Finding his tempo: The rise and rise of tabla maestro Truptraj
Written by: Amrita Priya
(March 5, 2022) A tabla gifted to his father by a friend caught Truptraj Pandya’s eye even before he had learned to walk. The instrument lay unused in a corner of the house. By the time he was 15 months old, he was already playing it, showing, even then, a prodigious talent for music which his parents noticed and encouraged. Today, at the age of 15, the young tabla maestro is well on his way to becoming the face of India’s tabla landscape and has given over 200 public performances. He has been a guest of honour at major events and seminars and created a buzz in the media – local, national and international. In 2019, dressed in maroon attire, he stood proudly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi to receive his Bal Shakti Puraskar.
Truptraj Atul Pandya is a master percussionist He is an established radio and TV artist as well, who has given more than several live performances. Proud that he has been conferred the Bal Shakti Puraskar. pic.twitter.com/iZu8ThvxH0
Fame and accolades have not robbed the young tabla maestro of his humility – he is modest and friendly during his interview with Global Indian. Sound family values have had their part to play – good parenting has kept him grounded and Truptraj describes his father as his mentor and guide. “Who I am today is because of my father. I would not have reached this point without his nurturing and encouragement. All credit goes to him,” says he.
Finding a guru
When Truptraj was about two years old, his father took him to attend Ustad Zakir Hussain’s concert. The maestro took notice of the young prodigy and helped him out, connecting him to his disciple, Dhyaneshwar Popalghat, from the Ustad Allarakha Institute of Music for proper guidance. “My taalim started when I was about three and my association with my Guru still continues, even after 12 years,” Truptraj smiles. He is now undergoing advanced training under Pandit Nayan Ghosh and has also been blessed by legends like Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasiya and Ustad Iqbal Ahmad Khan.
Little Truptraj with Guinness Book of World Records certificate
Encouraged by his parents and his Guru, Truptraj made his bid for the Guinness World Records when he was six years old. Even that, he believes, could have happened earlier. “My father applied for it a little late because he wanted to be sure that it was more than just a short-lived interest to me.” His father’s fears were unfounded, for Truptraj’s love for the tabla has only grown stronger with time. The young tabla maestro devotes himself to perfecting his craft, leaving the details of managing his schedule to his father.
Truptraj Pandya
A student and a star
Truptraj is in the middle of the all-important Class X and exams are around the corner. Nothing holds him back from his riyaaz, however. “I might cut short the duration of my practice if I have exams but I never skip it,” he says. The Covid-19 lockdown left him with ample time on his hands, with classes taking place from home. And the ace performer doesn’t just juggle school and music, he also loves sports, serving as his school’s basketball team captain for four years until 2019.
“My teachers and friends are very supportive,” he says. “I have always taken proper permission from school before traveling for live performances. They make sure I don’t miss out on notes and important assignments,” adds the young maestro.
Truptraj with President, Ram Nath Kovind
In fact, no school event is complete without the musical stylings of Truptraj Pandya. “My teachers give equal opportunity and support to every pupil and my friends aren’t my friends because of the tabla, our friendship comes from the heart,” he says. The young maestro remains unconcerned by the looming exam season – he knows he has studied enough to do well. “My last performance was in December but if something comes up, I will take the opportunity,” he says, now seasoned at juggling his many priorities. His favourite subject, he says, is history and he prefers documentaries to reading a textbook.
Truptraj’s family
Follow your heart, he tells teens
Being on stage across India, with lakhs of people watching him, gives Truptraj a thrill like no other. “This is just the beginning, I have a long way to go,” he says, modestly. “I love stage performances, though. I feel a little nervous just before I begin but once I begin playing my tabla, my fears vanish. The music takes over me and I’m confident that I won’t let the audience and myself down,” he says.
“Do what you love” is his advice to other teenagers. “Don’t give into pressure at home or from family, if you do, you will only get tired and quit someday. But if you do things that you love, you will not get tired of it, you will always be hungry for more. You will remain motivated and passionate. Practice more and be patient,” he signs off.
