Global Indianstory Global Indian Exclusive2023 recap: Indians shine in the global sporting arena

2023 recap: Indians shine in the global sporting arena

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(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.

Praggnandhaa

“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.

Anush Agarwalla.

“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.

Divyakriti Singh

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.

Sahith Theegala

“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.

Neeraj Chopra

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.

Rani Rampal

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.

Shahan Ali Mohsin

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.

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 31, Dec 2023

Share with

ALSO READ

Tanishq Mathew Abraham: Indian-American transforming medicine with AI

(November 27, 2024) At just 20 years old, Tanishq Mathew Abraham is already a trendsetter in the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine. His story is one of remarkable talent, deep curiosity, and a drive to break new ground — qualities that have made him a leader in his field. Today, Tanishq is not only the founder and CEO of MedARC, a groundbreaking medical AI research organisation, but also a leading voice in the intersection of AI and healthcare. His journey is nothing short of remarkable. A Prodigy's First Steps Born in Sacramento, California, to parents who valued education deeply — his mother, Dr. Taji Abraham, is a veterinarian researcher, and his father, Bijou Abraham, a software engineer — Tanishq’s love for learning was clear from the start. As a four-year-old, he was already devouring books on dinosaurs and space and when he ran out of books to read, he started googling. One such google search led him to the University of California Berkeley’s Palaeontology Museum at just six years old, where he amazed researchers with his questions. "I sat on the front row as an excited 6-year-old waiting for a magic show to start and after the speech,

for a magic show to start and after the speech, I had questions so the speaker invited me to his office to speak more about his research and show me some of the fossils."

[caption id="attachment_40622" align="aligncenter" width="581"] Tanishq Mathew Abraham[/caption]

"I got to hold 65-million-year-old dinosaur bones,” he revealed in TEDx Talk. That moment sparked what he calls his "incurable learning virus."

College at Seven

By the time he turned seven, Tanishq was ready for more than just elementary school. Middle and high school material bored him, so he begged his parents to let him attend college classes. After being turned down by several colleges due to his age, a geology professor at American River College finally gave him a chance. His mother took the class alongside him, but it was Tanishq who impressed everyone. "My mom took the class and I tagged along with her, sitting in the front row, soaking it all in," the Global Indian said.

[caption id="attachment_30971" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Tanishq attending classes with his mom[/caption]

He took the exam with his mom, and both scored an A. Impressed by his abilities, the professor convinced the Dean of Counselling to allow Tanishq to take the next class for credit as an advanced education student. "That was the beginning of college for me." The professor became an important figure in Tanishq's life, someone the youngster refers to as "angel in disguise." He then enrolled in an Astronomy course along with his mom. "I was seven and my classmates thought that I was there because my mom couldn't find a babysitter," he smiled, adding, "Some were surprised when I would answer questions or join class discussions." By the age of eight, he was already assisting with lectures and co-founding the college’s Astronomy Club, where he served as vice president.

A Star on the Rise

By 10, Tanishq had graduated high school with a perfect GPA. At 11, he earned three Associate Degrees in science. At 14, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. While other kids his age were worrying about middle school exams, Tanishq was deep into research, preparing for the next big step: a Ph.D.

“When I started college at seven, it was just for fun,” he said. But his love for learning soon became a mission—to solve real-world problems, especially in medicine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq3FopGY6Fc

Diving Into AI and Medicine

Tanishq's interest in interdisciplinary learning paved the way for his Ph.D. journey at UC Davis. Under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Levenson, Tanishq focused on combining AI with digital pathology. His research explored how AI could help doctors diagnose diseases more accurately and efficiently using advanced imaging techniques.

“I think we’re living in an AI revolution, and I want to be part of it,” Tanishq said. This vision led him to found MedARC (Medical AI Research Center), a first-of-its-kind organisation developing large-scale AI models for medical applications. MedARC isn’t just about research; it’s about collaboration. Tanishq and his team aim to make their tools and findings accessible to the global medical community.

Leading in AI Innovation

Tanishq’s impact goes beyond MedARC. As a Research Director at Stability AI, he focuses on generative and medical AI projects. His work on open-source tools like DALL·E Mini and the fastai library has earned him recognition in the tech community. These tools make advanced AI more accessible, aligning perfectly with his mission to democratise learning and technology.

"AI has the potential to revolutionise healthcare, and I want to help make that happen," he said. One of his standout projects uses AI to analyze medical images, enabling doctors to make quicker and more accurate diagnoses.

