Manya Harsha: The eco-warrior turns vegetable waste into paper, saving millions of trees
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(September 17, 2023) When most of the people were busy making Dalgona coffee in the lockdown, the then 10-year-old Bengaluru-resident Manya Harsha had turned her home into a mini laboratory where she spent hours looking for ways to turn vegetable waste in eco-friendly handmade paper. Passionate about environment, her green initiatives have been appreciated by the United Nations-Water. “I celebrate every day as Earth Day. I believe it’s our responsibility to look after our surroundings and nature,” she said in an interview.
Manya Harsha
Just when the world had come to a standstill, Manya, who has been a champion of environment, dived deeper to find a solution to saving trees. Around 15 billion trees are cut each year to make paper, and Manya was determined to find a way out. Despite several initial hiccups, she was able to devise a novel method through which she could produce 2-3 A4 size sheets by using 10 onion peels. The process was tiresome as her first attempt turned out to be a complete failure, but she persisted and kept improving the technique until she could make sheets in varied colours and patterns. “Recycled paper reduces energy and helps stop deforestation. With around 1.3 billion population, India generates an average of 1000 gms of kitchen waste per day, if everyone starts recycling vegetable peels into paper, each one can contribute to the lessening of Ecological crisis,” reads one of her Instagram posts.
Growing up amid the lush greenery of her grandmother’s home in Bengaluru, Manya felt closer to nature. But seeing waste pollution as a constant menace, she started raising awareness on environment preservation. “Born in Bengaluru, I see the beautiful Garden city slowly transformed by heaps of garbage dumped on the roadside and how the quantity of waste is increasing every passing day has been a matter of huge concern. This scenario always had made me think for a permanent solution as to how the flower and plant waste can be utilized in an eco-friendly manner,” she said.
As young as eight, she started raising awareness through blog and poetry. She understood the power of words, and ended up authoring five books on environment and nature. While she kept relentlessly championing for environment preservation, she took it a notch higher when she made handmade paper from vegetable peels. “Making one paper a day keeps deforestation at bay, in my opinion. It’s an easy sustainable option to wet waste management,” she said in an interview.
In 2020. she was awarded for her project SUNSHINE, an eco-friendly initiative, where she created DIY vegetable paper to promote environment awareness among kids. So far, she has produced over 300 sheets of colourful paper made from vegetable waste. “Instead of chopping trees for paper, let’s recycle the kitchen waste to eco-friendly vegetable paper. Let’s all together join hands to restore our earth,” Manya said, adding, “8 trees are sacrificed for 1000 pounds of paper! Now with around 8-10 onion peels, I can make 2-3 A4 size papers. A 1/2 kg of Peas husk can make 3 A4 size sheets! 2 -3 baby corn husk makes around 2 A4 size sheets! These colourful vegetable papers are just like any other handmade paper. You can write, draw, paint, fold and create art out of it.”
The Water Heroes awardee in 2020 by the ministry of JAL Shakthi, Manya is also the editor of her kid’s journal Sunshine Fortnightly. Moreover, she received the India Book of Records for being the youngest to write a book on nature. “I believe nothing in this world is a waste until you consider it one.”
(January 28, 2023) The fundus camera, an instrument used in opthalmology for to capture colour images of the inner surface of the eye, can set one back by anywhere between INR 1.5 lakh and INR 5.25 lakh. In low-income countries, the prohibitive cost of devices used in diagnostic and rehabilitative care makes access a challenge. According to the World Vision Report, prepared by WHO, over 2.2 billion people worldwide are visually impaired and nearly half that number live with treatable or preventable conditions because they cannot get the care they need. The second-leading cause of blindness is glaucoma, with an estimated 57.5 million people around the world affected by primary open-angle glaucoma. In 2020, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, this number rose to 76 million. Among those tackling the problem head-on is Ontario teen Hardit Singh whose innovation is a step towards better healthcare for all. Speculor: A Comprehensive Teleopthalmology Platform for People Centered Eyecare fetched seventeen-year-old Hardit the top prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in 2021. Using a portable imager and AI algorithms to screen for disease, Speculor, which has been field-tested in India, can detect glaucoma for the very-affordable sum of $300. The Global
the Canada-Wide Science Fair in 2021. Using a portable imager and AI algorithms to screen for disease, Speculor, which has been field-tested in India, can detect glaucoma for the very-affordable sum of $300. The Global Indian, who also won second place at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists, intends for the device to be used by international NGOs working to bring equality in eyecare.
