Global Indianstory Diana AwardeeHow young changemaker Mahira Jain imparts desi culture

How young changemaker Mahira Jain imparts desi culture

Written by: Amrita Priya

(April 5, 2022) She dares to be different. At a time when the spotlight is on stem-based subjects, Mahira Jain prefers to turn the focus on non-stem subjects. Specifically on Indian art, culture, and history. The freshman pursuing bachelor of arts at Duke University launched FunWagon, a social project, in 2019 to promote the significance of non-stem subjects. The young changemaker has been using the platform to introduce youngsters to India’s history, culture, and architecture, which she feels are oft ignored. The 18-year-old received the 2021 Diana Award for her initiatives to promote desi culture.

Young Changemaker | Mahira Jain | Global Indian

Mahira Jain, founder, FunWagon

Making history fun

“FunWagon is a social enterprise that caters to children between the age of six to 16. Our mission is to organise exciting and interactive cultural activities, which promote experiential learning through excursions and experiences,” says the young changemaker, who launched FunWagon while still a student at DPS, RK Puram in Delhi. “We also discuss the importance of non-stem subjects by providing students a platform to emphasise and engage with different forms of humanities – culture, history, sociology,” adds Mahira in a conversation with Global Indian.

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A post shared by FunWagon By Mahira Jain (@fun.wagon)

While these sessions are conducted both online and offline, the group has conducted various excursions to places like the National Museum, India Gate, and other monuments that celebrate India’s rich history. “We’ve partnered with 11 NGOs. Since the pandemic started, we moved FunWagon’s activities online which helped us to give exposure to many more people,” says the teenager, who wishes to study innovation in entrepreneurship, visual arts, and media studies.

Thinking out of the box

The young changemaker, who was always inclined towards history, sociology, visual arts, piano, photography, and classical music, feels strongly about the lack of importance given to non-stem subjects. “We usually hear people say you should pursue stem and become a doctor, engineer, or scientist. There is hardly any importance given to the prospect of becoming a historian or sociologist. I’ve seen a lot of my friends being pressured into pursuing subjects they didn’t want to,” says Mahira, whose parents encouraged her to follow her interests and, pursued humanities instead. “I think that’s how every parent should be. I realised it is very important to emphasise on non-stem education and its benefits,” she adds.

FunWagon has so far created a successful network of cultural educators who inform youngsters on the full range of humanities learning options available in India. “Apart from excursions, we have been popularising non-stem subjects through panel discussions and expert talks. Our biggest event was an offline conference that I organised in 2019 with speakers from different backgrounds and a live audience of 80,” explains Mahira.

It all started when…

Mahira’s interest in humanities was kindled when she attended a six-month Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) programme in 2017 by businesswoman Namita Thapar. YEA is aimed at transforming middle and high school students into confident entrepreneurs. “I was told to come up with something that I was passionate about. That is how FunWagon was born,” she adds.

“I realised that students too often shied away from humanities since they think it involves rote learning. There has been a lack of enriching recreational activities that make humanities interesting. That’s when I decided to organise events that are specially curated for students to provide them experiential learning outside the confines of the classroom,” adds Mahira whose venture has so far catered to 1,550 children.

Inspirations in the family

Incidentally, Mahira draws her inspiration from her parents, both established entrepreneurs. Her father, Nitesh Jain, the MD of Best Group, has expertise in the areas of manufacturing, EV, education, and high tech. Her mother Swati, on the other hand, is committed to empowering women to get back to the workforce with The Banyan, her chain of childcare centres. Her older sister works with a PR agency in Delhi and her younger brother is in the ninth grade.

Mahira with her family

“While both my parents are my inspiration, I’m also inspired by MS Dhoni. I admire him for his humility and how he carries himself more like an individual than a sports star,” says the youngster, who hopes to become an entrepreneur.

