Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveWinning punches: Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen’s success story is unparalleled

Winning punches: Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen’s success story is unparalleled

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(December 2, 2022) 2022 proved to be a golden year for Indian boxer, Nikhat Zareen. The sports star, who started her journey as the only girl in Nizamabad’s boxing academy, won several gold medals in various international boxing championships held this year, including Commonwealth Games, IBA Women’s World Championship, and Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament. And on November 30, the pint-sized boxer was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. “It’s an absolute honour to be conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award by the Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Gratitude to the Almighty for guiding me on my journey and to all those who shared it with me. Onwards and upwards!” the champion tweeted after receiving the Arjuna Award.

Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen receiving the Arjuna Award from President Murmu

Although there were several hurdles in life – from relatives and close family friends not agreeing with her choice of career, to facing a financial crunch to support her boxing – Nikhat held on to her dreams and emerged victorious. “I remember telling my father that someone had told me that boxing is not meant for girls. He told me, there is nothing one can’t do if they are determined,” she shared with Global Indian during an exclusive interview, adding, “After I first stepped inside the box, there was no turning back. I knew boxing is what I wanted to do. My father supported me throughout my journey, encouraging me. Today, after I have won many medals, I feel that all the hard work was worth it. However, I have much more potential and a long way to go.”

Nikhat with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi

Despite winning so many medals, the boxer feels that she “cannot afford to take a break.” Passionate and focussed, the 26-year-old boxer is training hard to claim many more medals for the country. “I took a short leave to visit my family in Nizamabad after winning the World Championship. But I am back at the training camp now. My next aim is the 2024 Paris Olympics. I dream of winning gold there for my nation,” Nikhat said.

Humble beginning

Nikhat started her sporting journey in a town called Nizamabad, in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Participating in several school competitions, Nikhat was a junior sports star. The Indian boxer shares that her father is not only her biggest support but also an inspiration. “My father was also a sportsperson. He was working in Saudi Arabia, but when he got to know that one of his daughters is interested in sports, he left his job and came to India. Despite many people saying that I am a girl, and can’t box, my father constantly encouraged me and reminded me that the first rule of any sport is to not give up,” shares the girl boxing champ whose father mentored her early on.

Nikhat with K. T. Rama Rao, MA&UD Minister, Telangana

It took her just one year to prove her mettle in boxing. She won several state and national level championships and was inducted into the Sports Authority of India in Vishakhapatnam to train under Dronacharya awardee, IV Rao in 2009. With her hard work, Nikhat was selected to represent the country at the 2011 Women’s Junior and Youth World Boxing Championship in Turkey.

“I took a short leave to visit my family after winning the World Championship. But I am back at the training camp now. My next aim is the 2024 Paris Olympics. I dream of winning gold there for my nation.”

“I defeated the Turkish boxer Ulku Demir, which everyone said was going to be very difficult as she had the support of the crowd. But frankly more than winning the competition, the greatest moment of that tournament was when India’s national anthem was played after I won gold. I was overwhelmed and that was the moment I decided that I will become a professional boxer,” she shares.

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A post shared by Nikhat Zareen (@zareennikhat)

Not only was this the first win at an international tournament for the Indian boxer, but this was also the first time she sat on the flight. Just before leaving the country for the competition, Nikhat shares an amusing incident, “I have motion sickness, so I requested a window seat on the flight. I didn’t know that you can’t use those windows.”

Scaling new heights

After the Turkey win, there was no looking back for Nikhat. She won medals at various national and international events, including the 2014 Youth World Boxing Championships, in Bulgaria, the 2014 Nations Cup International Boxing Tournament, in Serbia, and the 2015 16th Senior Woman National Boxing Championship, in Assam.

However, in 2017 the champion’s shoulder snapped during an Inter-University Championships bout, forcing her out of the ring for a year. “As sportspersons, we are often told that injuries are a part of our journey. But, there is nothing more difficult than sitting out of the ring and watching compatriots do so well. I always found myself thinking about all those tournaments I could have been winning medals at. I was mentally down. Many people said that I was finished and had no chance of representing India again,” shares the Indian boxer.