[caption id="attachment_26981" align="aligncenter" width="488"] Source: World Vision Report[/caption]
The vision
Born and raised in Waterloo, the idea took root around three years ago, when a friend from the Cameron Heights Collegiate in Kitchener, where Hardik studied, suffered from retinal detachment, where the retina begins to peel off the eye. "He went to three different opthalmologists and experts and was misdiagnosed all three times for different reasons. He went almost blind because of it," Hardit said in an interview for the Canada-Wide Science Fair. Luckily, doctors managed to detect it before the damage became irreversible. It made Hardit wonder - if such misdiagnoses can happen in a place like Waterloo, what could conditions possibly be in rural or low-income areas, where there is little proximity to healthcare facilities?
By this time, the then 13-year-old Hardit was already building classification algorithms and had a basic understanding of AI from previous projects. He hit the books, learning from YouTube, books and just "trying things out, playing around until it works. That works for hardware, you tinker until you understand what happens. It's the same with optics. I learned until I had enough to build what I wanted."
He began cold-emailing professors, eventually hearing back from the University of Waterloo's Department of Optometry. Hardit began working with a group of grad students, going to them with questions or when he was struggling. The hardware had to be built, the software coded and the two integrated. He worked in the lab, testing the device on a model eye in controlled conditions.
Speculor worked smoothly in the lab and Hardit decided to roll out his prototype. When he tested it on the field, however, "everything failed," he admits. He had made one fundamental mistake - he hadn't geared the device for less than optimal conditions. "I had designed the prototype to work in perfect condtions but in poor lighting, when the patient is moving around, the device wsn't working at all. The AI had the same problem." The AI sensor was used to very high-quality images, taken by devices, Hardit says, that cost USD 25,000 and up. "My device can't produce such images and it was throwing the AI off."
"I was frustrated. I had put in so much effort and the device didn't work at all. But my mind was already working on how to fix it." With the hardware, his moment of revelation came through integrating cross-polarisation, a technique used in more expensive fundus cameras but rarely in more affordable devices. "It worked really well to ensure there was no glare on the fundus images," he said. He tried a number of solutions with the AI, but nothing worked, until he developed his own training method. The AI was trained to study low quality images, account for poor lighting and movement and detect anomalies under these parameters.
Hardit Singh sent the device for testing once more, this time to an opthalmologist in India. The feedback was far more promising. "The second time, the images turned out really good. It was amazing because I still wasn't expecting it to work, I only had acess to a model eye. This was a Hail mary move for me, sending a protype to India blindly without a test."
[caption id="attachment_26983" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Source: The Record[/caption]
Always a work-in-progress
Hardit's eventual goal is to commercialise the device, pricing it within reach of international NGOs and organisations, to improve healthcare in rural and underserved areas around the world. The cost is currently dominated by the lens, which is about $250. He is also working to improve the design, after a judge from the CWSF remarked that it was "too boxy."
Hardit Singh also wants to expand the scope of his device, which is now mainly used in glaucoma detetion. "I can reapply the same model over different diseases by changing the paramters," he says. He also wants to make it easy to understand, to aid doctors as they make a diagnosis.
Hardit has also published a paper on AI in the Journal of the Optical Society of India. His other interests include computer science, AI, optics, medicine and sports.