(October 14, 2023) At 16, I was worried about my upcoming XII boards, and what to pursue after I finished my school. And while most kids that age are dealing with this dilemma, Pranjali Awasthi has managed to secure a staggering ₹3.7 crores in investment for her artificial intelligence (AI) venture, Delv.AI. Charting a different course — one that is setting a new standard in the ever-evolving world of AI, the entrepreneur's journey is a testament to her unwavering determination and innovative vision for the future. With a singular objective of helping researchers to efficiently access specific information in the ever-expanding world of online content, this young entrepreneur is redefining the landscape of the burgeoning AI industry. "As more content gets uploaded online, it’s getting harder for people to find the right information, especially when that information is very specific. Delv.AI helps researchers leverage AI to find exactly the information they’re looking for," the young Florida-based entrepreneur said during a recent interaction. Like her father In the world of exceptional young talents, Prajali Awasthi stands out as a true child prodigy. From an early age, she displayed remarkable intelligence and a passion for learning that would ultimately propel her into
In the world of exceptional young talents, Prajali Awasthi stands out as a true child prodigy. From an early age, she displayed remarkable intelligence and a passion for learning that would ultimately propel her into computer programming. The entrepreneur's father, a software engineer himself, recognised the immense potential of his child and ensured that she had early exposure to this field. At seven years old, when most children are still navigating the world of toys and cartoons, Prajali began her coding adventure.
When she was just 11, the family moved to Florida. "After I reached the USA, my curiosity thrived as I could take computer science classes and do competitive math," shared the entrepreneur, who won several competitions representing her school and also interned at Universities research labs. This is where she got the idea of starting her company.
[caption id="attachment_33551" align="aligncenter" width="643"] Pranjali at the Future Forum Foundation in San Fransisco[/caption]
"When I was 13, I started interning in university research labs at Florida Internal University working on machine learning projects alongside going to high school. Because of the pandemic, my high school had gone virtual, so I was able to intern for about 20 hours a week," the entrepreneur said, adding, "My tasks included doing searches, extracting data, and creating literature reviews. In 2020, OpenAI released its ChatGPT-3 beta, and I knew we could use it to make extracting and summarising research data easier."
As a research intern, the young entrepreneur knew the difficulties and loopholes in the AI industry. "I was hyper-aware of how hard it was getting to find exactly what you needed on search engines. I began thinking about how AI could solve this problem. That was the seed for my company, Delv.AI. It wasn't a fully formed idea yet, but I knew I wanted to start a company using machine learning to extract data and eliminate data silos," shared the Global Indian.
Spreading her wings
In 2021 the young entrepreneur attended Miami Hack Week, where she crossed paths with two with two influential figures in the startup world: Lucy Guo and Dave Fontenot, partners at Backend Capital, and founders of HF0 residency – a live-in startup accelerator in San Francisco and Miami. "I was accepted into their September 12-week cohort in exchange for a small piece of my future company. My parents told me I should take the opportunity – the network alone would be worth it, so I took an absence from high school," said Pranjali, adding that the residency also paid for her to commute from and to the house via Uber every day.
"I launched the beta for Delv.AI on Product Hunt, a platform for people to share software for free, during the residency on my birthday – I'd just turned 15. It became the number three product of the day," share the entrepreneur, "I formed strong connections in the A.I. community throughout the fellowship. This network was helpful for fundraising in the months following the residency. My success on Product Hunt added to the momentum."
[caption id="attachment_33552" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Pranjali speaking at Miami Tech Week[/caption]
Her company, which managed to raise $450,000 in total from a combination of funds and angels including Lucy Guo and Village Global, is 10-employee strong. "We're currently valued at around $12 million. I run a small and lean team, but I still do much of the work. I start my days with running and prepping for my team's daily huddle. As my team members are older than me, good communication is key, as is knowing when to take the reins," Pranjali informed.
Looking forward
After the company was established the youngster got very busy with all the work, however, she eventually learned to manage her studies and Delv.AI. "My parents are Indian, so academics are a priority for them. I wanted to get a GED, but we compromised on me finishing my high school credits online, which I completed in June 2023. My decision to not go to college is hard for them, but they understand," she explained, adding, "I have a lot of responsibility on my plate and passion for what I'm building. I might consider college down the line to learn business skills like law and psychology, where the in-person format of college could be beneficial.”