But just when people were about to write her off, the girl boxing champ made a resounding comeback after winning gold at the 56th Belgrade Winner International Championship 2018. “Before that tournament, I remember I was determined to show everyone who thought that my career was finished, what I was made off. I practiced a lot and finished on the podium,” says the smiling girl boxing champ.

Winning the world

Currently at the national camp taking place at the Indira Gandhi Stadium as a flyweight boxer, she feels she doesn’t just need power. Explaining further, the girl boxing champ says, “(I need) speed to step in and out, duck, weave and throw punches. For any tournament, I do strength training – to convert strength into power. We also do cardio, and train in the ring.”

A foodie, Nikhat enjoys trying new things. “When I travel for tournaments, I hardly get time. I just keep training. However, whenever there is a chance of getting a break, I go out and eat with my team members. In fact, whenever I am back in Nizamabad, I catch up with friends over street food. Although, I have to keep a tab on what and how much am I eating,” shares the Indian boxer.

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Published on 02, Dec 2022

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How Alina Alam’s “Mitti” gate empowers by employing 106 differently-abled in 17 cafes

(January 1, 2022) Alina Alam wears many hats. Entrepreneur, TedX speaker, Forbes 30 under 30, and Commonwealth Youth Award finalist. Winning awards is her zeitgeist — The NCPEDEP Mindtree Hellen Keller Award, the Microsoft Nipman Award, yes, the list is long and impressive. However, away from these accolades is a girl who cares and believes in the power of positive action. Bringing smiles to the differently-abled is what gives her immense joy, and if she can play matchmaker to some, then that’s all the better. Alam built Mitti Café to help people with disabilities join the workforce and compete with the best in business. Thanks to the café, there are people with visual and hearing impairments, Asperger’s and Down’s syndrome feeling the warmth of a life fulfilled. Today, Mitti Café has 17 outlets across India, and has served over 6 million meals. What’s more, the clientele of hip and happening youngsters love tucking into their favourites from the menu that is also in Braille. A café like no other, when workplace accommodation is a struggle for the differently-abled across India, the café and Alina Alam have blazed new trails by employing the disabled. The journey began at empowerment The girl

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The journey began at empowerment

The girl from Kolkata was no doubt egged on by her HR executive father, and her mother who is a homemaker. Her siblings often help in her cafe activities. Her sense of compassion comes no doubt from being raised in a family where monetary aspirations were not important, a social purpose was.

When Alam, 29, started the cafe, her mission was to empower persons with disabilities by providing them opportunities to succeed. Looking back, Alam says that it’s been a many-splendored journey.

She was just 23 when she first thought of doing something different and socially relevant. Pursuing her master’s in development studies at the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, a documentary film on Roman emperor Nero left her with no doubt on her path ahead. The film showed Nero treating prisoners of war with extreme brutality before large crowds as the guests watched in silence or enjoyed the spectacle. It disturbed Alam. “I felt that the problem was not Nero as I feel the world will always have people like him. The problem was with the individuals who treated others as inconsequential. What if I am one of the guests at Nero’s party? If something wrong is happening and you are not taking sides, that means you are on the side of the oppressor,” she tells Global Indian Youth.

She then skipped campus placements and volunteered for organisations in the disability inclusion space. “I was passionate about doing something for the disabled,” she says. While working with Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled in Bengaluru, she saw what the differently-abled are capable of. “I understood that they have enormous potential but lack opportunities. They just need someone to guide and upskill them. What better way to reach out and connect them to the world than through food?” smiles Alam. Mitti Café was born, and the differently-abled got a new lease of life.

From dust to dust

The name of the cafe is unique. “Mitti” n Hindi means soil. “The concept is that everyone belongs to the soil and, we all will return to the soil one day. So, everyone is equal,” she adds.

