Global IndianstoryHow India’s coding clubs are changing the game for kids who’re starting young

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How India’s coding clubs are changing the game for kids who’re starting young

Written by: Global Indian

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(November 24, 2021) Not too long ago, coding was considered the forte of computer geeks only. It was an intimidating concept best left to experts. IT’s top brass Larry Page of Google, Bill Gates of Microsoft and Steve Dorsey of Twitter were themselves coding prodigies before they started ground-breaking tech conglomerates. Coders like Indian Canadian Tanmay Bakshi whose AskTanmay is the world’s first web based NLQA system was built using IBM Watson’s cognitive capabilities. The 19-year-old Indian-origin Harsh Dalal in Singapore started Team Labs that is valued at $25 million. Today children in India as young as five and ten are creating waves. US-based Samaira Mehta, 12, is behind CoderBunnyz which makes coding fun for kids. It was only apt that coding clubs sprang across India to create a new generation of innovators of the future.

Technology everywhere

“Technology has and will continue to expand rapidly, claiming spaces in almost every professional industry,” says Krish Samtani, founder of 0Gravity, a free coding club for school children in India, who adds, “Coding seem slightly intimidating at first, but it offers children the chance to apply their knowledge in a real-world context.”

As technology takes over every aspect of life and industry, coding is now an essential life skill. Employers are willing to pay a premium for coders. Manan Sharma, founder, Tokens.com, agrees. Sharma has been employing coders to spur his business that spans 20 years (Indiamart, IGP and now Tokens). “Earlier, we would hire coders to create the entire coding done for our sites, but now with pre-coded sites like Shopify available, there are templates to work with. Yet, the need for coders persists as businesses look to customise sites,” he tells Global Indian, adding, “As sites get bigger, automated software can only do so much.”

Tykes can code

As increased businesses rely on technology to drive operations, it is essential to understand what goes into the making of codes and applications to run successful businesses. Which is where coding clubs like Indian Girls Code, Code Club, and 0Gravity deliver. They encourage kids to understand the seemingly complex world of coding and technology from an early age, bust fear and encourage them to create and innovate.

Aditi Prasad of Indian Girls Code

Founded by Aditi Prasad and her sister Deepti in 2013, Indian Girls Code takes coding to schools to encourage girls to create technology. Through programmes, they encourage girls across Chennai schools – private and government – to use technology to solve real world problems. Aditi and Deepti believe in using a hands-on approach to teach children the nuances of coding – even using drag and drop to create fun projects using coding language. In 2015, the team launched Phiro Robots which are now used by educators, globally. The robots use Lego compatible toys that can be coded using Scratch to create anything – programming a robot to sing a birthday song to performing specific functions.

Coding to innovate

Ed-tech startups like WhiteHat Jr offer classes on coding, and Karan Bajaj, CEO wants to convert them from passive consumers of technology to builders and creators of the future. A notion that Madhukar Varshney, founder, CEO, NimbleQ wholeheartedly supports. The biomedical engineer who lived in the US for 20 years chose to return to India to found NimbleQ to help students apply the knowledge acquired. “Sure, coding is an essential skill, but it is not enough. One should know how to apply this skill to solve real-world problems. We have a lot of well-qualified professionals who 20 to 30 years down the line are directors and VPs. But why not founders? Why not innovators?” he questions, adding, “It’s because our education system does not encourage one to think like a creator. At NimbleQ, we encourage our students on using coding to problem solve. We teach them to understand business, entrepreneurship, and money.” Varshney hopes this will encourage creators of technology.

Krish, who launched 0Gravity at the age of 14 in Bengaluru is now a second-year student at UC Berkeley, California. His tryst with coding began at a summer camp at John’s Hopkins University. “I was very inspired by the applied education, and that made me want to attend a similar class back home (India). However, I was unable to find any, which led me to start the club to teach children applied computer science,” he says, adding, “So far, we have educated 1,500 plus children across India. The latest batch of 0Gravity was comprised of the children of abandoned sex workers.”

Krish Samtani during one of the 0Gravity sessions

The club teaches children from the ages of 10-18 in courses that typically last three months with classes on Saturday. During the pandemic, they switched to online and now Krish wants, “to inspire a spark in children to chase their dreams.”

Manan Sharma avers that one of the main advantages of learning to code early is the fact that it takes away the fear of intimidation. “My nephew is studying coding and I know that he is no longer intimidated. He knows the application of code and that will hold him in good stead,” he says, concluding, “The opportunities are limitless. Coding can be used across industries and sectors. You never know what innovations these children will produce.

Why code?

According to The Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, it is predicted that 65 percent of children entering primary school today ultimately work completely new jobs that do not even exist yet.
According to the Annual Employability report by Aspiring Minds, 80 percent Indian engineers are not fit for any job in the knowledge economy and only 2.5 percent possess tech skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In India, only one in 10 kids learn to code when compared to one in three abroad.
Over two-thirds developers are partly self-taught, HackerRank data shows.