It was not a cakewalk

While FunWagon has managed to find its moment in the sun, the journey from inception was an uphill task. Getting parents to involve their kids in humanities outside the classroom was no mean feat. Building logistics and trust for the excursions too took a great deal of effort. Her father supported her financially and logistics wise, while her mother’s belief kept her going.

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A post shared by FunWagon By Mahira Jain (@fun.wagon)

The high point came when Mahira was able to convince 11 NGOs to partner with her cause. She also went on to publish a paper “Why the arts matter: an aesthetic exploration of India’s cultural diversity” in the International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research.

All set for future

“I hadn’t been very actively organising FunWagon activities since I moved to the US last August for my studies at Duke University. But I will soon begin working towards it from here,” says the youngster, who is currently enjoying her new innings as she explores new avenues and experiences.

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Published on 05, Apr 2022

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Nikita Menon: Indian danseuse shining a spotlight on Bharatanatyam in Singapore

(May 3, 2024) Kohl-rimmed eyes, with beautiful mudras, and nuanced facial expressions, there is a story unfolding on the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, the durian-shaped landmark in Singapore. An Indian girl is deep in the midst of shabdam, a part of Bharatanatyam, and the audience is left spellbound. In the hustle-bustle of Singapore, Indian danseuse Nikita Menon is taking the age-old dance form to new audiences. The 27-year-old's tryst with dance began early, and over the past two decades, Nikita, who was conferred the title of Natya Visharad by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, is evolving. "In recent times, there is great acceptance about Indian classical dance across the globe. There is a lot of visibility, and I think it is one of the most exciting times to be an artist,” Nikita tells Global Indian in an interview. For someone who initially trained under Guru Maalika Girish Panickkar in Singapore, Nikita relocated to Bengaluru for a brief period at the age of 16 to learn the nuances of dance from the Late Smt Nagamani Srinivasa Rao. "I owe everything to my gurus who have been the guiding light for me," says Nikita, who now performs in the

o. "I owe everything to my gurus who have been the guiding light for me," says Nikita, who now performs in the UK where she currently resides.

Dance - an extension of oneself

Born in Trivandrum to a businessman father and a marine geologist mother, Nikita moved to Kuwait when she was two-month-old. When most children of her age would immerse themselves into cartoons, little Nikita would watch classical dance on Doordarshan. It wasn't until she was three that she began her formal training in Singapore, where her family settled in the late 90s. "I was always inclined towards dance, even when I could hardly comprehend beats or movements. I was three when I started training. After my parents enrolled my elder sister into dance, I wanted to learn too,” recalls Nikita.

Being obsessed with colours, Bharatanatyam was the perfect celebration of what Nikita loved. "Dance is an expression and extension of oneself," she says. Her pure love turned into a passion as a soloist at just eight years of age. "I was so fortunate to have access to such a beautiful art form," adds Nikita, who has performed across Asia and Europe.

[caption id="attachment_37546" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Nikita Menon in Angkor Wat[/caption]

Growing up, Nikita had to strike a balance between Bharatanatyam and her studies, and is thankful for her parents' support. "They have been the wind beneath my wings. From making me enroll so early to financing my training, they have been my support system. For them, grades were non-negotiable. Thus, since childhood, I have maintained good grades while continuing dancing,” she reveals, admitting that it was a mammoth task to balance, but she was victorious in the end.

Embodying the philosophy of life through dance

The hard work and perseverance paid off. Dance gave her an interesting perspective on life too. “The way I think, see and feel is different. Being a classical dancer has helped me cultivate a more beautiful outlook towards life," says the University of the Arts London-graduate.

It hasn't been a bed of roses either. She faced casteism and groupism in the art form early on. “For the longest period, the art was shielded by Tambrams (Tamilian Brahmins), and fitting in was a challenge. Many 'outsiders' don't get enough performance opportunities - you have to prove yourself," reveals the dancer whose performance at Alapadma at the Madras Music Academy is most cherished (2020). The Agathi at the Wildrice Theatre in Singapore (2021) and SITA - supported by ICCR India’s Ramayana Festival are close seconds.

