, entertainers and social contributors across 10 broad industry categories.

Acclaimed Indian actress Shriya Saran attended as the chief guest and presented the awards.

The initiative aims to encourage entrepreneurship, celebrate professional achievements and recognise individuals and organisations contributing to economic development, innovation and social progress.