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Published on 24, Nov 2021

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The TIME AI Vanguard: 6 Indian innovators redefining the future of artificial intelligence

(November 25, 2024) Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most transformative forces of our time, reshaping industries, redefining creativity, and influencing global policy. In 2024, TIME magazine recognized the individuals steering this revolution with its "100 Most Influential People in AI" list. Familiar names like Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, continue to dominate global conversations about AI. But this year’s list also sheds light on a host of other Indian innovators making profound, yet often understated, impacts on the field. Global Indian puts the spotlight on the Indians who form the vanguard of AI tech, making their mark in unconventional ways. From policymakers like Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is putting India at the forefront of AI development, to pioneers like Anil Kapoor, addressing ethical challenges in entertainment, the breadth of Indian contributions is vast. Innovators such as Rohit Prasad of Amazon and Aravind Srinivas of Perplexity are redefining how AI interacts with everyday life, while thought leaders like Amandeep Singh Gill and Divya Siddharth are ensuring the technology is guided by principles of fairness and inclusion. Ashwini Vaishnaw: Architect of India's AI Revolution [caption id="attachment_60575" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Ashwini Vaishnaw. Minister for Railways, lnformation

img class="size-full wp-image-60575" src="https://www.globalindian.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CJv4vGmN9WDeNndhwSWF.webp" alt="Ashwini Vaishnaw | Time 100 AI 2024 | Global Indian" width="640" height="360" /> Ashwini Vaishnaw. Minister for Railways, lnformation and Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India.[/caption]

Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, is spearheading the country’s ambitious plans to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. His tenure has been marked by a strategic focus on innovation, skill development, and democratization of AI technology.

At the heart of these efforts is India’s AI Mission, which Vaishnaw describes as a collaboration between “industry, government, and academia.” In partnership with Meta, the government launched the Center for Generative AI at IIT Jodhpur and introduced the YuvAI Initiative to train 100,000 students in large language models (LLMs). “Our AI mission is advancing with strong collaborations,” Vaishnaw said after meeting Meta’s AI Chief Scientist Yann LeCun. These programs aim to bridge the talent gap while fostering ethical AI innovation.

A defining feature of Vaishnaw’s approach is the democratization of technology. India’s public AI platform, featuring computing power equivalent to 10,000 GPUs and high-quality datasets, is designed to make cutting-edge resources accessible to startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs. “The government invests in the platform, and everybody becomes a part of it,” he stated, likening this to India’s digital public infrastructure strategy.

Vaishnaw’s leadership also extends to international diplomacy, particularly as India chairs the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI). At the Global IndiaAI Summit 2024, he remarked, “AI can solve many problems simultaneously, but we must contain its risks. The solution must come through a global thought process.”

With Vaishnaw at the helm, India is steadily positioning itself as a global leader in ethical and innovative AI.

Anil Kapoor: A Landmark Victory for Personality Rights in the AI Era

Anil Kapoor | Time 100 AI 2024 | Influential People in AI | Global Indian

In a list often dominated by technologists and policymakers, Anil Kapoor’s inclusion in TIME’s "100 Most Influential People in AI 2024" is both unconventional and highly significant. As one of India’s most celebrated actors, Kapoor has taken on an expected new role as a crusader for ethical AI practices in the entertainment industry. His recent legal victory against unauthorized AI usage of his likeness has not only secured his own rights but also set a precedent for others in the creative field.

In September 2023, Kapoor filed a lawsuit to prevent the misuse of his name, image, voice, and other personality traits by 16 entities that had used them without permission for commercial purposes. The Delhi High Court’s interim order, widely regarded as a landmark judgment, restrained these platforms from profiting off his identity without consent. Speaking about the case, Kapoor remarked, “My personality is my life’s work, and I’ve worked hard to build it. With this lawsuit, I’m seeking protection of my personality rights to prevent their misuse, particularly in the current scenario with rapid changes in technology and tools like artificial intelligence.”

Kapoor’s victory is being hailed globally, with Variety describing it as a “landmark judgement against AI.” Reflecting on the court’s decision, Kapoor said, “Justice must, and does, prevail. I’m very happy with this court order, which has come in my favor, and I think it’s very progressive—not only for me but for other actors as well.”

Rohit Prasad: Transforming AI Through Voice and Vision

[caption id="attachment_60577" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Rohit Prasad | Time 100 AI 2024 | Influential People in AI | Global Indian Rohit Prasad, the brains behind Alexa and the vanguard of AI at Amazon[/caption]

Rohit Prasad, Amazon’s Senior Vice President and Head Scientist of Alexa AI, stands at the forefront of voice technology and artificial intelligence innovation. As the architect behind Alexa, Prasad revolutionized how millions interact with technology daily, embedding AI seamlessly into everyday lives. Now, he leads Amazon’s charge to reclaim its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving generative AI landscape.