(March 28, 2022) One balmy afternoon at a medical shop in Thane, the then 16-year-old Arjun Deshpande witnessed an unpleasant scene. An old man, deep in debt, profusely pleaded with a shopkeeper to pay a hefty medicine bill later. The shopkeeper refused. “His wife had cancer and his son, who was an auto driver, was the sole breadwinner. They had spent a lot on treatment, and were finding it hard to manage money for medicines daily. He was helpless, and felt guilty. I saw how a common man was burdened with paying bills for necessities like medicines. This made me determined to bring about a new era in the world of pharma,” says Arjun who started Generic Aadhaar in 2019 to help provide medicines to the aam junta at low cost. In three years, Generic Aadhaar has a presence in all states, and has opened over 1,500 stores across India. Such has been the vision and mission of the startup that even Ratan Tata invested in it. “We share the same mission and want to serve people. When he saw the same vision and determination to work for the people, he spontaneously supported Generic Aadhaar,” Arjun says in an interview
tion to work for the people, he spontaneously supported Generic Aadhaar,” Arjun says in an interview with Global Indian.
[caption id="attachment_13569" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Arjun Deshpande is the founder of Generic Aadhaar[/caption]
How a young boy got an idea
Born in 2002 in Thane to a mother who works in pharma, and a businessman father, Arjun learnt about the pharmaceutical industry at a young age as he often accompanied his mother on official trips. The 19-year-old understood that multinationals selling medicines were burning a hole in the pockets of the common man by adding “marketing and promotional cost.” “About 60 percent Indians cannot afford to buy daily medicines because of high prices. Since there is no alternative for medicines, MNCs have been selling medicines at a very high rate for decades,” says Arjun who is on a mission to eliminate middle-chain costs and provide medicines from manufacturer to end customers directly through a pharmacy-aggregator business model.
That appalling incident at a medical store made Arjun ideate. “At 16, I saw a burning problem. It made me realise that even though our country is a hub of manufacturers and suppliers of medicines, our people have to spend a lot of money on essential medicines. I believe medicines are not a luxury but a basic necessity. I didn’t let age come in the way of my innovative idea,” says the young changemaker-entrepreneur who initially didn’t begin with an ”intention of starting a business” instead wanted to “make an impactful change in society.”
With the sole purpose to free people from the clutches of giant companies selling expensive medicines, Arjun opened the first franchise of Generic Aadhaar in Thane that provides medicines at up to 80 percent off. “The vision is to provide affordable medicines to 130 crore people in India at a price they deserve,” he adds, “by bringing all mom-and-pop medical stores under one roof to give stiff competition to big retail medical malls and online pharmacies.”
However, creating a place amid big pharma companies was a challenge for this teenager, who wanted to curb “illicit trade” in life-saving drugs and provide low-cost drugs. “Another challenge was to make them aware that there is no difference between generic medicines and branded medicines, for which we started ground-level campaigns and free health camps,” reveals Arjun. Soon Generic Aadhaar started to create a lot of buzz on social media and in the pharma sector. So much so that Ratan Tata decided to invest in Generic Aadhaar in 2020.
“Mr Tata was impressed with the venture, and saw how I was bringing change in the pharma sector. When I met him, he said, ‘Arjun, if this venture is successful, it can change the entire healthcare ecosystem for the betterment of India,’” explains Arjun who has found a mentor in Ratan Tata. “I feel fortunate to have such a business legend’s guidance and inspiration for my venture’s journey through which we both are changing the lives of millions,” adds the DAV Public School alumnus whose work is finding recognition in Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and UAE. “They are approaching us to open Generic Aadhaar franchises now,” beams Arjun with pride.
[caption id="attachment_13572" align="aligncenter" width="721"] Arjun Deshpande with Ratan Tata[/caption]
Medicines for the common man
The idea of providing medicines at a low cost, has now grown leaps and bounds. It hasn’t only provided direct and indirect employment to over 10,000 people but has also created 1,500 micro-entrepreneurs. “I believe that real India starts 50 km away from the cities. So, it is important to focus on the remotest villages for the development of India. We are expanding from Jammu to Kanyakumari and from Kutch to Arunachal Pradesh,” says Arjun who has served 20 lakh people through Generic Aadhaar.
The young change-maker and entrepreneur now plans to mark Generic Aadhaar’s presence in over 300 cities by 2022-end. “On Gudi Padwa, Generic Aadhaar is set to break its previous record of opening 25 franchises in a single day,” divulges Arjun who calls his parents his biggest strength. “When you are doing something good that can bring a change in society, parents always supports you,” adds Arjun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVy6zz_m8lg
Making the right moves
When he’s not neck-deep in work, Arjun loves a game of chess as it helps “boost creativity and analytical thinking skills.” He also loves reading books and playing football in his free time.