AI is changing the way we work and live, making it a powerful tool across industries. In healthcare, AI is helping doctors diagnose diseases faster, offer personalized treatments, and improve patient care. Tanishq is driving innovation in this space, showing how AI can transform healthcare and save lives.

A Teacher and Role Model

Despite his achievements, Tanishq remains deeply committed to education. He serves as an instructor and mentor for fast.ai courses, teaching others how to use AI effectively. He’s also a moderator in online learning communities, where he shares knowledge and fosters discussions about AI and machine learning.

“For me, teaching is a way to give back. I want others to feel the same excitement I do when I discover something new,” he said.

A Future Shaped by Big Dreams

Today, Tanishq is one of the youngest Ph.D. holders in the world. His work inspires not only aspiring scientists but also anyone striving to make a difference. Whether advancing AI tools or motivating the next generation, Tanishq’s journey shows what can be achieved through curiosity and determination.

“I’ve always believed in thinking big,” he said. And it’s clear that for Tanishq, the journey is just beginning.

Follow Tanishq Mathew Abraham on LinkedIn

Ashwath Kaushik: Singapore based rising chess star making history and inspiring minds

(March 22, 2024) After a challenging three-hour match last month at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus-Open in Switzerland, Ashwath Kaushik, a third-grade student, was on cloud nine. At just eight years, six months, and 11 days old, he made history by becoming the youngest player on record to defeat a chess grandmaster in a classical tournament match. His opponent was the 37-year-old Polish Grandmaster Jacek Stopa. “I feel very proud of my game and how I played against the grandmaster. My expectation was to win and my goal was to beat the grandmaster and get the world record,” said the Indian-origin chess player, who represents Singapore in international tournaments. At the Burgdorfer Stadthaus-Open in Switzerland, he finished 12th overall. 'It's a classical contest, and I am very happy with the results,' he shared after the win. Impressive milestones at young age Before facing Stopa, Ashwath had won his opening three games at Stadthaus-Open. The tension in the game had escalated from the early stages. In the 13th move, Stopa proposed a draw, but Ashwath chose to continue. As the game approached its conclusion, the young player capitalised on a mistake made by Stopa, ultimately securing the most significant triumph of his burgeoning

ung age

Before facing Stopa, Ashwath had won his opening three games at Stadthaus-Open. The tension in the game had escalated from the early stages. In the 13th move, Stopa proposed a draw, but Ashwath chose to continue. As the game approached its conclusion, the young player capitalised on a mistake made by Stopa, ultimately securing the most significant triumph of his burgeoning career.

The youngster does not like to go for draws. “Fight till the end, even if you are losing because there is still some hope. Never give up and keep playing, try your best,” he said. “Just get to the centre and develop lots of pieces. Don't blunder pieces randomly and just develop pieces and you'll be better and your opponent will blunder pieces and then take advantage of the mistakes of your opponent," he remarked. This is part of his winning strategy, and the young player emphasises, 'Go in confident, don't take draws, and always go for the win.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s_dH6p6vio

Born in 2015, the young player has swiftly garnered recognition by securing victories in several youth tournaments. He had emerged the World Under-8 Rapid champion in 2022.

The same year, the then six-year-old had won three gold medals at the Eastern Asian Youth Championships in the Under-8 segment. A year prior to that in 2021, he had in the World Cadets Rapid Championships in Greece, and proved his talent.

“Chess is very important to me because it's fun to play. You get to think a lot, and it's good for your brain,” the young boy shared in a recent interview. The eight-year-old travels overseas multiple times a year for tournaments, and has displayed the patience and diligence by playing the game for up to five-and-a-half hours in tough tournaments.

Extraordinary talent

No one in Ashwath’s family plays chess and it was a surprise for his parents to see their son getting such a fine grip of the game at such a tender age. After discovering the game at the age of four the young player would spend hours engrossed in it. “It’s surreal as there isn’t really any sports tradition in our families” Ashwath’s father Kaushik Sriram said in an interview with Chess.com.

When he was introduced to the game by his parents, Kaushik had quickly surpassed their skills and had even outplayed his grandparents. Recognising their son’s extraordinary talent, his parents enrolled him in chess lessons to further hone the game’s tactics.

He ‘has a photographic memory’, Ashwath’s father said. “He solves long complex puzzles visually. He finished GM Jacob Aagaard’s entire Grandmaster series recently without using a board,” he added.