Born in India and inspired by science fiction classics like Star Trek, Prasad’s fascination with AI began early. He pursued his undergraduate degree at BIT Mesra, Ranchi, before moving to the United States to earn a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. Reflecting on his academic journey, Prasad credits his mentor for shaping his practical approach to AI. “It’s not just about having the best algorithm,” he says, “but proving it works in real-world settings. That preparation—to make inventions matter in the real world—was invaluable.”

Prasad spearheaded Alexa’s natural language capabilities, redefining human-machine interactions. “We dreamed of making computers respond like a Star Trek computer, and Alexa brought that to life,” he has said.

The rise of generative AI, however, introduced new challenges. As competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT surged ahead, Amazon tasked Prasad with revamping its AI strategy. Leading the development of Titan and Olympus, Amazon’s latest large language models, Prasad is integrating generative AI across Alexa and Amazon’s ecosystem, from smart-home devices to AWS cloud services.

Aravind Srinivas: Disrupting Search with AI Innovation

[caption id="attachment_60578" align="aligncenter" width="691"] Aravind Srinivas | Perplexity AI | Time 100 AI 2024 | Global Indian Aravind Srinivas, founder, Perplexity[/caption]

Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, represents the new wave of entrepreneurs who are blending technical excellence with disruptive ambitions in artificial intelligence. At just 30, Srinivas has steered Perplexity into the Unicorn club, raising its valuation to over $1 billion and challenging industry titans like Google in the AI-driven search space.

Born in India, Srinivas’s journey into AI began during his undergraduate studies at IIT Madras. Despite starting in electrical engineering, he credits his mentors and friends in computer science for introducing him to the nascent field of machine learning. “If I hadn’t been at IIT Madras, I might never have ended up in AI,” Srinivas reflects. From there, he went on to complete his doctoral studies at UC Berkeley.

In 2021, he briefly worked at OpenAI before co-founding Perplexity AI in 2022. Perplexity’s “answer engine” aims to reshape search by delivering concise, AI-generated answers with linked citations, rather than traditional search results. “Google doesn’t want to replace its business model with lower-margin AI search,” he says.

While Perplexity has gained tens of millions of users and processes over 230 million queries monthly, it has not been without controversy. The company has faced accusations of plagiarism from outlets like Forbes and Condé Nast, leading to legal threats and public criticism. “Perplexity Pages had some rough edges,” Srinivas admitted, as the company revamped its citation practices and rolled out a revenue-sharing model for publishers. Despite these challenges, Perplexity’s growth continues, fueled by innovative features like its Pro service, which integrates third-party models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.

Amandeep Singh Gill: Guiding AI Ethics on a Global Scale

[caption id="attachment_60579" align="aligncenter" width="783"] Amandeep Gill | Time 100 AI 2024 | Influential People in AI | Global Indian Amandeep Gill, United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology[/caption]

As the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, Amandeep Singh Gill plays a pivotal role in shaping the ethical and equitable use of artificial intelligence worldwide. With a background in diplomacy and technology policy, Gill’s work emphasizes international cooperation to ensure AI benefits humanity while mitigating its risks.

Gill’s vision for AI governance balances innovation with safeguards. “AI must be a tool for inclusivity and sustainability, not a driver of division,” he said at a recent global summit. Under his leadership, initiatives such as the Global Digital Compact aim to establish guidelines for responsible AI development. Gill has also championed collaborations through platforms like the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), where he facilitates dialogues between nations, researchers, and industries.

One of Gill’s key priorities is addressing the ethical implications of AI in areas such as privacy, misinformation, and economic disparities. He has consistently called for AI regulations that protect vulnerable populations while fostering innovation. “The risks posed by AI can only be tackled through collective global action,” he believes.

Divya Siddharth: Redefining AI Governance Through Collective Intelligence

[caption id="attachment_60580" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Divya Siddharth | Time 100 AI 2024 | Influential People in AI | Global Indian Divya Siddharth[/caption]

For Divya Siddharth, AI is more than a transformative technology—it’s an opportunity to reimagine how societies govern and collaborate. As the co-founder of the Collective Intelligence Project (CIP), Siddharth has dedicated her work to ensuring that transformative technologies like AI are shaped by and for the collective good, rather than being monopolized by a few powerful entities.

“The world can be transactional and cruel,” Siddharth acknowledges, but she believes in countering this through collective intelligence—systems that “bring out the best and cancel out the worst.” In collaboration with AI company Anthropic, Siddharth and her team ran an “alignment assembly,” engaging 1,000 everyday people to define the values an ideal AI assistant should uphold. Their input not only reduced bias in Anthropic’s chatbot Claude but also introduced principles, like ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities, that were later integrated into the live product.

Siddharth’s belief in democracy as a solution, not a problem, stems from a diverse career spanning global AI governance initiatives and grassroots efforts. In a recent TED Talk, she argued, “We’ve gotten used to seeing democracy as a problem to be solved, but I see it as a cutting-edge social technology.” Her work has ranged from addressing data rights to guiding AI governance in collaboration with policymakers in India, the U.S., and the U.K. During her tenure at the U.K.’s AI Safety Institute, Siddharth established programs for public input on AI risks, ensuring that ordinary voices help shape regulatory frameworks.