(February 21, 2023) The climate change sweeping the world is occurring at a faster pace than previously thought, making it imperative that governments act now to reverse the damage being done to the planet. According to a study by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), over the last few decades, the exploitation of our planet and the degradation of our environment has gone up at an alarming rate. With several natural disasters striking us more often in the form of flash floods, earthquakes, blizzards, tsunamis, and cyclones, many environmentalists have positioned themselves as advocates of sustainability, determined to meet the climate crisis at humanity’s doorstep. Global Indian takes a look at young Indians, who have been working on protecting this planet. Through their sustainability efforts across fashion, water conservation, waste management, education, policymaking, and sustainable energy, these young environmentalists inspire and impact thousands of people around the globe. Sneha Shahi, reviving rivers As a young child, environmentalist Sneha Shahi would visit the northeastern region of India, almost every summer, where her father was stationed. And that's when she fell in love with nature. Growing up in Vadodara, Gujarat, Sneha was always a girl who showed a keen interest in environmental activities.
n love with nature. Growing up in Vadodara, Gujarat, Sneha was always a girl who showed a keen interest in environmental activities. Today, a Ph.D. scholar at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru, Sneha is among the 17 UN Young Climate Champions from India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maQzojOBQ44
"Since we were in school, we have been learning how plastic waste and its irresponsible disposal harm our flora, fauna, and land water systems. While we are taught about it, most people do not do anything to reduce the impact," shared the activist, who removed about 700 kg of waste from a natural rivulet that people thought to be a gutter.
Currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Extreme Hydrological Events at ATREE, Bengaluru, Sneha is gearing up to work on the restoration of the only perennial river in Tamil Nadu, Thamirabarani. "It has been only six months since I started the programme here and the project is still getting developed. The objectives currently are to restore this beautiful river, Thamirabarani, which is about 128 km long," shares Sneha, adding, "It supports drinking water and agricultural activities. We do not just want to install physical instruments to control pollution, but also create awareness about the pollution and change their mindset," shared the environmentalist.
Sagarika Sriram, climate change activist
A young 17-year-old took centre stage while top leaders from across the world gathered to discuss how they can save our planet from the changing climatic conditions at COP27, held in Egypt. Addressing her audience, the young environment activist, Sagarika Sriram, pointed out the youth’s perspective on sustainability and how youngsters can have their voices heard. Stressing how awareness must be raised in schools, her closing remarks pushed for the youth around the world to be heard when it comes to their sustainable goals, ending her speech to thunderous applause from the audience.
Called an "inspiration to all young girls in her country and West Asia” by the U.N. Environment Programme, the Dubai-based Indian ex-pat has been able to inspire and motivate numerous kids to join the movement for a cleaner and healthier future for all. Her digital platform Kids for a Better World, which the young environment activist created in 2016 as a school project, has brought together nearly 100,000 young kids from around the globe who too want to fight climate change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPWtMtGOs-s
The environmentalist who has organised numerous local clean-up drives and workshops for kids believes that young people have to stand for the cause to prevent the impact of climate change. "I want to make a real change and contribute towards helping the planet revive. I just finished my final examinations and want to take a year's break to concentrate on the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, COP 28, which will take place in the UAE," she shared.
Soumya Ranjan Biswal, marine conservation
Mangroves might appear to be merely coastal forests, but these rich ecosystems support the planet and living being in many ways. From providing breeding grounds for fish to carbon storage, and protection against flooding mangroves does it all. However, despite its importance, the mangrove forests are under threat. Odisha-based, 24-year-old environmentalist Soumya Ranjan Biswal has been voluntarily growing intending to regenerate the mangrove forests along the 18-km-long beach stretch for the last few years. Locally called Rai, Harakancha, Sundari, Bani, Guan, and Keruan, these plants are integral to the coastal habitat and livelihood of local fishermen.