It has been a rollercoaster ride since 2017, but a very fulfilling one. “Entrepreneurship is challenging. I had zero experience and no capital,” she remembers. So, she put on a brave face, and went door-to-door in Hubli, Karnataka, with pamphlets written in bold, calling the disabled to join her with no bar on age, education or experience. Only one person joined her. “She almost crawled in,” Alam smiles. “I got positive strength, and the journey started with one staff who was wheel-chair bound,” she adds.

A café office in Hubli in a dilapidated tin hut infested with rats, slowly things started falling in place, and Alam opened the first branch at the BVB College of Engineering and Technology campus in Hubli in August 2017.

In four years, she has opened 17 cafés in Bengaluru and Kolkata. Not content, Alam also provides experiential training and employment to adults with physical and intellectual disabilities so that they can get gainful employment. The organisation also creates awareness about inclusion and disability rights.

With 106 adults with special needs managing Mitti Cafés, the chain has served over 6 million meals in just four years. “We have 16 cafés within institutions such as Wipro, Infosys, Accenture, Wells Fargo Cytecare Hospital,” adds Alam.

The café has self-explanatory menu cards printed in Braille, are disabled-friendly, with no compromise on ambience. Then, there is the warm smile of the staffers to put one at ease. One of the critical features of the café is the extensive training programme, so the cafés are able to compete with the best in the business. “Our training includes hygiene, culinary skills, sessions about prevention of sexual harassment, etc,” explains Alam, who schooled at Modern High School for Girls and did psychology at Sophia College for Women.

The girl who makes lives better

During the pandemic too, Alam has been on point. The MITTI Karuna Meals gave migrants and others sustenance, serving over 7.2 lakh meals with plans to expand to thousands more. Alam, also recently got married to a Mumbai-based entrepreneur. She recalls the many rejections early on for her venture so when she got a call from Deshpande Foundation under condition that she move to Hubli, she moved lock, stock and barrel.

On her first foray in Hubli, she says, “I learnt the best lessons of resilience through the struggles. I also got to meet Narayan Murthy, who visited our cafe. That is how the Infosys cafe happened a year later,” she says. The Kolkata born Alam loves crooning, and is a newspaper junkie, which helps her stay abreast.

Today, her exuberance is double - she would like to start the café in every major city, with plans afoot for an outlet in Hyderabad in 2022, and wants to follow it up with Chennai and Mumbai. “Then I want to take Mitti Cafe international,” avers the girl whose belief and conviction have created a legacy to a section of society that has finally got its own girl saviour.

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Reading Time: 8 mins

Shripriya Kalbhavi: Indian-American teen wins big at 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her invention

(October 28, 2023) The ninth grader at Lynbrook High School in San Jose was in for a surprise when she won second place at the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Shripriya Kalbhavi has been working on her invention - EasyBZ for a while now, but had no idea that it would win her a spot at America's biggest middle school science competition. The Indian-American teen will receive a cash prize of $2000 for developing a cost-effective microneedle patch that allows for self-automated drug delivery without pills or needles. "I am really passionate about making sure that everyone is comfortable with the medical treatment that they are receiving, and I really want people to have long-term solutions to their chronic conditions. With the EasyBZ microneedle patch, I have always hoped that people can receive painless treatment that accommodates their medical needs, whether it be children who have diabetes or adults who suffer from forms of dementia like Alzheimer's," she wrote in a blog. For someone who has always been keen to contribute to society, she found her answer in science and research. Growing up, Shripriya was scared of needles and hated getting injections. It not only made her uncomfortable but also

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Growing up, Shripriya was scared of needles and hated getting injections. It not only made her uncomfortable but also induced a sense of fear in her. She realised that many people, especially children, like her who feared needles had no solution other than being told they had to face their fears. "For me, it was not very fun to have a huge needle being stuck into my arm. It was uncomfortable and frightening, and I don’t think that anyone should have to deal with something that makes them feel like their pain, fear, or struggles are less than worthy of care." Moreover, seeing This didn't sit right with her and she decided to come up with EasyBZ microneedle patch, "which actively delivers medication to patients painlessly and can deliver doses over a long period of time."