“Tech expands what we are capable of,” she says. “Democracy is how we decide what to do with that capability.”

These six innovators are proof that AI is not just about machines or algorithms—it’s about people, decisions, and values. Whether through policy, ethics, or technology, they are shaping a future where AI serves society in meaningful ways.

Meet Rahul Garg, the man behind India’s first hinterland unicorn

In a country where large dollops of venture capital money chase glitzy consumer tech startups from Ola to Cred, Moglix is an exception. Essentially an industrial goods marketplace, the Ratan Tata and Tiger Global-backed Moglix became India’s first hinterland unicorn earlier this year, shaped by the challenges of doing business and making medical supplies available during the pandemic. The sole founder behind the venture is 42-year-old Rahul Garg who quit his cushy job at Google Asia — where he spent five years as head of AdX India, SEA and Korea — to give wings to his entrepreneurial dreams. Today, Moglix works with more than 500,000 SMEs and 3,000 manufacturing plants across India, Singapore, the UK, and UAE. According to Garg, B2B manufacturing had not seen any innovation in a long time. Garg stepped in to reimagine the sector with technology. Today, Moglix works with some of the largest manufacturing companies and has become a one-stop solution for their procurement needs. Journey to the top [caption id="attachment_4582" align="aligncenter" width="380"] Rahul Garg with Ratan Tata[/caption] Brought up in Faridabad, Garg graduated in Electrical Engineering from IIT-Kanpur before starting his career with Ittiam Systems in Bengaluru. He also served as Chairperson of the Marketing and AdTech committee at IAB, Singapore. An MBA degree from the prestigious ISB in Hyderabad was followed by a five-year stint with Google Asia. During his tenure here he collaborated with enterprises on advertising and helped build a $2 billion business from scratch. Garg also has 16 technology patents to his name in wireless communication. By 2015, Garg was set to dive headlong into the

urement needs.

Journey to the top

[caption id="attachment_4582" align="aligncenter" width="380"] Meet Rahul Garg, the man behind India’s first hinterland unicorn Rahul Garg with Ratan Tata[/caption]

Brought up in Faridabad, Garg graduated in Electrical Engineering from IIT-Kanpur before starting his career with Ittiam Systems in Bengaluru. He also served as Chairperson of the Marketing and AdTech committee at IAB, Singapore. An MBA degree from the prestigious ISB in Hyderabad was followed by a five-year stint with Google Asia. During his tenure here he collaborated with enterprises on advertising and helped build a $2 billion business from scratch. Garg also has 16 technology patents to his name in wireless communication.

By 2015, Garg was set to dive headlong into the startup ecosystem and launch Moglix, a one of its kind manufacturing sector startup. His Faridabad roots gave him a view of the new wave of opportunities for the country’s manufacturing sector and the challenges it faced. Today, Moglix is a go-to platform for industrial supplies with over 40 product categories and serves more than 25,000 pin codes. Nearly 65% of the company’s business comes from tier II and III cities, making it India’s first hinterland unicorn. The company now has offices across cities such as Prayagraj, Kanpur, and Lucknow apart from Chennai and Noida.

Alibaba for manufacturers

Garg’s vision for Moglix was clear. He wanted it to be like Alibaba for the industrial manufacturing space. The company managed to raise seed funding from the likes of Accel Venture Partners and Seed Plus. However, Garg chose to slug it out alone without any co-founders. In an interview with Forbes, Garg said,

“I tried twice before (with co-founders), but those did not take off. So, this time I was firm that I’ll just get started and see what comes along. It was a conscious choice and thankfully I was third-time lucky.”

The e-commerce platform's success paved the way for Moglix Business and the company now has an enterprise procurement vertical under its umbrella. Moglix Business caters to over 500 large manufacturing companies and offers them a range of procurement optimization solutions. It has also diversified into contract management with products such as iCAT and C-Vantage and these products are being used by large global manufacturing companies to streamline their processes.

[caption id="attachment_4584" align="aligncenter" width="507"] Meet Rahul Garg, the man behind India’s first hinterland unicorn Rahul Garg with his team[/caption]

Rising to the occasion

As a startup founder, Garg says that it is important to surround oneself with people who believe in your vision and are adaptive to evolving dynamics. He is quick to make decisions and is constantly training himself to operate in a fast-paced environment. For manufacturing to become a trillion-dollar economy, Garg believes that it is essential to reimagine the sector completely and that is what Moglix set out to do. According to an article in Forbes India, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India saw the company step in to help meet the rising demand for oxygen at a time when the national capital was gasping.

Garg had himself lost loved ones to the pandemic. He told Forbes,

“When you lose people so young, it is extremely tough. We knew we had to act. I was getting so many calls for oxygen concentrators and beds.”