Ashwath also loves building LEGO in his leisure time. However, chess always remains on top of his priority list.

[caption id="attachment_36776" align="aligncenter" width="389"] Ashwath Kaushik[/caption]

Dedication and support

The young player who aspires to become a world champion, was so focussed since the beginning that he could play chess all day. Looking at his extraordinary talent his father had approached some of the best coaches in Singapore, who readily agreed to train the youngster looking at his talent. Amongst Ashwath’s trainers are Kevin Goh Wei Ming, a grandmaster and CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation.

“He is tactically very sharp, mainly due to lots of practice and we are trying to build his strategic understanding,” Goh remarked in an interview. Ashwath has also received training from grandmasters Thomas Luther and Andrey Kvon. A member of the Under-14 squad of Singapore, Ashwath considers Late Soviet-Latvian chess legend Mikhail Tal his idol.

He receives constant support from his parents and his school, Overseas Family School in Pasir Ris. Interestingly, he is keen on introducing his four-year-old brother to the game of chess as well. Like any child, he has his favourites, such as Juicy Drop candy, and enjoys family outings to the Singapore Zoo and Universal Studios Singapore.

The Indian-origin player had moved to Singapore with his parents in 2017 when he was barely two years old.

ALSO READ | Praggnanandhaa: The prince of chess and Arjuna awardee 2022

Reading Time: 5 mins

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

In our pursuit of unique tales about the Indian diaspora, GI's new series documents trailblazing ideas and phenomenons across the globe (November 24, 2021) Not too long ago, coding was considered the forte of computer geeks only. It was an intimidating concept best left to experts. IT’s top brass Larry Page of Google, Bill Gates of Microsoft and Steve Dorsey of Twitter were themselves coding prodigies before they started ground-breaking tech conglomerates. Coders like Indian Canadian Tanmay Bakshi whose AskTanmay is the world’s first web based NLQA system was built using IBM Watson’s cognitive capabilities. The 19-year-old Indian-origin Harsh Dalal in Singapore started Team Labs that is valued at $25 million. Today children in India as young as five and ten are creating waves. US-based Samaira Mehta, 12, is behind CoderBunnyz which makes coding fun for kids. It was only apt that coding clubs sprang across India to create a new generation of innovators of the future. Technology everywhere “Technology has and will continue to expand rapidly, claiming spaces in almost every professional industry,” says Krish Samtani, founder of 0Gravity, a free coding club for school children in India, who adds, “Coding seem slightly intimidating at first, but it offers children the chance to apply their knowledge in a real-world context.”

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

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

Tykes can code

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

[caption id="attachment_16610" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Aditi Prasad of Indian Girls Code[/caption]

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

Coding to innovate

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

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

[caption id="attachment_16612" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Krish Samtani during one of the 0Gravity sessions[/caption]

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

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

Why code?

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

Reading Time: 7 min

The cool girl: Musician Kayan is taking the indie world by storm

(March 3, 2024) Growing up in Mumbai in a family deeply rooted in the arts, musician Ambika Nayak aka Kayan, frequented theaters for plays and concerts, immersing herself in the world of creativity. Her mother, a Hindustani classical vocalist, her grandmother, a classical dancer, and her aunt, a writer, all contributed to the artistic milieu. Trained in Carnatic music, kathak dance, and piano, she often accompanied her mother to concerts and art shows. It seemed almost fated that she would eventually embrace one of these art forms as her professional calling. The Mumbai-based 25-year-old musician is a multi-talented singer, producer-DJ, model, actor, and voiceover artist. From making YouTube covers in her bedroom to collaborating with producers around the world, Kayan has come a long way, commanding over 70,000 listeners on Spotify monthly. In fact, Kayan was one of two Indian artists among the 30 picked from various genres across the world in 2022. "It was a great feeling, because so many artists that I listen to, like Dua Lipa, have been a part of this programme,” shared the musician in an interview. A musical prodigy Influenced by her mother and grandmother, Kayan started training in classical dance and Carnatic music

because so many artists that I listen to, like Dua Lipa, have been a part of this programme,” shared the musician in an interview.