Arjun is popularly known as the robin hood of the pharma world. His advice to entrepreneurs, “identify a burning problem and then look for its solution and implement it on time.” He adds, “Innovation is complex but you need to have a winning idea. Successful entrepreneurs have unique ideas that make them stand out. What you need is to do things differently from what already exists,” Arjun, the changemaker and entrepreneur signs off.
(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
content/uploads/2023/10/shripriya-card.jpg" alt="Shripriya Kalbhavi | Global Indian" width="435" height="265" />
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.
(October 24, 2022) Dhruv Advaith is a young man of many talents. The 12th grade student at Chinmaya International Residential School is a national level tennis player, an environmentalist, a climate counsellor and a travel enthusiast, who has visited over 15 countries already, and is looking forward to studying abroad soon. When the world went into the lockdown mode in 2020, Dhruv, like many others, spent time listening to music, on OTT streaming platforms, reading books or indulging in social media for recreational purposes. While he was at it, a random thought hit the teenager — What about the underprivileged? What recreation did they have in these dark times? [caption id="attachment_23378" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Dhruv Advaith[/caption] The book drive The thought propelled him into action. Dhruv, then 15, segregated a few books from his library, reached out to his friends to do the same, roped in an NGO and then made a few quick visits to orphanages to know, first-hand, what kind of books the children needed. It was a time when people were scared to step out of their homes. A couple of days later, Dhruv, while taking all Covid precautions, delivered dozens of books, bringing smiles to many faces.
friends to do the same, roped in an NGO and then made a few quick visits to orphanages to know, first-hand, what kind of books the children needed. It was a time when people were scared to step out of their homes.
A couple of days later, Dhruv, while taking all Covid precautions, delivered dozens of books, bringing smiles to many faces. As the world opened up, the teenager continued what he had started. “We ended up setting up libraries in six orphanages which have more than one lakh books,” smiles K Dhruv Advaith, during his conversation with Global Indian.
[caption id="attachment_23379" align="aligncenter" width="775"] Dhruv during the Book Drive Project[/caption]
For his ‘Book Drive Project,’ the US-based People for Urban and Rural Employment (PURE), a not-for-profit organisation that works towards providing education to students from underprivileged backgrounds, recently selected Dhruv as their first ambassador from India.
While he cherishes those moments, what gives him immense satisfaction is that he was able to deliver books for preparation for NEET and JEE examinations, which many children were keen to have.
Tennis talk
The 17-year-old lights up as the conversation turns to tennis. Excitedly, he names his achievements, which make up a fairly long list, considering his age.
So how did tennis happen? It began with his mother, Dr Aparna, who is a scientist. “My mother was pursuing her PhD at Andhra University and her workplace overlooked the tennis courts on the campus. She used to drop me at the tennis court for a couple of hours everyday evening, under the supervision of my grandmother,” smiles the teenager. At first, he admits, he was more interested in collecting the balls than playing tennis.
He played his first tournament at the age of seven, after which his coach saw huge potential in him. What followed was intense training which refined his strokes. “By then, tennis had become more than just a hobby,” says Dhruv, who soon began competing in local tennis events in Visakhapatnam and later secured his AITA (All India Tennis Association) membership.
The AITA gave him a platform to compete in tennis events across the country. “I got a chance to travel all the way from Punjab to Kanniyakumari and Gujarat to Assam. Experiencing different cuisines and culture was an enriching experience,” smiles Dhruv.
A winning run
Dhruv has participated in the Road to Wimbledon Champion, the AITA Nationals, Khelo India Nationals and the Universal Tennis Rating match, among other prestigious events.
“My most memorable match was the qualifying event for the under-14 super series held at Bhubaneswar. It was so humid that both the match and racquet were slipping away from my hand. I lost the first set and was down on my serve in the second set. Then, I sensed an opportunity in my opponents over confidence and fine-tuned my game accordingly. I won the game,” says the tennis player, who learnt the most valuable lesson that day — tables can turn anytime and one has to be persistent and wait for the right moment.
Staying in a residential school with a packed schedule leaves him with little time to practice his favourite game. “My practice sessions are limited to an hour-and-a-half in the evenings with one hour dedicated to fitness in the mornings,” says the teenager, whose fitness regime includes a mix of cardio, strength and agility training.
“In a few years from now, I see myself playing in the US Open or playing for India in the Davis Cup,” says the budding tennis player, for whom Yoga and meditation is mandatory at his boarding school.