Moglix helped ramp up the supply of PPE kits and N95 masks across the country during the first wave of the pandemic too. Garg and his team worked with manufacturers of oxygen concentrators and also sent charter flights to China and Germany to procure more concentrators.

Moglix also accelerated its expansion in the UK to supply PPE to enterprises in the UK as they looked to create safe workplaces. Over the last few months, Moglix has supplied PPEs in more than 20 countries across the globe, with 5 million of them being delivered to over 230 cities in India alone.

As a leader, Garg encourages his employees to tap into their passion to discover better and more innovative versions of themselves. He believes a leader is one who prioritizes his team and empowers others to flourish and unlock their potential.

Reading Time: 5 mins

Meet Dr Astha Purohit, the doctor turned tech expert who heads technical operations at Walmart

(March 18, 2024) “I dreamt of donning a suit and being a CEO, even as a child,” laughs Dr Astha Purohit - A doctor who studied at the Emory Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta before completing her Masters from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, she is currently the Director of Technical Operations at Walmart. Her current role at Walmart is situated at the crossroads of technology and retail. She plays a pivotal role in the e-commerce team, focusing on enhancing the online shopping experience on walmart.com while leveraging advanced AI and ML models to refine how millions of products are presented on the website, aiming to drive a superior and easy customer experience. Astha in Hindi translates to faith, and it was faith in herself that led the 37-year-old professional to success at such a young age. Armed with determination, hard work, and a sunny demeanor towards life, she is someone who strives to live life to the fullest, enjoying the small joys as much as the big victories! [caption id="attachment_50112" align="aligncenter" width="318"] Dr Astha Purohit[/caption] A picture-perfect childhood Brought up in different cities in India owing to the job postings of her civil servant

5834263521684094976_n-674x1024.jpg" alt="Astha Purohit" width="318" height="483" /> Dr Astha Purohit[/caption]

A picture-perfect childhood

Brought up in different cities in India owing to the job postings of her civil servant father, Rajendra Nri Singh, Astha grew up in Jodhpur, Salem, and Mumbai. From watching Jurrasic Park on VCR to visiting the temples of Rameshwaram and Tirupati and enjoying the ghee-soaked dosa of Salem, she grew up enjoying the myriad experiences different cities had to offer. Later on, as the family moved to Mumbai, she took in the hustle and bustle of the city as well as its unending energy.

She states, “Those years shaped my perspective on diversity, culture, and the importance of heritage. The memories of becoming an older sister to my brother Arpit, of exploring ancient temples, and of indulging in the local cuisine remain with me. It was a time of growth, discovery, and a deepening bond with my family, set against the backdrop of India's incredible cultural tapestry.”

For many growing up in a middle-class Indian family in the 1990s, there were only two career options to pursue: medicine or engineering. She laughs, “Maths and I weren't the best of friends, but I've always had this knack for digging deep into problems, unraveling them piece by piece. As a kid, I would often dream about walking the hallways of IIM-A, but I was a realist, so I decided to focus on biology.”

The focus paid off well, as she was ranked 182 in medical entrance and embarked on an incredible journey in medical school, where she says that she learned one of the most crucial life skills—interpersonal skills.

“There's no better place to get a crash course in human interaction than the halls of a medical college,” she notes and adds, “Day in and day out, you're learning how to really listen to what patients are telling you, not just hearing what their symptoms are but understanding their concerns, fears, and hopes. It's about offering comfort, not just with medicine but with words and presence. All of this taught me a lot about empathy.”

Changing gears

It was during her internship year at medical school that her journey took an exciting turn, and Astha landed a prestigious rotation fellowship in pain medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. The fellowship at Yale reignited her interest in management, and she decided to pursue a Master's in healthcare management and policy in the US.

She was accepted into the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, a place where proximity to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—visible right from Rollins—constantly reminded her of the impact and importance of public health.

It was here that Astha realized that, being on the management side, the impact of her work would be far broader and wider. When her mother reminded her of her dream to get an MBA from a top school, wear a suit, and one day be a CEO, she got into her dream college, MIT.

She recalls, “Choosing MIT felt right, like a piece of a puzzle falling into place. It wasn't just about the prestige or the academic rigor; it was about being part of a legacy that has shaped the world we live in.” The youngster’s two years at MIT were transformative in every sense of the word. The school also offered her the chance to travel and soak in diverse cultures, from a school trek to Morocco to a month-long project in Brazil, where she received a holistic perspective on the business and its growth.

She says, “The most transformative aspect of my time at MIT was the interaction. with my classmates. Being among 400 of the brightest minds in their 20s, each bringing their unique life experiences, stories, and aspirations to the table. incredibly enriching. These interactions further expanded my worldview.”

Setting out on a career path

Transitioning from this whirlwind of global engagements, she worked with McKinsey & Company's New York office as an associate before working with firms like CVS Health and DoorDash. At Doordashan, Astha Purohit worked with the technologies of the day and, along with her team, pioneered the integration of automation and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML)-based models into the catalog management processes.