A musical prodigy

Influenced by her mother and grandmother, Kayan started training in classical dance and Carnatic music quite early. So intense were these training, that Kayan still remembers each day of her classes. "First, I started learning Bharatanatyam, and my mom suggested I take up Carnatic classical music as well. Initially, I didn’t like my singing classes, but in retrospect, I’m glad that kind of classical training happened. It has left an impact on all the other forms of music I’ve learnt," recalled the musician, adding, "My classical training really helps with my voice. I will never forget what my teachers taught me when I was learning classical. The training is super rigorous. I wouldn’t say there is a direct influence in terms of sound, but in the sense of discipline, it has had a big impact."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3MNGONaFfA

While she loved classical music, it wasn't the only type of music Kayan was interested in. The musician grew up listening to a lot of punk and pop music. "As I grew up, I got introduced to a lot, a whole new world of electronic music," she shared, adding, "Now, I listen to ranges from like really wild electronic music, like a lot of hard-based music, electro ghetto tech, house music too. All of these somehow have had their own impact on the way I write my music," she adds.

However, it wasn't until 2016 that she decided to step into the professional music scene. Her foray began with a performance at a party in Mumbai in 2017, which proved to be a turning point for her. And it was around this time that the musician chose to pick a stage name for her. Sharing how she chose the name 'Kayan', she said, "When I joined Instagram, which is now a really long time ago, my name Ambika Nayak was taken on the platform. So, I created an account with my last name backward. Eventually, I cut it to kayan.a And then I released my first song as kayan.a, and then we dropped the '.a' and now it’s Kayan, which makes a lot of sense."

ALSO READ | Vibha Janakiraman: The violinist who enchanted the White House

Climbing the ladder

A big moment in Kayan's career was when she played at the famous Nariyal Paani festival in Alibaug. With her band, she showcased her musical skills and really impressed the audience. This performance not only made her well-known in India but also helped her become known worldwide - motivating the youngster to join the True School of Music. "I ended up meeting like-minded people there," shared the musician, adding, "For the first time, I was in a space where I enjoyed studying and learning, was introduced to new music, and was going out for shows and meeting new people." Eventually, the Global Indian was deejaying and playing live in a band called Kimochi Youkai, with five other band members. By the end of 2021, the musician had gained recognition as one of the top-streamed independent female artists on Spotify.

[caption id="attachment_36322" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Kayan with singer-songwriter Jay Sean[/caption]

Kayan has released five singles as yet - Cool Kids, Please, Be Alright, DFWM, and the singer recently collaborated with Singapore-based rapper Yung Raja for another single No Shade. She is working on more international collaborations. "Yung Raja is a gem of a person, and No Shade was the perfect song to have him on," shared the musician, while talking about their collab, adding, "It was so much fun working with him; I’m proud of what we made together."

ALSO READ | Indian American musician SANJ blends classical Carnatic with R&B

The musician creates catchy performances and brings a stylish and attractive look to her work as a model and visual artist. She has collaborated with some of India's top talents, like the former Elle superstylist Divya Gursahani, who designed one of the most unique looks for Kayan's live set at the Weekender. "I do love fashion a lot, it’s ultimately a way in which I express myself, and it makes me feel really good,” Kayan expressed, adding, "Divya came along, and she has absolutely been a gem. We worked so much together — one cool thing about working in music is being able to do music videos and photoshoots, which allowed me to experiment so much with fashion, it’s such a big part of it. Divya has really helped me understand, see, and experience that. Even for my live performances, at the NH7 Weekender, for example, there was a lot of thought and effort that went into the outfit. There was a whole narrative there, it was custom-made for me. Even now, for the upcoming live tour, we’re looking at custom outfits and designs. To me, all of this helps tell a story.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ambika Nayak (@kayan.a)

Talking about her future projects, the musician shared, "I have a couple of unreleased songs, collaborations with some of my favourite artists, and another one with my friend OAFF. Right now, I enjoy being independent, it’s far easier to release music; I have a solid team with great marketing resources, and in the future, I am open to working with a label I can align myself with."

Follow Ambika Nayak on Instagram and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Joy Agrawal: The teen changemaker making an impact through Stem education

(May 13, 2022) Sitting for the Homi Bhaba exam in 2019, Nagpur-based Stem lover Joy Agrawal had an epiphany - the underprivileged students have no access to practical labs. This thought gnawed at him for weeks. The then 13-year-old understood his privilege of having access to all the resources, while the disadvantaged had no money to even order science kits. He knew he had to find a solution, and this gave birth to Project Gyan in 2020. "It's an effort to help quality Stem education reach the young minds through practical and application-based education, focusing on the underprivileged children," changemaker Joy tells Global Indian. In two years, what started as a classroom of 10-12 students has now reached over 1600 students across five schools in Nagpur, Maharashtra. "Practical exposure is necessary to get children thrilled about education. When we started, many students wanted to help their daily wager worker parents with their chores but in a few months, some wanted to build airplanes. That shift in perspective is a victory for me and Project Gyan," says the Class 10 student. [caption id="attachment_16513" align="aligncenter" width="661"] Joy Agrawal[/caption] Love for space tech Born in 2006 in Bareilly to financial consultant parents, Joy

student.