The youngster is also working tirelessly to protect the threatened habitat of Olive Ridley turtles. From making sure eggs of the endangered species are protected from predators like dogs, jackals, and other animals, taking out cycle rallies to spread awareness among coastal inhabitants for the safety of the sea turtles to cleaning the beaches for the release of hatchlings, Soumya, fondly called Olly Boy has been doing it all. When the Odisha government agreed to have the Olive Ridley sea turtle as the mascot for the 2018 Hockey World Cup, that was when the young environmentalist decided to hold their historic one-month-long cycle expedition, paddling through coastal pockets of Rushikulya, Puri, Chilika, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore to create awareness about the protection of the turtles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeXCsE5eKEo
While Olive Ridleys are close to Soumya, he has also been working for the cause of sparrows, reviving dry water bodies in forests and keeping beaches plastic-free. "As a coastal village boy, I've always been affected by ocean and beach pollution, high mortality rates of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, and mangrove destruction which have resulted in the occurrence of consistent natural calamities. This made me feel more strongly about issues like environmental degradation, climate change, and its impact on the marine ecosystem." Soumya had said during an earlier interview. Soumya was part of the "We The Change" campaign initiated by the United Nations in India.
Hina Saifi, clean air and renewable energy activist
Working with NGOs within her village in Meerut, Hina Saifi started to work on climate awareness after noting a lack of environmental awareness in her polluted village of Sisosla. From campaigning for solar-powered solutions to mobilising local communities to tackle air pollution through public campaigns, call for action, and pamphlets, Hina has been associated with the 100% Uttar Pradesh Campaign and The Climate Agenda since 2018.
"I believe that if there’s public awareness first, then we can improve the environment. It will happen if people are aware of climate-friendly behaviours and actions. This is why I want to work in the space of public awareness and mobilization." Hina advocated during a press interaction. After she launched ‘Suraj Se Samriddhi’, a campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of solar power, Hina was selected as the United Nation Young Environment Champion last year.
Berjis Driver, sustainable urban planner
An urban planner and associate member of the Institute of Town Planners India, Berjis Driver is working with the government authorities to reduce disparities, and improve accessibility and quality of life in cities. Berjis' expertise in environmental planning was important in understanding the relationship between Mumbai’s infrastructure and its environment. As an architect, he has been contributing to statutory urban policy and guideline preparation in Mumbai and Amravati.
A UN Youth Environment Champion, Berjis advocates that the urban cities' environment has been disconnected from the ecosystem. The norms on a per capita basis track back to the 60s and 70s and are not relevant to India today. He has been working to implement the basic benchmarks for green infrastructure, with rigorous control, in every city. "The promise of being able to reach out and scale up climate action, to learn the truth behind the origins and contexts of sustainability, help navigate it favourably, and to be able to safeguard the weakest in the face of climate change, is what continues to motivate me in this journey," Berjis has shared during an interview.
(March 26, 2024) Some people love him, some hate him, others love to hate him. Whatever category you might be in, Ajey Nagar makes sure you just can't ignore him. Best known by his stage name, Nagar, who will turn 25 this year, is India's most followed YouTube personality in 2024, with a whopping 41.6 million subscribers on his channel, CarryMinati and another 12.1 million on his livestream gaming page, CarryisLive. This month alone, CarryMinati ranked 36 in YouTube Entertainment and 84 worldwide. In 2019, he was named one of the Next Generation Leaders by TIME Magazine, and at the age of 20, was one of the youngest on the list. CarryMinati is slapstick, very loud, and often downright silly, with his over-the-top takes on "cringe-worthy" videos he finds on Facebook and TikTok. Behind the camera, though, Nagar is an astute and savvy creator. Born and raised in Faridabad, Nagar always steps out of the house in a black hoodie, even in peak summertime, to avoid being recognised by his legion of fans. "I can't go to malls or restaurants," he told TIME. [caption id="attachment_36840" align="aligncenter" width="382"] Ajey Nagar, aka CarryMinati[/caption] In 2019, CarryMinati found worldwide fame when he dissed
In 2019, CarryMinati found worldwide fame when he dissed Swedish YouTuber Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie), another controversial star of content. At the time, PewDiePie was locked in a subscriber race with T-Series and released a video that mocked an Indian man speaking broken English. CarryMinati came to the rescue on January 1, 2019, with a Hindi rap video called ByePewDiePie, where he says, "one day, India will rule the world." These days, the Global Indianproduces videos only in Hindi, targetting a large chunk of India's 462 million YouTube users (India has the world's largest YouTube audience, with the US a far second at 239 million).