She reflects, “My tenure at DoorDash was a critical period of growth in my retail career, particularly in understanding the intersection of technology and customer service. It reinforced my belief in the power of AI to transform industries, and it honed my skills in leading teams through complex, pioneering projects. This experience was instrumental in shaping my approach to product management, team leadership, and innovation in the retail sector.”

Walmart's position as the largest retailer in the U.S. presents unique challenges and opportunities due to its vast scale, and Astha’s role is a delicate balancing act ensuring that operations are nimble, quick, and agile while also being robust enough to support the diverse needs of customers across the country.

She adds, “The initiatives I lead are designed to deliver seamless service to every Walmart customer without compromising on reliability or efficiency. In essence, my work is about harnessing cutting-edge technology to make shopping on walmart.com as intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable as possible ensuring Walmart remains at the forefront of retail innovation.”

A role model

Astha Purohit

The landscape for Indians going abroad has undergone significant transformations from when the youngster first ventured overseas to the present, where there is a burgeoning and vibrant Indian diaspora across the globe.

Astha Purohit agrees and adds, “When I first went overseas, the sense of isolation from one's roots could be palpable, with Skype being the way you stayed. connected with family. Today, digital platforms and social media have bridged this gap, enabling instant, cost-effective connections with family and friends back home. Moreover, the larger Indian diaspora has fostered a sense of community in foreign lands, with numerous cultural organizations, networks, and events that offer a slice of home away from home.”

Outside of work, the young professional focuses on several activities, including mentoring young women in their careers (she is the Chair of the San Francisco alumni chapter for Rollins School of Public Health), reading, going to long walks with her dog, cooking, and watching Bollywood movies.

Today, while she is successfully professionally and in a sated space personally, ask her what her focus is, and she surprises us with her answer. “To be happy,” she replies without missing a beat and explains, “Happiness is a choice, and we need to consistently work at it. Enjoy the journey; each day is a gift, and do not waste it by always being in pursuit of something.”

Follow Dr Astha Purohit on LinkedIn

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Global Indian gamechangers in science and technology

They're the movers-and-shakers at NASA and leaders in healthcare, space tech, engineering and gastronomy the world over. Global Indians are preceded by their reputation for excellence in scientific thought and research and have continued to prove themselves as modern Indian scientists year after year, bagging the biggest honours the world has to offer them. We take a look at the gamechangers in science and technology in 2022. Dr. Ravi Margasahayam, Global Space Ambassador, NASA [caption id="attachment_30544" align="aligncenter" width="359"] Dr. Ravi Margasahayam (photo credit: Dr. Margasahayam)[/caption] He started his journey as a young engineering graduate from Bengaluru, and is currently the Global Space Ambassador for John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA. In a glorious career spanning over three decades, Dr Ravi Margasahayam has played an instrumental role in launching over a hundred Space Shuttle missions, which took more than 700 astronauts to space, including Indian-born astronaut, Kalpana Chawla. He is the only person of Indian origin to work, manage, and conduct research on both launch pads – Complex 39A and 39B – the same from where NASA sent humans to land on the Moon. “I once met former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and had the privilege of showing

umental role in launching over a hundred Space Shuttle missions, which took more than 700 astronauts to space, including Indian-born astronaut, Kalpana Chawla. He is the only person of Indian origin to work, manage, and conduct research on both launch pads – Complex 39A and 39B – the same from where NASA sent humans to land on the Moon. “I once met former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and had the privilege of showing him around the John F. Kennedy Space Center. He told me that he envied me, saying, ‘You did the one thing I couldn’t ever do – launch humans into space. You are an Astronaut Maker’,” shared the 69-year-old scientist.

In 2016, Dr. Margasahayam officially retired as the Co-Chair of the Ground Review Safety Panel (GSRP), which reviews safety for all payloads going to the International Space Station (ISS), from anywhere in the world. In 2019, he was nominated by NASA Astronauts and held the position of Solar System Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California. An eloquent public speaker, the NASA veteran has encouraged several young people to explore the secrets of the Universe.

“For me what matters is to inspire the next generation to ride on our shoulders and do better than us. We have opened a path to human spaceflight – live and work in space. What did not happen in 60,000 years, we have been able to do in the last 60 years. Humankind is much benefitted by space exploration, and we have a long way to go from here,” he said.

Dr. Kaushik Rajashekara, Global Energy Award winner

[caption id="attachment_32601" align="aligncenter" width="586"] Dr. Kaushik Rajashekara | Global Indian Dr Kaushik Rajashekara[/caption]

This scholar is working on making science-fiction show The Jetsons a reality. Dr Kaushik Rajashekara, one of the world’s leading experts in the field of transport technologies, is working on several futuristic projects that hold the potential to change the world and the way we travel. The recipient of the Global Energy Prize 2022 – the highest award in the field of energy – Dr. Rajashekara was one of the first engineers to work on conceptualising and also building an electronic vehicle, far before the technology became widely known.