Raised in Singapore, Nikita is often seen as an outsider when dancing in India. "It's a common notion that artists abroad are outsiders as they haven't learnt from the place of origin. It takes time to fight this notion, and prove that the love for art transcends boundaries. However, it helped me break the glass ceiling and make it into mainstream," beams the proud girl, who has a master's degree in data science and artificial intelligence from London.

Nikita currently works as a design associate in London. "Funding a life through dance is impractical unless you are a teacher,” states Nikita, who wanted to be financially independent to fund her passion. But with a full-time job now, she has to make time for her craft.

Learning on the go

During the pandemic lockdowns, she continued dancing, and even did a few online shows. The experience of flying down to Singapore for six live shows during the pandemic when the 21-day quarantine was mandatory, was the wildest thing she has ever done for dance. “I was studying in London when my artistic director from Agathi called about live shows in Singapore. At the time quarantine was mandatory, and I also had my university finals. But I missed dance, so I decided to risk flying to Singapore,” reveals the amateur painter, who loves reading poetry too.

Excited about how Bharatanatyam has evolved over the years, she believes Singaporeans are most enthusiastic and receptive. Changing perceptions, Nikita believes, has been a collective effort by the industry in Singapore.

"The future of Bharatanatyam is in good hands. The access to good art is doubling. Artists preserve the art, and that’s what makes it beautiful," says Nikita, who has performed in London too.

Different Strokes: Teen tennis player and environmentalist, Dhruv Advaith spared a thought and made a difference

(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.

Reading Time: 5 mins

Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani: The ethical hacker representing India in international championships

(March 20, 2024) For someone who has been interested in cybersecurity since a young age, representing India at international championships in new-age Information Technology platforms was a surreal experience. The past few months have been very fruitful for Ahmedabad's Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani. At the High Technology Championship held in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, in September 2023, he secured a silver medal in Neural Networks. The same year in November, he clinched a bronze at The Professional Championship held in St. Petersburg, Russia, for IT Software Solution. The year 2024 also began on a high note as he emerged as a finalist at the Sports/Competitive Programming competition held in Kazan, Russia, in February. From a young age, Kirtikumar has excelled in cybersecurity. At just 15 years old in 2018, he received the title of 'youngest cyber security researcher' from World Records India for securing over 100 websites by identifying and reporting vulnerabilities in their web applications. That same year, his name was inscribed in the India Book of Achievers. [caption id="attachment_36726" align="aligncenter" width="657"] Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani[/caption] The 21-year-old wears multiple hats as an ethical hacker, cybersecurity expert, and programming enthusiast, winning several awards. He has also dabbled in professional eSports, and had

oads/2024/03/GI-6loQW4AACJVU-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani is an ethical hacker who represents India in new-age Information Technology international competitions." width="657" height="439" /> Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani[/caption]

The 21-year-old wears multiple hats as an ethical hacker, cybersecurity expert, and programming enthusiast, winning several awards. He has also dabbled in professional eSports, and had achieved a Top 32 rank at the World Cyber Games held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019.

As an ethical hacker and Penetration Tester (PenTester), Kirtikumar has earned recognition and monetary rewards from major tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle for identifying vulnerabilities in their web applications.

Kirtikumar's interest extends to astrological predictions as well. “Anyone can check my predictions in the Astro World channel where I predicted actual dates or details about market crashes, earthquakes, election results, sporting tournaments’ results, and war which ultimately came true,” he tells Global Indian.

In the world of cybersecurity since the age of eight

At the age of eight, Kirtikumar's enthusiasm for computers became apparent as he immersed himself in activities like programming and gaming. One day, while playing Subway Surfers, he became intrigued by his cousin's method of obtaining unlimited coins in the game. This curiosity prompted him to indulge in extensive research, which led him to discover how to hack the game. By the time he turned 13, Kirtikumar had gained a thorough understanding of hacking tools such as remote access trojans (RATs). Fuelled by his curiosity in the subject, Kirtikumar kept on polishing his skills in the world of ethical hacking.