"Microneedles reduce the pain factor, while the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, along with an oscillating hydrogel, helps manage doses and actively deliver medication," added Shripriya who was keen to help people who require long-term injections. "Such as kids with diabetes, by making their insulin therapy more convenient or something that could also benefit those who cannot take medications on their own, such as dementia or Alzheimer's patients. Hypodermic needles can be a real pain. I really wanted to redesign this problem and help many people in the process. In addition, I also wanted to take into consideration the pain and fear aspect of it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HecA7b-qbYM

It was in November 2022 that Shripriya started playing around with the idea of a microneedle patch that autonomously delivers medication using a self-oscillating hydrogel back. She spent hours researching drug delivery methods, hydrogels, and microneedle technologies. "Understanding how things already work and their limitations sparked new ideas for my project. Research guided me in designing the most effective prototypes." However, she was still unsure of the materials that she could use to make the prototype. That's when her mentor Dr. PJ Flanigan stepped in and helped turn her idea into a possible solution. "The summer mentorship is what really has allowed me to take my project to the next level. With the advice and help of my mentor, Dr. PJ Flanigan, as well as all of the 3M materials that have helped me put together my prototypes, I have been able to level up my project in terms of design, efficiency, results, chemistry, and more. With the help of a 3M scientist, I feel like my project has an even greater potential to help so many people," she added.

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Reading Time: 4 min

Maanasa Mendu: Indian-American teen making clean affordable technology accessible

(December 20, 2022) "Imagine a place where life ends after dark, where there are no electric lights for school work or refrigeration for perishables. This is not part of some dystopian society - it’s a part of our world today. Over 1.2 billion people lack access to electricity," is how Indian-American girl Maanasa Mendu begins her TedX talk. Born and raised in Ohio, her first brush with the global energy crisis began when she visited her grandmother in rural India for her summer break, and witnessed persistent blackouts. Seeing children huddled over a single kerosene lamp, something shifted in the then teenager who was keen to make a difference. That's when she designed Harvest - an energy harvesting device that combines piezoelectric effect that harvests energy from sun, wind and precipitation. It not only won her the grand prize in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and $25,000, but also made her the youngest person to make it to the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 list at just 14 years of age. [caption id="attachment_25605" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Maanasa Mendu designed Harvest 2.0 to make clean energy accessible[/caption] That visit to India left her searching for answers. Upon her return, she

an | Maanasa Mendu | Global Indian " width="620" height="413" /> Maanasa Mendu designed Harvest 2.0 to make clean energy accessible[/caption]

That visit to India left her searching for answers. Upon her return, she began digging deep into information and found that 88 percent of the energy supply comes from non-renewable sources, which are not only harmful to the environment but also depleting. A renewable source was the answer but not many opted for it owing to its high cost. That's when Maanasa took it upon herself to design an "inexpensive and potentially globally application energy solution."

At age 11, she discovered piezoelectric effect (the ability of certain materials to produce an electrical charge when applied with mechanical stress) while reading about JRE's railway station in Japan that has piezo electric floors that produce electricity from people's footsteps. She knew she had found the perfect renewable energy solution. After a year of research and reading, the inspiration for piezoelectric "leaf" device struck here while watching tree branches sway in the wind during a storm. To her, the branches looked like piezoelectric materials - tiny devices that generate power through vibration. She soon began to imagine a renewable energy technology that could harness the energy in the wind and rain. This motivated her to work on her first design. While the initial idea was to focus only on wind power, she ultimately built a prototype that can harness solar and wind energy and the vibrations of rain drops. The device consists of three solar "leaves" that act as solar panels but also move and bend with the wind and rain. The design won her the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, which the Global Indian built using recycled materials for only $5.

[caption id="attachment_25606" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Maanasa Mendu with the design of Harvest 2.0[/caption]

"The issue with the energy crisis lies not in the fact that we lack ideas or solutions to solve it, but rather in the fact that we are unable to get these solutions to the people who need it the most," said Maanasa.