The CarryMinati method
Ajay Nagar began making video content when he was eight years old. And the more he did it, the surer he was that it would be his life. When he completed 10th grade, his mother hoped he would prepare to study medicine, "but I knew I couldn't do it," Nagar told the Hindustan Times. "I said, 'Buy me a PC', and chose arts," he added. It was a big move for Nagar, who comes from an established, and highly educated family. His mother is a doctor, his father a lawyer and his grandfather (late Shri Gajraj Bahadur Nagar) was a Cabinet Minister in the Haryana government.
When he started out, he ran many different channels, but around 2016, focussed his attention on one of them, where he felt he had found a niche. Back then, he was just a school kid playing video games and trying to make his friends laugh by mimicking and roasting celebrities - at the time, it was Bobby Deol. Deol went by CarryDeol and would inspire Nagar's own online name, CarryMinati.
However, the process has remained the same, even though his team has grown. The first, and most time-consuming step, Nagar says, is to find the content. And it could take more than three or four days at times. "Then comes the scripting part, it is the most fun part. I lock myself up in my room for two days and focus on the script." Then comes the shooting and editing, which takes another four days. Viewers send him ideas too, his inbox is always full with links to cringe videos. In 2018, after his team "worked day and night, to get him an opportunity," CarryMinati interviewed Tom Cruise and the team of Mission Impossible 6, and that video has received 33 million views to date.
"My expectations were nothing. I only wanted 50k subscribers, a room to play my games in and to make enough money to be able to buy new games and create content," he said. His channel grew beyond his wildest dreams, though, and time and time again, Nagar, who has also matured over the years, has re-evaluated and re-strategised his offerings. He's always the over-the-top goofy kid, though but these days, he does have to be careful of what he says, given his massive reach.
Being Ajey Nagar
In front of the camera, CarryMinati is brash and unapologetic. Behind the scenes, Ajey Nagar struggles with the weight of his fame, and of catering to expectations. "I struggle with that, as I do with getting out of the house. I have the fear that once I am outdoors, I will be judged, or that even if I eat, I will ahve 10 people staring at me." He has also admitted that he struggles to walk up to strangers, even at a party, and make conversation, and is happy when they come up to him. That said, relating to people is a crucial part of what he does, because that's the source of his content. It's also essential to him having some normality in his life. "Honestly, there has been a time when I sat down and started feeling bad about myself thinking, 'Oh, poor me, I've missed out on so many things'. The love of my friends, late night rides on scooties and eating junk food at the nearby 24x7. But take a look at my life, it's not bad at all," he said in an interview.
There's also the struggle of expectations and insecurities. "When I'm working on my videos there are moments when I scrutinize my jokes, especially if I like them because I'm worried about whether the audience will find them funny or not," Nagar says. And it's a valid concern, because with his outspoken ways and his incredible reach, controversy follows him around. Just the other day, he found himself in hot water for his supposed mocking of cricketer Virat Kohli for not having an IPL trophy in his collection. RCB supporters were furious and the YouTuber went on to issue a quick clarification, saying it was merely a promotional skit where he was doing a parody of RCB fans. However, in a profession like this one, learning to deal with criticism comes with the job description. “I take criticism seriously, but only if it has value to it. Otherwise, I just really don’t have the time,” says Carry, adding, “The amount of criticism I receive, I criticise myself 10 times more for the same thing," he told Hindustan Times.