Champion for nature
Like tennis, Dhruv was introduced to nature and wildlife quite early in life. “I used to spend a lot of time with my grandfather, who was blessed with a green thumb. He had a kitchen garden at his farmhouse where he taught me the basics of gardening and tending to animals,” Dhruv explains, talking of how he became a nature and wildlife enthusiast. He also has seven dogs, with whom he is deeply attached.
[caption id="attachment_23382" align="aligncenter" width="556"] Dhruv featured on the Dettol Salute Campaign for Covid-19 warriors[/caption]
Keeping in mind the planet’s best interests in everything that he does, Dhruv makes it a point to purchase only sustainable and recycled line of products, be it his shoes or clothes.
World Robotics Olympiad
Dhruv’s participation in the WRO in 2016 was a proud moment. As a child, he had spent lot of time with Lego construction bricks and later ventured into Lego mindstorms (a collection of Lego) where one could build a robot and program it in order to complete a certain task.
“I started interacting a lot with a drag-and-drop software and built several robots, each with a unique function,” explains Dhruv, who is also the youth ambassador for International Centre for Culture and Education (ICCE) supported by UN.
Joining the green revolution
Having joined ICCE’s Green Revolution program as a volunteer, where he had to promote awareness about sustainability and conduct a workshop, he successfully completed the course as a topper with a gold medal. Later, he was selected as an intern and climate counsellor where he led a team of 25 active members.
“I plan to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, leaving zero carbon footprint. I intend to lead by example, encouraging all my peers, friends and family to do the same,” says the multi-talented Dhruv, who likes to read a variety of books, including fiction and financial literacy genres.
(May 29, 2024) Emphasising the meaning of her name, which reflects her purpose, she explains, “Prerana translates to 'inspiration' in Sanskrit, and it summarises my mission - to be inspired and to inspire others.” True to her name, she is an inspiration to girls in STEM and AI innovation. The Thrissur native was named one of the ‘Top 100 Women in Canada’ in 2023 by the Women’s Executive Network of Canada. “At 16, I was the youngest of the 2023 winners. I was privileged enough to meet with the honourable Princess Sarah Culberson of Sierra Leone at the award ceremony, and I shared my journey of innovation with her,” Prerana tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_38019" align="aligncenter" width="492"] Prerana Manoj with Top 100 Women in Canada Award[/caption] With one of her best friends, Diane Gui, Prerana is co-developing Project HeartScope, a collection of machine learning models designed for the accurate and efficient diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and conditions. “We were also privileged and grateful to have received the opportunity to share our project and vision as finalists of Team Canada for the global competition, Technovation Girls. We presented it on the grand stage at Synopsys, San Francisco, alongside teams from India,
ght: 400;">With one of her best friends, Diane Gui, Prerana is co-developing Project HeartScope, a collection of machine learning models designed for the accurate and efficient diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and conditions. “We were also privileged and grateful to have received the opportunity to share our project and vision as finalists of Team Canada for the global competition, Technovation Girls. We presented it on the grand stage at Synopsys, San Francisco, alongside teams from India, Brazil, Uzbekistan, and others,” she shares. The project was selected for the Technovation Girls Global Competition 2023 in San Francisco from over 2,000 teams.
Project HeartScope
When Prerana moved to Toronto with her parents, the city’s vibrant atmosphere reminded her of her native Bengaluru. This move played an integral role in developing her fascination with STEM and other fields. “In Toronto, I developed a growing interest in business and technology and learned about transformational emerging technologies such as AI, which have significant potential to make waves in industries worldwide,” she shares.
In the new city, she made friends with Diane and learned about health leader Osei Kwadbo Boateng and his non-profit, The OKB Hope Foundation. The foundation works towards providing healthcare services for underserved communities. Inspired by his passionate work, the friends became interested in finding ways to build tech-based solutions for low-income communities.
Soon, they founded Project HeartScope for efficient diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. “Currently, the model is capable of diagnosing cardiomegaly using binary classification and transfer learning techniques,” shares Prerana adding, “Project HeartScope has been featured at the Johns Hopkins Global Health Conference as well”.
Realising the increasing gap in experts in the healthcare industry, especially for cardiologists, Prerana and Diane wanted to experiment to see whether they could develop a model that could detect the presence of cardiomegaly (a heart condition) based on X-ray scan images. “Although still a work in progress for accuracy and general development, as beginners in the area of Artificial Intelligence, we found our small wins to be significant milestones in the greater journey ahead,” Prerana remarks.