[caption id="attachment_36724" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Kirtikumar at the International High Technologies Championship 2023 at Veliky Novgorod, Russia[/caption]

Creating milestones

In 2018, at the age of 15, he won the Penetration Tester of the Year award at the United Kingdom based Cyber Security Awards ceremony with several well-known personalities in the field of cyber security as the judges. Kirtikumar also got recognised by the World Book of Records, and earned an entry into the Book of Achievers that year.

The following year Kirti became the youngest to win the Tech Savvy Award which led his interest in the field of science and technology even more, making him passionate in his endeavour to find solutions to vulnerabilities in web applications. “In 2022, I was the top security researcher on the Google Play Security Reward program,” he mentions.

Hacking for good

As Kirtikumar honed his ethical hacking skills further, he noticed that tech giants were publicly recognising cybersecurity enthusiasts for safeguarding their infrastructure by uncovering vulnerabilities in their web applications.

"Inspired by that I decided to leverage my hacking skills for the greater good, securing the internet for users by identifying vulnerabilities in the web applications of major tech companies,” he says. “When I shared the security threats with the respective companies, I was rewarded financially. Some organisations even sent me gift packs with exclusive merchandise printed with their logo and the words ‘security researcher’, as a token of appreciation,” he explains.

[caption id="attachment_36729" align="aligncenter" width="731"] Kirtikumar with Tennessee based cyber security evangelist, Dameon Welch[/caption]

Advancing from web security to browser security and Kernel security

After spending a few years in the field of web security, Kirtikumar yearned to learn something more exciting. “I decided to shift my focus to browser security taking inspiration from international security researchers, Abdulrahman Al-Qabandi and Eric Lawrence.”

After spending a couple of years mastering browser security skills, he again yearned to learn something new, and shifted his focus to Kernel security (errors of which lead to fatal issues on the PC). “I got interested in this subject by following Germany based senior security consultant, Patrick Walker,” says Kirtikumar.

With his dedication to learn advanced skills, expertise and accomplishments at such a young age, Kirtikumar has earned connections with international experts, and opportunities to participate in global forums on cybersecurity. Talking about Kernel Security, he remarks, “It is the most challenging realm of exploration for me because I love to try something tough which can push my boundaries to think out of the box.”

Also Read: Watch out for the cyber criminals: 22-year-old cyber expert Vaibhav Jha upskills natives and foreigners

Endeavours in eSports

Kirtikumar has been into competitive eSports but decided to leave it in 2020. In 2019, he participated in the regional finals of the World Cyber Games in Seoul, South Korea, securing the seventh-place finish in the Asia Pacific Region, cementing his position among the top 32 players. He also competed in the Clash Royale League (CRL 2019) and ranked among the top players worldwide in weekly Grand Challenge finishers.

[caption id="attachment_36727" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani at The Professional Championship held in St. Petersburg, Russia[/caption]

“I left competitive gaming in 2020 after winning my last Paytm First Games. It wasn't helping me think outside the box; I was simply addicted to the game,” he explains. “Fortunately, I realised this at the right moment and began to dedicate more time to browser and kernel security research. I am pleased to have qualified for national rounds and to represent India internationally in these fields,” he remarks.

Academic brilliance

A former student of St. Stephen and Navkar Public School in Ahmedabad, Kirtikumar excelled in science and maths, earning a top 100 ranking in the International Math Olympiads (IMO) and National Science Olympiads (NSO) during his time in school. He also achieved a spot in the top 400 in the National Cyber Olympiads (NCO), as a school student.