When she began working on the design, her focus was only on wind energy as she wanted to solve the problem of how to capture wind in urban areas where wind turbines don't make sense. But while working on it, she realised "there are a lot more untapped energy sources in our environment, like solar power and precipitation." "If my device just relies on one specific environmental condition, the power output can vary throughout the day. Whereas if it relies on multiple environmental conditions–like sunlight intensity, wind speed, precipitation–all of these factors could create a more stable power source with a higher power output,” she told Fast Company.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuqCsU_ap-c

Maanasa, who is studying at Harvard University, reveals that Harvest can power a 15watt LED bulb after three hours of charging. It took her three years to come up with Harvest, that has the potential to be the answer to the global energy crisis, and she says that it was curiosity that led her to the solution. She believes that "student inventors try to seek inspiration from everyday things. I feel like they connect the dots better."

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Reading Time: 4 min

Bhangra to Ballet: How Delhi boy Kamal Singh made it to UK’s theatre troupe

(January 3, 2023) At the opening night of Brecon Festival Ballet this Christmas, an Indian took centrestage as the main lead in Nutcracker - the world's most popular ballet - to perform to packed houses in Wales. Amid the thunderous applause, he couldn't help but reminisce the time he first saw a ballet in a Bollywood film. And now six years later, the dream of performing ballet has come true for Delhi-born Kamal Singh. He had never heard of ballet ever until he watched a Bollywood film on his small television at his home in Vikaspuri on a balmy afternoon in 2016. A sweet twist of fate put him in the company of the Imperial Fernando Ballet School that changed the trajectory of his life and made him take those steps toward his dream. Then a 17-year-old, whose father is an e-rickshaw driver in Delhi, he was bewitched by the ballet dancers and wanted to try it for himself. Five years later, he became the first Indian to be selected to study at the English National Ballet School in the UK. [caption id="attachment_26066" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Kamal Singh is an Indian ballerino[/caption] The 23-year-old, who made it to the 2021 Forbes 30 Under

wp-content/uploads/2023/01/kamal2.jpg" alt="Ballet | Kamal Singh | Global Indian" width="574" height="718" /> Kamal Singh is an Indian ballerino[/caption]

The 23-year-old, who made it to the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, fought not just social stigma but economic hurdles to make his dream come true. "Coming from a humble background, where I couldn't afford fees for ballet school to now performing in the UK, I am living my dream. Taking a leap of faith, knowing that I can back it up with hard work is what changed the game for me," Kamal tells Global Indian from London.

How Bollywood gave him wings to fly

Growing up, the family survived on his father's meager income that came from working two jobs - being an e-rickshaw driver in Delhi and making charpais (benches), Kamal believed for the longest time that he wasn't allowed to dream. "While growing up, I was obsessed with fitness and would spend hours running and training in local parks. I even learnt Gatka (Sikh martial art) for six years, and was a part of local jatha (group), where I participated in competitions," says Kamal.

[caption id="attachment_26068" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Kamal Singh is English National Ballet School graduate.[/caption]

Financial crunches were the norm at home but his parents never pressurised him into chipping in through odd jobs. At the same time, his life was confined to the alleys of Vikaspuri. "I didn't dream big till I was 17." For someone who loved watching dance reality shows, and was often the first one to break into a dance at weddings, his love for dancing remained personal. Until a Bollywood film changed the course of his life forever.

At 17, he watched Remo D'Souza's dance film ABCD: Anybody Can Dance, and the ballet piece stirred something inside this then-teenager, who couldn't stop thinking about this dance form. Being a Sikh, Singh always broke into bhangra at every party or wedding, but the fluid elegance of ballet drew him in and he spent the next few days watching ballet videos online. "I had never seen something like this before. I vividly remember, at that moment I told myself that I have to do something. As if some energy was pulling me. Ballet chose me to be a dancer. Moving from bhangra to ballet, it was a turning point for me," he adds. This newfound passion led him to Imperial Fernando Ballet Company in Delhi. Founded by Mario Fernando Aguilera, a ballet dancer from Argentina, who starred as a choreographer in ABCD, the center seemed to be the perfect place to start.

