Launched in 1964 and known to collaborate with some of the world’s most prestigious photographers, the limited edition annual Pirelli calendar, popularly referred to as The Cal™, will have India as its protagonist in 2027. This will be the result of a collaboration between Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø and Indian master Raghu Rai, who passed away on April 26 and had been working on the project in the recent months. A release notes, “Over the last three months, Mr. Rai dedicated himself to developing the project through an original series of photographs that reflect his heritage and his vision of India for the calendar.”

With Rai’s passing, his daughter Avani Rai, a photographer herself, will help realise her father’s vision. “The work my father created for Pirelli was a tribute to India — bringing together his lifelong vision with a more contemporary expression of its people and diversity, something he was always deeply drawn to. I cannot bear the thought of it remaining unrealised. Bringing it to life feels deeply personal, as if I am stepping into his gaze and the way he saw India through his camera. Photography was his gift to me — not just as a craft, but as a way of seeing — and in that we found a quiet, profound connection. Carrying this forward feels like a way of staying close to him, of keeping a part of him alive within me,” states Avani.

Sundsbø, who also photographed the 2026 The Cal™ , adds, “It’s a momentous opportunity to explore India. We will both do our utmost to celebrate the country and Mr Rai’s memory with this collaboration.”

In the past, some of the most prominent and influential editions of the calendar have included the 1972 edition that saw its first women photographer Sarah Moon, the 1987 edition shot by Terence Donovan that was shot entirely with Black models, including a teenage Naomi Campbell. The 1994 edition shot by Herb Ritts featured supermodels Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss and in 2013 Steve McCurry shot portraits of women in Brazil to share the country’s changing social and economic situation. The 2016 edition, shot by Annie Leibovitz, featured influential women from different fields, including artist and musician Yoko Ono, American singer-songwriter Patti Smith and former tennis player Serena Williams.