Tips for aspiring creators
Learn by observation, CarryMinati advises. "Don't observe it like an audience, rather do it as if it's your job. Observe the little things, then you will understand how someone does that stuff, then your mind will open up." When you're watching a video, he says, try and think about what went into making it - from the thought process to the methods of shooting. And, he adds, it's very slow going. Nobody is going to make a million subscribers in 100 days. "The main thing," he says, "is to keep doing it." Evolving and changing with the times is also crucial. Change and uncertainty are the only constants, and Nagar is always prepared for eventualities. "Evolve the content, figure out what works and figure new things in life. And be yourself because nobody can be you."
(December 31, 2023) 2023 was a big year for Indian and Indian-origin sportspeople, from the historic triumph of the dressage team at the Asian Games, to Praggnanandhaa winning the silver medal at the Chess World Cup, each athlete's journey has been marked by with extraordinary dedication, relentless quest for perfection, and deep desire to make their country proud. Their remarkable feats not only brought glory to the nation but also ignited inspiration among aspiring youth, imparting invaluable lessons in sportsmanship. Global Indian turns the spotlight on the young sports stars of 2023. R Pragganandhaa Chess grandmaster Praggnanandhaa's silver medal at the World Cup confirms India's increasing dominance in chess. The 2023 tournament stands out as a pivotal event that notably highlighted the expanding prowess of Indian chess on a global scale. His advancement to the 2024 Candidates tournament sets the stage for a showdown where the victor will challenge China's Ding Liren in the upcoming World Championship. Remarkably, at just 18 years of age, Praggnanandhaa holds the distinction of being the youngest-ever finalist in the history of the Chess World Cup. [caption id="attachment_34948" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Praggnandhaa[/caption] “I started playing playing tournaments when I was very young but there is lots more to
“I started playing playing tournaments when I was very young but there is lots more to achieve,” he had remarked in an interview with Global Indian.
Anush Agarwalla
Equestrian
Anush is exactly where he should be now — on top of the world. From weekend joyrides on horseback when he was barely three to becoming a passionate and accomplished equestrian years later — Anush Agarwalla has galloped his way to glory. This year, he became the winner of India’s first-ever bronze medal in individual Dressage at the Asian Games 2023. “There is no better feeling than having a good ride. With Etro (his horse), I really felt like we were flying in the arena,” smiled Anush, speaking exclusively to Global Indian. After his historic win. He scored 73.030 to finish third and claim his second medal at the Asian Games.
“My next goal is to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. I missed out on the Tokyo Olympics by just one spot so I hope to make it this time,” says Anush, who flew back to Germany immediately to begin training for his next milestone.
Divyakriti Singh
Equestrian
Divyakriti was among the four-member contingent that won India the historic gold at the Asian Games 2023, held at Hangzhou, China recently.“We definitely dreamt of a podium finish but to win the gold medal is surreal, it’s extraordinary and it should be like that,” smiles Divyakriti, in an exclusive with Global Indian.
The historic win was the end result of hard training for years, perseverance, sacrifices and above all, the indomitable will to shine for India. “All the sacrifices we made are a small price to pay for the things we get to do,” said the 23-year-old, who is on cloud nine post the team’s win. She scored 68.176 in Asian Games.
Sahith Theegala
Golfer
“It doesn’t feel real. It’s probably not going to set in for a while. But man, that was a lot of good golf, and that was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.” 2023 has been a strong year for Californian golfer Sahith Theegala, who captured his first PGA Tour victory in September at the Fortinet Championship. He finished 21-under 267 at Silverado Resort’s North Course in in Napa, California, as friends and family cheered him on from the stands.
“Just the support I have is mind blowing. I got to bed at night these last few days and I’m like, I can’t believe how many people are cheering for me and rooting for me,” Sahith told Golf Week USA. “I can definitely hear my dad,” he smiled.
Neeraj Chopra
Javelin Thrower
Rewards and accolades never seem to stop raining down on Neeraj Chopra. He has made India proud with a gold in World Athletics Championships 2023 at Budapest, Hungary. A master at scripting history, the 25-year-old athlete is the first Indian to win a gold in the World Athletics Championships since it started in 1983 – exactly 40 years ago. It’s a historic win for India.