Currently, the cybersecurity enthusiast is pursuing Chartered Accountancy and Company Secretaryship while working as an independent security researcher. “I aim to explore the intersection of finance and technology, merging my passion for both to create innovative solutions beneficial for traders,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_36728" align="aligncenter" width="527"] Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani at The Professional Championship held in St. Petersburg, Russia[/caption]

When the multitasker finds some time out of his hectic worlds of CA, CS, security research and international competitions, he loves to draw, write, cook, follow cricket, and solve LR/RC/CR on GMAT forums. Ever since he was a teen, he has been giving talks to aspiring security researchers and loves participating in such sessions to share his knowledge.

Follow Kirtikumar Anandrao Ramchandani on LinkedIn and Twitter

Reading Time: 5 mins

The last straw: Aditya Mukarji’s global fight against plastics

(December 21, 2023) Aditya Mukarji is a familiar face in the growing crop of young global climate warriors, who are boldly taking their fight to the doorsteps of the powers that be. Mukarji's cause is the battle against single-use plastics, one of the most pressing environmental hazards of the day. We use trillions of single use plastics per year and since the majority of these aren't recycled, they make their way to landfills and oceans. Birds and marine animals mistake them for food and fish consume thousands of tonnes per year. This plastic makes its way up the food chain and goes full circle back to human beings, who reportedly consume the equivalent of half a credit card each week. Now a Sophomore President's Scholar at the University of Toronto, the Global Indian has been part of the climate strike in New York led by Greta Thunberg and served as a Youth Ambassador for the Earth Day Network in 2020. He is also the Co-Founder and Environment Head of The Alternatives, an online page with a global following that spreads awareness about the harms of plastic pollution. In 2021, he represented India at the Youth4Climate Driving Ambition in Milan, at

of plastic pollution. In 2021, he represented India at the Youth4Climate Driving Ambition in Milan, at COP26 and in 2019, was an India representative at the UN Youth Climate Summit.

How it began

In 2018, Aditya Mukarji came across a video of a doctor trying to pull a plastic straw out of a turtle's nose. The imagery was stark, and left Mukarji, who was only 14 at the time, feeling quite disturbed. "The crying and bleeding of the turtle really impacted me, and made me feel guilty for human actions, which we take without thinking of the consequences for other living forms," Mukarji remarked in an interview later. He hadn't imagined that the plastic we use everyday had such a catastrophic effect on the environment. He began reading up about the consequences, and learned that oceans and landmasses are inundated with single-use plastics that don't biodegrade.

Mukarji turned to his mentor, Ms Bharti Chatturvedi, of Chintan, who told him about the problems of waste management and waste pickers. The solution, he felt, lay in tackling the problem at its source - and eradicating the use of single-use plastics in the hospitality industry. Mukarji, then a class 11 student at Shri Ram School, Gurugram, embarked on a door to-door campaign in and around Delhi-NCR, where he lived at the time, to spread awareness about the problem and to promote eco-friendly solutions. "I feel like straws are hte most useless invention for the common man,' he said. "They have the least utility and maximum environmental impact."

Two years after he began his campaign, Mukarji was able to avert the use of over 26 million plastic objects, and had persuaded some 200 establishments to become environmentally friendly. It took persistence, he says. "I called them countless times." Eventually, they understood his passion for the campaign, as well as the wisdom of his message, and he says, "many complied." The Lalit Group of hotels, Claridges, The Delhi Golf Club, the Gymkhana Club, PVR and INOX, JW Marriot Aerocity and JSW Steel all went plastic free at the behest of this determined teenager.

Not wanting to stop there, Mukarji also works on waste management and segregation at source. In India, he conducted went door to door, and to housing societies, asking them to change their waste segregation methods. During this time, he was interning with the United Nations Development Programme's plastic waste management programme. He was able to get letters of intent to segregate 35 tonnes of waste monthly.