“When I received the e-mail about my selection, I could not believe it for a moment. This award shows the importance of energy efficiency improvement and reducing emissions. I am proud of the contributions I have made to technologies that would improve the environment. Also, I have travelled to about 60 countries giving seminars on various topics at universities and conferences. It is humbling to recognise how many people contributed to my success, expecting nothing in return. ‘It takes a village’ is very true in my case, and I am fortunate that my village included some of the most encouraging and inspiring engineers in the field,” he shared.

Currently a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Houston, Dr Rajashekara wishes to pass on all the knowledge he has gained in the last three decades to new-age engineers to ensure that the evolution of science and technology never stops. “After 35 years of working in the world’s well-known Corporations, including ABB, GM, and Roll-Royce, I am very happy to be in the academic field. I am making use of every opportunity to educate and train the next generation of engineers. In a way, I worked all my life to be a professor and train others even when I was in the working industry,” the scholar said.

Professor Suresh Kumar Bhargava, scholar

[caption id="attachment_33366" align="aligncenter" width="394"] Professor Suresh Kumar Bhargava | Modern Indian Scientists[/caption]

Oblivious to his nomination, Professor Suresh Bhargava was sitting in his office when he received a letter informing him that he was being conferred with the Queen’s Birthday 2022 honour – Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Though his initial reaction was that of surprise, the academician also felt extremely excited to be honoured by the Queen. “I have received numerous awards for my scientific research. However, this one was for my contribution to the betterment of my community,” shared Professor Bhargava, adding, “It is incredible when people recognise your contributions that created a positive difference. I was thrilled that my adopted country valued my three decades of hard work.”

The scholar, who started his journey from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, has worked as a professor at esteemed Universities in six countries, and won several academician awards, including the most prestigious award in engineering, the ‘CHEMECA medal’. A living bridge between India and Australia, Professor Bhargava holds 12 patents, including one for gold-based metallodrug for cancer treatment. Living by the principle that his research should contribute to enhancing the environment, the professor also developed a nanotechnology mercury sensor to monitor the toxic smoke emission from refineries for industrial use.

Priyanka Srivastava, NASA space engineer

[caption id="attachment_25761" align="aligncenter" width="381"] Priyanka Srivastava | NASA Engineer | Global Indian NASA Engineer Priyanka Srivastava with Mars 2020 testbed[/caption]

She was just a little girl when she came across a news about Kalpana Chawla, which motivated her to join the space industry. Today, that young girl – Priyanka Srivastava – is working as a Space Systems Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Indian-American engineer was a part of the team that designed the famed Perseverance Rover – a car-sized Mars rover to explore the Jezero crater on the red planet. “No one in my family is an engineer. Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated with space. I would often wonder if there was another solar system like ours that existed somewhere else. Even back in my school, I was always sure that one day I will join the space industry,” said Priyanka.

In her six-year-long stint with NASA, Priyanka has worked on four flight missions. The engineer is currently working on a mission to an asteroid called Psyche, and is very excited about the project. "This asteroid is supposed to be a core of a previous planet. NASA is sending a spacecraft there so we can learn what this asteroid is made up of. Eventually that will help us understand Earth’s core better,” shares the NASA engineer. Priyanka is also working on a mission to Europa, the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter. The mission will be launched by NASA in 2024.

Dr Keshav Singh, scientist

[caption id="attachment_32114" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Dr Keshav Singh | Modern Indian Scientists[/caption]

In 2018, Dr. Keshav Singh, a professor of genetics at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, was experimenting with mitochondria in mice. The team introduced a mutation to induce dysfunction and, over the next few weeks, observed that the mice developed wrinkles and lost hair – their bodies were ageing. It was an exciting development – if the loss of mitochondrial function led to ageing in mice, could the opposite delay or even prevent it? So Dr. Singh restored the mitochondrial function in the now-wrinkled mice and sure enough, their skin cleared, and the hair grew back. It became the foundation for a startup – Yuva Biosciences.

Currently the Joy and Bill Harbert Endowed Chair and Professor of Genetics, Pathology, and Dermatology at the University of Alabama, Dr. Keshav Singh, the author of three books and over 100 research publications, is on Stanford University’s list of the top two percent of scientists in the world and one of Newsweek’s Innovation Heroes. For over two decades, Dr. Singh, one of Global Indian's gamechangers in science, has been at the forefront of mitochondrial research, working tirelessly to make a change. He even uses his talent for painting to create artistic renditions of mitochondria on canvas.

In October 2022, Dr. Singh and his team also received a grant from NASA, after a study showed that 57 astronauts suffered from mitochondrial anomalies after their stints at the International Space Station. The organisation has awarded Dr. Keshav a grant to do the animal studies – “We will take our mice and work at the NASA facility in Brookhaven, in a laboratory-created space environment,” he told Global Indian.