Apart from winning the World Championships and Asia Games Gold medals, he made it to the nomination list for the World Athlete of the Year 2023.
Rani Rampal
Hockey player
Ace hockey player Rani Rampal who earned the moniker the ‘Queen of Hockey,’ has recently been appointed as U-17 coach to mentor rising stars of the game. “Hockey gave me an identity, people listen to me, talk to me because of hockey. So, I just want to work for it in any capacity. You can can play, mentor young kids, you can teach,” she said accepting the role. This is the second milestone that the 28-year-old achieved in her career in 2023.
She had reached a significant milestone earlier this year when Modern Coach Factory (MCF) Stadium in Raebareli got renamed to ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’. From being a girl who had to plead to enter a hockey academy to becoming the first female player to have a stadium in her name, Rani’s journey is extraordinary.
Shahan Ali Mohsin
Racer
Shahan has become the first Indian to win the FIA Formula 4 car racing championship. The 19-year-old, who represents the Hyderabad Black Birds team, picked up the trophy at Madras International Circuit in Sriperumbudur, a town panchayat some 35 km away from Chennai.
[caption id="attachment_34951" align="aligncenter" width="533"] Shahan Ali Mohsin[/caption]
It’s nothing short of a dream come true for the teenager who has spent a considerable amount of his life on racetracks. When most kids of his age were glued to cartoons on television, Shahan Ali Mohsin would watch motorsport racing. Looking at the fast-speed cars, he knew he wanted to be on the track driving one. It was in 2011 that he first visited Indian Grand Prix, and was determined to make a career in motorsports, and now a few years later has made the entire country proud.
(May 9, 2022) Who could have thought that the last unreleased song of legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam would be an NFT? That’s what Chennai-based startup Diginoor pulled off - and how! What sets it apart from any other NFTs (non-fungible tokens) auctioned so far is that 51 percent of the copyright was transferred to its buyer making him eligible to make the song available to a larger public and adapt or reproduce the song. Sold at a whopping $150,000, it has pulled Diginoor into the big league. "India has never been a collector's market, and this is what we intend to change with Diginoor," says Shaamil Karim who launched Diginoor along with Yash Rathod in 2021 to make NFT adoption mainstream. The teenage entrepreneurs, who met in school, have auctioned 75 NFTs so far and sold over 50 of them. What began with an NFT of Rajinikanth in Sivaji: The Boss has now grown into an entity of its own; with Diginoor eyeing expansion in Bollywood and Punjabi cinema. “The Indian production houses saw the opportunity to monetise content with NFTs,” Shaamil tells Global Indian in an interview. [caption id="attachment_16191" align="aligncenter" width="835"] Yash Rathod and Shaamil Karim[/caption] Technology for the future
[caption id="attachment_16191" align="aligncenter" width="835"] Yash Rathod and Shaamil Karim[/caption]
Technology for the future
The Manama-born returned to India at the age of five during the 2008 financial crisis, after his mechanical engineer father shifted base to Chennai. Being raised in a family of engineers, the 18-year-old was always fascinated by technology. Even as a third-grader, he would go to the local shop owners in his locality explaining to them the importance of having an online presence. "I started creating websites quite early. Frankly, I wanted to earn pocket money. I wanted to know how to earn exponentially without giving it too much time," says Shaamil, for whom financial freedom was paramount. However, he gradually understood that there was a lot "more potential in finding happiness from building products," and that’s what got him hooked.
Seeing his dad try his hand at various businesses, he understood the requirement for 10x capital to set up a factory or a shop. "But the beauty of technology is that even working from your room, you have the potential to strike billion-dollar opportunities. You are making millions out of nothing," says the entrepreneur, who started Diginoor with Yash right after finishing Class XII.