The UN's eco warrior

He soon received recognition for his work. At 16, he was named a 2020 International Young Eco-Hero by Action for Nature, one of 17 activists from around the world to receive that recognition. "It's a very major responsibility and we have been tasked with the promotion of action in India as well as motivating other youth to take up climate action too. "No social movement or climate action movement can be truly successful unless the change is not started at the grassroots level," Mukarji remarks. "And this is where I want to change the use and throw mentality of people, make them environmentally friendly and reconnect them with their roots and heritage by taking small and simple steps," he said in an interview with NDTV.

In 2020, Mukarji collaborated with universities and organisations around the world in a global afforestation initiative called Forest of Hope. As the name implies, the aim is to increase the planet's dwindling green cover. Forest of Hope had numerous partners, including Neotia University, St Stephens College, 1 Billion Trees Africa and the Kelowna City Council in India, among others.

That year, he also interned with the United Nations Development Programme, an achievement made even more remarkable by the fact that the UN, which doesn't accept interns below the age of 18, made an exception for him. After that, he was invited to speak at the UN headquarters in India about his work and his efforts to promote a plastic-free society. "IN September 2019, I was asked to be a part of the UN Youth Climate Action Summit in New York," he told Social Story. "Here I got a chance to not only interact with UN Secretary-General Antionio Gutteres, but also join Greta Thunberg in the march."

Looking ahead

After that, Mukarji became one of the 17 Young Climate Leaders for the UN India Campaign, 'We the Change', in 2022. Now a student at the University of Toronto, Mukarji will graduate from Trinity College in 2026. He is also a part of Invest India, an initiative by the Ministry of Commer, GoI, is a Diana Awardee from 2021 and has been named an Aatma Nirbhar Champion. He also continues to practice a sustainable lifestyle on his own, through what he describes as small measures, like using a bamboo toothbrush, carrying his own jute bag to the grocery store, even if they offer eco-friendly bags, using ceramic cups at Starbucks or carrying his own cup if he wants a takeaway, living up to his own credence, ‘RefuseIfYouCannotReuse’.

Follow Aditya Mukarji on LinkedIn.

Reading Time: 5 mins

Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak: The AI whizkids being funded by Sam Altman

(December 14, 2023) Around eight months ago, two teenagers, Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak were both contemplating college plans. Aryan had even received a scholarship from a foundation in the US and anyway, both the teenagers were adept coders and earning a fair bit of money. Enough money, actually to fly to San Francisco and attend conferences, where they were soon crossing paths with some of the Bay Area's tech and VC titans. In comparison, college seemed a lacklustre option. They actually wondered if the experience might hold them back. Why not take a deep dive into entrepreneurship instead? That's how they got to building Induced AI, which, very simply put, presents a solution for businesses to streamline their backend workflow processes using bots. Less than a year in, they have raised $2.3 million in seed funding, and count OpenAI's Sam Altman as an investor, along with Daniel Gross and Nat Friedman. [caption id="attachment_34641" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak, the co-founders of Induced AI[/caption] The journey of a lifetime How did the Global Indians come so far, so quickly? For starters, both Sharma and Pathak were learning coding by the time they were 13 years old. They didn't

ong>The journey of a lifetime

How did the Global Indians come so far, so quickly? For starters, both Sharma and Pathak were learning coding by the time they were 13 years old. They didn't grow up in the Bay Area or in Bangalore, although they were both based in India. "I would listen to podcasts and read about the AI and tech startup ecosystem. I started writing code very early and was doing remote work when I was still in school," Sharma says. When he could afford it, he made another, very bold move - he bought a flight ticket to San Francisco. "I was going to a lot of events and meeting people and investors, who would eventually become part of the company."

The Bay Area, he found, was very welcoming, even to someone as young as him - it might even have worked in his favour. "Everyone is open to taking meetings," Sharma smiles. He discovered that ambition and hard work do pay, and age doesn't always have to be a factor. Sharma and Pathak also decided that college was off the cards, at least for the moment, even if they could have taken their pick of institutions. Sharma, who seems more given to media appearances and interviews, says his parents were both doctors, who were concerned with his decision but decided to support him.