[caption id="attachment_26069" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Kamal Singh is the first Indian to make it to English Ballet School[/caption]

However, the dance school's fees were beyond Kamal's means as his dad was already working two jobs to support his family: ballet tuition was a luxury they simply couldn't afford. Aguilera, seeing the boy’s agility and flexibility (at the trial class), developed over years of running and stretching in his local park, knew that he had discovered an exceptional talent and wasn't ready to let go of a prodigy like him. He offered him a full scholarship. The rigorous training sessions were no cakewalk and Kamal had to give his 100 percent to make the cut. "I would train for 6-7 hours daily, as I had so much to learn. Most kids begin training at the age of four-five, while I was kickstarting my journey at 17. So, I had to cram all the knowledge into a short span of time. I had to prove myself and make sure that I was deserving to be at the ballet school."

From Russia, with love

Over the next three years, he completely immersed himself in the training, and his efforts paid off when he was accepted for a summer program at the historic Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St Petersburg in 2019, where he was cast as a soloist in a production called Gayaneh. For someone, who loved the Russian style of ballet, going to Russia was nothing short of a dream come true. "I was the first Indian ever to make it to Vaganova Academy, and those two months were life-changing. It was my first time outside of India, and I had to prove to myself and my teachers that I am worthy of it. Though those months were quite challenging, they also gave me the confidence that I can do well in ballet."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imi6rlZczIE

This confidence nudged him to apply for a Professional Trainee programme at London's English National Ballet School. His watershed moment arrived when he was accepted to the prestigious ballet school, making him the first Indian ever to achieve the feat. Being one among a pool of 10 talents selected from around the world, Kamal had a moment of pride. But the course's hefty price tag did play a spoiler.

Crowdfunding came to his rescue

A year-long course at the ballet school costs £8000, and he had to turn to crowdfunding to pay for his fees and other expenses. Fortunately, he found support from actor Kunal Kapoor, who is also the co-founder of Ketto, the crowdfunding platform. The actor used his star power and social media to spread the word on behalf of the young dancer. This prompted Hrithik Roshan to pledge £3000 to the fund. Within a few weeks, his fund reached £18000.

[caption id="attachment_26067" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Kamal Singh during one of his performances[/caption]

"I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. It felt like angels were around me, and blessing me. Though studying in London was a dream, I had the initial jitters about how I will manage on my own. However, I found London people to be warm and friendly. And when I explored South Hall, it felt like I was right in India," laughs the ballerino.

Kamal is happy that his journey is an inspiration for many. "I just followed my instinct, and it has brought me here. I feel humbled if people are getting inspired by my story." But his journey wouldn't have been the same, had it not for his mentor Fernando Aguilera. "Finding a good teacher who believes in you more than you believe in yourself is so important." However, he also affirms that hard work and self-confidence can "beat any odds". "We often compare ourselves to others, without realising that we all have a different journey. And it's crucial to accept yourself."

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The ballerino, who is currently touring in the UK on his Global Talent Visa, wants to perform across the globe. But his ultimate dream, when he has enough expertise and funds, is to make ballets on Indian epics. "I want to explore and express Indian culture through ballet." The last six years have moved Kamal from the streets of Delhi to the opera houses in the UK, and he believes ballet helped him blossom. "Old Kamal was small-minded. My thinking was limited to Vikaspuri, but now I feel I can do anything. Every day I am learning and evolving, and this has made me realise, anything can happen if we put our best foot forward," he signs off.