Were his parents skeptical of him skipping college? "If we can sell the idea that NFT is the future to 60-year-old producers, then we can convince our parents too,” Shaamil replies. “I think communication is the key. Parents understand your passion." Shaamil is grateful that his parents are not paranoid about him skipping college, for he has a full scholarship awaiting him indefinitely, from an Ivy League college.
Foraying into novelty
During their 12th grade, Yash and Shaamil, who have known each other since middle school, caught on to the potential of NFTs. Still a novel concept in 2020, they took it upon themselves to learn everything about it. "In 2019, we stumbled upon cryptokitties, a blockchain game where players can buy and collect one-of-a-kind animated cats. And we got a handful for free during NFT airdrops. But it wasn't until a year-and-a-half that we decided to go all out in the NFT space after our board exams got cancelled," says Shaamil.
Shaamil and Yash could see the potential that cinema held in the NFT space. But it was an uphill task to convince production houses to collaborate with Diginoor initially. "This was a time when you typed NFT on Google, it would say 'did you mean NEFT'," laughs the teen, whose company needed capital and advisors. "By then, the value of cryptokitties had risen over 30 times. So we sold them to fund the project. At the same time, we cold emailed 100 production houses, and some big houses like AVM Productions reverted. It was like a domino effect from there on," adds the teenage entrepreneur.
Unlocking the potential
Diginoor made a bang on impression with their first NFT on Rajinikanth - a scene from the 2007 film Sivaji: The Boss. "As stubborn teenagers, we waited to put out the best as our first NFT, and the response was overwhelming. Our focus is to make NFT adoption mainstream in the cinema industry. It's a mission-driven company that wants to unlock the true potential of NFTs," says the teenage entrepreneur who believes that the first NFT helped immensely in creating awareness. "Rajinikanth NFT got us the right attention," adds the teenage entrepreneur, revealing that Diginoor had the first-mover advantage as well as disadvantage. "Creating a market with no textbook example to follow was quite a challenge," reveals Shaamil who has been using deleted scenes, iconic scenes, and exclusives for NFTs.
Shaamil calls the last year "an MBA of sorts" where he learnt practically the "hard stuff about being an entrepreneur." However, as a word of caution, he advises people that entrepreneurship is a challenging process and not as "glorified" as it looks. "If you find a 9-to-5 bad, then let me warn you that entrepreneurship is 24*7. We had to do a lot of trial and error to find our path. But it was an opportunity to make mistakes at an early age so that I can prepare myself better," adds Shaamil.
Expansion plans
The brainchild of Yash and Shaamil, who used to study for his preliminary board exams in the morning, do pitches in the evening, and code at night, Diginoor now has 22 employees. The fund seeding of $1 million in January 2022 helped them inch closer to their mission by providing the capital to expand the team. "For us, funding isn't the badge of approval. It's just a way of getting us closer to our mission," says Shaamil, who heads the marketing and operations. Yash, on the other hand, is the head of the tech. The teenager entrepreneurs who have forayed into the world of NFT now want to push the envelope through expansion. "We are now eyeing Punjabi cinema and Bollywood. The reason that Netflix didn't work in India is that it didn't cater to regional content. We don't wish to make the same mistake. That's why we plan to cater to all market segments with Diginoor," says the teenager entrepreneur.
The teenage duo wants to unlock the "new utility for NFT as an investment opportunity," and not just see it as an art form. Shaamil wants the youth to "follow their heart, do things, make mistakes and not look for advice." The Barcelona FC fan, who loves his work, likes to unwind by sleeping.
Source: 
Hardit Singh[/caption]
Source: 
Ajey Nagar, aka CarryMinati[/caption]
Praggnandhaa[/caption]
Anush Agarwalla.[/caption]
Divyakriti Singh[/caption]
Sahith Theegala[/caption]
Neeraj Chopra[/caption]
Rani Rampal[/caption]
Shahan Ali Mohsin[/caption]
Yash Rathod and Shaamil Karim[/caption]