Dr Risha Jasmine Nathan

[caption id="attachment_26856" align="aligncenter" width="502"] Risha Jasmine Nathan | Modern Indian Scientists[/caption]

In June 2022, Risha Jasmine Nathan was named one of the world’s leading gastronomy gamechangers. She’s one of only four Indians on the 50 Next ‘Class of 2022’ list, which was unveiled at the first live awards ceremony in Bilbao, Spain. As we speak, Risha (pronounced with an ‘ai’, she emphasises), who recently resigned from her job as an assistant professor at Galgotias University in Noida, is preparing for her move to the UK, where she will begin work as a lecturer in forensic chemistry at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.

The research that landed Risha on the global gamechangers list took shape when she was a PhD student in New Zealand. The idea came about as she completed her master’s thesis – “I had found a group of researchers using banana peels to remove lead ions from water,” Risha tells Global Indian. Qualified in analytical chemistry and toxicology, she decided to take the idea further through biosorption, pitching the idea at the University of Otago. Many a late night at the lab followed, as Risha experimented with orange, banana, cucumber, apple, kiwi fruit and potato peels to remove heavy metals from drinking water. It’s an experiment with countless applications, especially within the food and hospitality industries, where the bulk of the wet waste is generated.

Meet Sanjal Gavande, the Marathi engineer who’s part of Jeff Bezos’ space travel project

(July 19, 2021; 3 pm) The space tourism race is truly heating up: Come July 20, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will take off on board Blue Origin’s rocket system New Shepard. All eyes are now set on the Indian systems engineer at the commercial space flight company who’s part of the team that built the rocket – 30-year-old Sanjal Gavande. Maharashtra-born Gavande, who had earlier worked for marine and racing companies, has been part of the team that built the New Shepard rocket system that will take Bezos and three others to space. She told Times of India, “I am really happy that my childhood dream is about to come true. I am proud to be a part of Team Blue Origin." The launch of the vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing suborbital launch vehicle is considered a milestone in space tourism. [caption id="attachment_5209" align="aligncenter" width="533"] Sanjal Gavande[/caption] From Mumbai to Space Born in a Maharashtrian family in Kalyan near Mumbai, Gavande graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Mumbai University. She moved to the US to pursue her Masters from Michigan Technological University in 2012, where she opted for aerospace. Her father Ashok is a retired municipal corporation employee and mother Surekha a retired MTNL official; the family continues to live in Kalyan. In

img class=" wp-image-5209" src="https://globalindian.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sanjal1.jpg" alt="As Jeff Bezos prepares for his space flight, all eyes are on Sanjal Gavande the Indian systems engineer from the team that built the rocket" width="533" height="300" /> Sanjal Gavande[/caption]

From Mumbai to Space

Born in a Maharashtrian family in Kalyan near Mumbai, Gavande graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Mumbai University. She moved to the US to pursue her Masters from Michigan Technological University in 2012, where she opted for aerospace. Her father Ashok is a retired municipal corporation employee and mother Surekha a retired MTNL official; the family continues to live in Kalyan. In an interview with India Today, Ashok said, “She always wanted to build a spaceship and that is the reason she chose aerospace as a subject while pursuing her master's degree at Michigan Technological University.”

After her Masters, Gavande worked with Mercury Marine in Wisconsin for about four years before joining Toyota Racing Development in California as a mechanical design engineer. While working, she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a pilot and began taking flying lessons over the weekends. In 2016 she finally got her pilot’s license. Given her interest in all things space, Gavande had also applied for a space engineering job at NASA but her application was rejected due to citizenship issues.

[caption id="attachment_5210" align="aligncenter" width="535"] As Jeff Bezos prepares for his space flight, all eyes are on Sanjal Gavande the Indian systems engineer from the team that built the rocket Jeff Bezos is all set to take off on board Blue Origin's New Shepard[/caption]

Endless horizon

She got selected as a systems engineer at Blue Origin instead, where she realized her dream of building a spaceship. New Shepard is an unmanned suborbital vehicle that will take off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One at West Texas. While working on this rocket system was Gavande’s dream, her journey did have its share of detractors. Her mother Surekha told India Today,

“People told us that she is a girl, so why has she opted for mechanical engineering? I also thought sometimes about whether she would be able to handle such hard work. She has now made us all proud. She had a dream of design aerospace rockets and she has achieved it.”

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=439i5nJH5LA[/embed]

Editor’s Take

Dreams are easy to dream, but to follow through on them and turn them into reality takes gumption and determination. Sanjal Gavande didn’t let societal norms or pressures hold her back. Her love for drawing and academics saw her sail through her mechanical engineering degree as well as her Masters in the US. Her determination to go beyond a 9-to-5 job also led her to give her dreams wings when she obtained her pilot’s license. Not one to be let down by rejection, she didn’t let the NASA rejection deter her; she soldiered on and carved a niche for herself in the Blue Origin team. Gavande joins fellow Indians like Sirisha Bandla and Swati Mohan in playing a key role in the launching of this space flight.