[caption id="attachment_16513" align="aligncenter" width="661"] Joy Agrawal[/caption]

Love for space tech

Born in 2006 in Bareilly to financial consultant parents, Joy was raised in Nagpur. A space tech enthusiast, the outer world always fascinated this teenager. But his interest was piqued after his parents gifted him a telescope at the age of 10. "For a year, I'd sit every day gazing at the stars or looking at the asteroids. But with time, it became less frequent. However, lockdown changed it as the sky was clear again," says the Centre Point School student who discovered two asteroids in 2021 as a part of Spaceport India Asteroid Search Campaign in association with Hardin-Simmons University Texas.

His discoveries have been designated as 2020 RD95 and 2020 RJ83, says the 15-year-old who adds that NASA will use the data for a year or two to confirm the provisional discoveries after an in-depth study. "I am obsessed with space and technology," reveals Joy who loves doing everything in the area of space tech. While the telescope turned out to be a gamechanger for this teenager in the world of space, it was a robotics course that made him fall in love with technology. "As a kid, I loved swimming and would spend two hours every day in the pool. But it was put on hold for a while as the pool was under renovation. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With time on my hands, I enrolled in the robotics class, and I haven't looked back since," adds the teen changemaker, who is the founder of Community Space One. "Our mission is to achieve sustainable development goals with the help of space technology. It was in early 2021 that I identified like-minded people, and soon started Community Space One," says the boy, who is keen to make a difference through remote sensing and earth observation.

[caption id="attachment_16514" align="aligncenter" width="575"] Joy Agrawal at a recent TedX Talk[/caption]

Making an impact through STEM

This love for technology led him to be selected by Peace First, the world's largest incubator for youth-led social change initiatives, for a project grant. "It's a mini-grant for projects on the lines of social change. I won $250 with which I started Project Gyan in 2020. Started during the pandemic, I initially needed no funds as I was conducting live workshops for the underprivileged kids virtually," says Joy who started with the students of St Michael's High School in Nagpur. Being the vice president of the Interact Club at his school, Joy came in touch with the Rotary club and zeroed in on an institution that has many underprivileged kids. "I began with a 1-2 hour class every Saturday wherein I performed experiments and explained concepts. Later, I expanded Project Gyan to four more schools in Nagpur and two tribal schools in Maharashtra," adds the changemaker who provides kits to schools for students to get hands-on experience in science practicals. "I love science, and I understand its potential. I want these kids to explore their potential through Project Gyan," says Joy, who is now working with a team that looks into distribution and planning, maintaining the website, social media, and creating videos.

[caption id="attachment_16515" align="aligncenter" width="706"] Joy Agrawal at IIT Madras with his quadcopter[/caption]

With 1600 students now and a grant of ₹40,000 from Vicco Labs, Project Gyan is spreading its wings and has expansion plans in Central India. Things weren't smooth at the start - he found that many kids had no access to mobile phones. "Three-four students were using one phone to attend my classes initially. This made me understand the extent of the disparity. But with passing months, I realised they too had dreams, and given the practical exposure, they can work towards following their dreams," says Joy, who plans to make the study kit available globally for anyone to access.

Future plans

Joy, who is currently sitting for his board exams, has plans of pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science from MIT or Harvard and a master's in space system engineering. "Working with the UN is my dream. But at some stage, I would want to launch my start-up in space tech," says the teenager, who calls himself a "changemaker who wants to create an impact through Stem".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqoEmh6UUSk&t=80s

At 15, Joy is busy creating social impact, and the teenager advises youngsters to "not follow the herd. Instead, explore your niche. Don't replicate another person's journey. Do your thing and only then you will be able to make a difference." The teen changemaker, who firmly believes that sky is the limit, loves reading books, playing with his dog, and listening to music in his free time. "I don't need to unwind as I love every bit of what I do. When you enjoy your work, you never need a moment to take a break from it," concludes Joy.

Follow Joy Agrawal on Linkedin

Reading Time: 5 min