When they weren't in Silicon Valley, they were writing cold-emails and sending DMs on Twitter. "I have embarrassing emails I sent out at 14," he laughs, during an interview with Varun Mayya and Tanmay Bhat in Overpowered. "I woud say 'I'm a big fan, I watch all your videos, do you have any advice for me'?" He recalls one response, which read, "Don't send emails to people, that's my advice. Go read up and start building things." He had als interacted with Sam Altman during this three year networking period and expressed an interest in working with him, "even as his secretary." OpenAI, he says, "had been releasing papers way before ChatGPT but Sam was too busy then with OpenAI and Helium."

Even in 2022, though, Sharma didn't really know how things would pan out. He was interested in a range of subjects, from AI to Space and Biotech. It was Altman who gave him advice then, saying, "This is all useful but the most high-leverage thing is AI and you will come back to this at some point." It did in fact turn out that way. In early 2023, Sharma and Pathak teamed up to form InducedAI. Now, they are also part of AI Grant, the AI startup accelerator created by Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross. Induced AI made it into Batch 1, along with companies like Perplexity, Animato and Replicate.

How does it work?

Induced AI helps businesses automate repetitive tasks typically handled by admin back offices. Users input workflows in English (known as a text workflow), which the AI then converts into pseudo-code for automation. The platform uses bots, each equipped with its own email and phone number for handling tasks like verification processes, including OTPs and other forms of authorization. These bots run on the cloud, ensuring full access without affecting the user's computer. "Say, a company has a 15-member team spending a lot of time on tasks like form filling or data entry, which could typically be outsourced to a backoffice," Sharma explained.

All this works on Chromium-based browsers (like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, etc.). And none of the work being done is actually visible to the user - for instance, if the bot is running a search operation, the user will not see a search bar with keywords being typed in. Induced AI has modified the browser's rendering engine, which usually turns website code into what you see on your screen, to work better for background tasks. They've tweaked how the browser responds to changes on websites and improved the way it communicates internally and with other systems.

"We control the browser layers remotely, which leads to more reliability compared to running as an extension," Sharma explains. "By controlling the browser, we also control everything that Chrome has access to." This enhanced control allows for more consistent and dependable automation processes.

For example, consider a task like searching for shoes on Google. Induced AI breaks this task into "chunks," then performs 'inference' to determine the necessary steps at each stage. The user just needs to provide the overall task description. Once the steps are outlined, the system autonomously executes the process, from opening the browser to carrying out the search. To the end user, it's akin to giving a command to Alexa to "play my favorite playlist," where Alexa autonomously locates and plays the playlist.

[caption id="attachment_34642" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Aryan Sharma[/caption]

RPA tech

However, Induced AI is tailored for back-office tasks, enhancing business workflows' cost-effectiveness and efficiency. It uses a 'headless' browser operation, meaning the browser works in the background without displaying web pages on a screen. It navigates and interacts with websites, but invisibly. "It's not meant to book a flight ticket or write an email," Sharma says. "It's designed for specific processes and tasks, like generating leads at 9 am every day, or collating insurance claims.

This is done through RPA (Robotic Process Automation), which usses 'bots' to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks within business processes. They emulate human actions and interactions within digital systems, applications and data and can carry out certain tasks as a human user would, following a set of predefined rules and logic. An added advantage is that it is non invasive and easily deployable along with being scalable and flexible.

The path ahead

Aryan now spends much more time in the Bay Area and Induced AI has signed up a handful of small to mid-sized customers, he told Tech Crunch.

"Induced is the definition of RPA 3.0," said investor SignalFire in a statement. "Not only are they taking a huge leap forward in providing true human-like interaction and efficiency, they democratize access by allowing users to describe their workflows in natural language and execute parallel agents any back-office workflow.

Follow Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak on LinkedIn.