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Reading Time: 6 min

Neil Deshmukh: Using AI for a better world

(February 9, 2023) When he was 14-years-old, Neil Deshmukh wanted very much to keep his little brother out of his room and away from his Nintendo DS. He decided to build a face-recognition device that could recognise the difference between him and his brother and unlock the door accordingly. His 'tinkering' led to an app to help blind users identify objects, read texts and navigate their environment through AI. There has been no looking back since. Neil is the winner of the BioGENEius Challenge Award for his contributions to AI-driven healthcare and the Gloria Barron Prize 2019 for PlantumAI, an app to help farmers in developing countries identify and treat crop disease. He was also featured by TIME Magazine. "I was just tinkering," he said, in a Tedx talk in 2020. "I had no idea that trying to get my brother to stop stealing my stuff would launch an entrepreneurial programme in the technology capital of the world." The true power of the AI algorithms, he worked with, only hit him when he was testing his app to aid blind people. When it was time to test the AI, one of Deshmukh's teammates asked a volunteer from the audience to

capital of the world." The true power of the AI algorithms, he worked with, only hit him when he was testing his app to aid blind people. When it was time to test the AI, one of Deshmukh's teammates asked a volunteer from the audience to throw an object from across the room. A soft toy came flying at the stage, Neil recalls. The app took a picture instantly, saying, “soft toy on a tiled force.” At that moment, the young Global Indian understood the power of the technology he held in his hands.

[caption id="attachment_27327" align="aligncenter" width="403"] Neil Deshmukh[/caption]

BayMax to structure healthcare

In 2019, Neil bagged the BioGENEius Challenge Award for the BayMax, a device to help "augment doctors around the world." Having seen relatives in India struggle with access to healthcare, Neil wanted to be part of the solution. Although the World Health Organisation recommends a doctor-patient ratio of 1:1000, many underdeveloped countries come nowhere near the ideal number. This includes parts of India, which Neil has seen firsthand.

It inspired him to build BayMax, an AI healthcare system that automates medical analyses to make it more efficient for doctors to conduct their treatment. "They can go to an area with a complete list of analyses for every patient," he says.

The device, which costs around $150, conducts a diagnostic baseline assessment. It takes five minutes to complete a myocardio, EKG, cognitive and symptomatic analysis and identify anomalies for easy treatment by doctors. The information is then stored in a file that ranks them based on level of risk. "It's an AI-powered triage system," Neil explains.

"One problem right now is that there is no way a single doctor can cover so many people. It's a flip of the coin approach that decides who gets diagnosis and treatment." This way, doctors can access complete patient lists upon arrival and treat those who are high-risk right away. The device works with a touch-screen that requires minimal interaction with the patient. "They put the clamps on for the EKG, tap the 'heart' button and it does the work. It uses the neural network on the device to conduct the analysis and runs it on the Raspberry Pi processor."

PlantumAI

Built in app-form, Plantum AI helps farmers in developing countries identify and treat crop disease. It is aimed at allowing farmers to maximise yields, reduce the need for toxic pesticides and ensure a safe supply of food and water. The app uses AI tech and crowdsourced data that lets farmers process crop information. And all it requires is a photograph taken on their phone camera. It also runs offline, so it can be used with ease in remote areas.

Again, Neil was inspired by a trip to India, taken back in 2016. When he visited his grandfather's farm, he learned how farmers are at the mercy of weather conditions and that they spray their crops with a pesticide cocktail to prevent disease. This was leading to the pollution of water bodies and groundwater as well. The app took Neil one year to develop and was field tested by plant pathologists at Akola Agriculture University in India.

"My interest also came through my robotics team in middle school," Neil said in an interview. "A lot of my projects since have been about developing solutions for underserved populations detecting earthquakes with smartphones and healthcare that is driven by AI."

The future of AI

Neil's work has also made him sought after by companies around the world that are seeing to implement AI systems. "When I started out, AI sounded insane to 14-year-old me," he said. "And it was only when I was testing my app to help the visually-impaired that I truly began to realise the true power this technology held." He works with media companies and agricultural societies, giving them expertise on how to implement these systems and utilise AI efficiently.

Neil's extensive work landed him seats at the top universities, including Caltech and MIT. He chose the latter, where he is currently a sophomore. In his free time, he enjoys being part of various clubs, cycling and unwinding through sport.

Learn more about Neil Deshmukh's work on his website