Research work at Ontario Tech University
Earlier in 2023, Prerana joined the EILab at Ontario Tech University under the supervision of Dr Roland VanOostveen to work on a specialised research project to analyse the affective domain in the online learning environment.
“I worked on coding analyses of online discussions and deciphering the relations and connections between various forms of body language, facial expressions, and gestures to provide greater insight into online learning experiences. The paper is currently being submitted and will be published soon,” she says.
[caption id="attachment_38025" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Prerana and Diane presenting Project HeartScope at TikTok Office for Canada Learning Code's Demo Day Challenge[/caption]
Laurels in STEM
Prerana has always been full of ideas and dedicated to turning them into reality for the good of society. In 2021 the youngster was given the opportunity to present her start-up idea, the P. A Shield, aimed at improving water conservation efforts in Canadian households at Dragons Den (a reality TV show where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls). At the end of her pitch, she received a shared investment of $25K from the investors.
“My inspiration for the P. A Shield came from learning about the water crisis in grade 7 geography. I realised that although spreading awareness is very important, taking action can lead to active results. As a 13-year-old with little experience in technology or business, I joined a start-up accelerator for high school students called Start-up Dojo to learn about how to start my own idea,” she shares.
[caption id="attachment_38024" align="aligncenter" width="758"] Prerana Manoj at the Dragons Den platform[/caption]
After experimenting with circuits and learning about business along the way, she got encouraged to apply her idea to Dragons Den. “Although it took quite a bit of motivation, I realised that there was no harm in sharing my idea and so I submitted it. I remembered being shocked to hear back for an interview for stage two, and ultimately receiving the offer to pitch. It was truly a surreal moment, and I will be forever grateful to the wonderful producers, staff and the Dragons for making it a transformative experience in my journey of innovation. At 14, receiving an offer on the grand stage is a moment I can never forget,” she says.Although Prerana’s passion for the water crisis persists, she decided not to pursue the deal channelling all her focus on emerging technologies such as AI and immersing herself in new opportunities of innovation that come her way.
From Bengaluru to Canada
Prerna did her schooling from Bengaluru. “The city along with my homeplace, Thrissur, Kerala, has profoundly shaped my identity and who I am today,” she mentions.
Prerna moved to Calgary, Canada as a grade three student when her parents went there for work. In Calgary, she was exposed to a new culture and later discovered a passion for chess, debate, and public speaking. “I spent most of my middle school years attending summer stampedes and ice skating during the winter in Lake Louis, Banff. As life was settling in, along came an opportunity to journey further eastward to Canada’s largest city and growing start-up hub, Toronto,” she tells.
[caption id="attachment_38021" align="aligncenter" width="507"] Prerana Manoj with Princess Sarah Culberson of Sierra Leone at the WXN event[/caption]
Currently a junior at Bishop Allen Academy, Etobicoke, the teenager aspires to make a positive impact on those around her. “I'll go where my journey takes me, and I hope to make a difference for each milestone I achieve,” she signs off.
Wearing multiple hats
In her free time, Prerana usually plays chess. “It's been my favourite hobby since I was eight. I also enjoy writing,” she says. Prerana is associated as a managing director of personal growth with an online publication - The Teen Magazine founded by Harvard alum, Mia Johansson. She also runs her own newsletter, 'I am Prerana'.
“Honestly, when it comes to managing my school work and projects, I usually prioritise based on the time of the year. Junior year hasn't been the kindest in giving me free time, but my weekends usually lend those hours to me,” she signs off.
[caption id="attachment_38026" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Prerana Manoj during an edge walk[/caption]
Pranjali at the Future Forum Foundation in San Fransisco[/caption]
Pranjali speaking at Miami Tech Week[/caption]
Arjun Deshpande is the founder of Generic Aadhaar[/caption]
Arjun Deshpande with Ratan Tata[/caption]
Dhruv during the Book Drive Project[/caption]
Dhruv featured on the Dettol Salute Campaign for Covid-19 warriors[/caption]
Prerana Manoj with 
Prerana and Diane presenting Project HeartScope at TikTok Office for Canada Learning Code's Demo Day Challenge[/caption]
Prerana Manoj at the Dragons Den platform[/caption]
Prerana Manoj with 
Prerana Manoj during an edge walk[/caption]