Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveFrom Delhi to Seoul: Srija Paul’s journey of Korean language, music, and dreams

From Delhi to Seoul: Srija Paul’s journey of Korean language, music, and dreams

By: Amrita Priya

(November 9, 2024) “I feel blessed to have come this far in my journey with the Korean language and music,” says Delhi’s Srija Paul, reflecting on the journey that has brought her to the global stage. Srija’s connection with the Korean language began as a quest to understand the lyrics of her favourite K-pop ballads. Over time, it grew into a deep, immersive passion that’s shaping her career path.

In 2024, the 20-year-old achieved a major milestone by winning the grand prize in the “Born To Be A KPOP Star” contest, held in South Korea’s Gyeongsang-do province. This isn’t the first time Srija has made her mark on the international stage. Last year, she claimed the top prize in the Sejong Hakdang Outstanding Learners’ Invitational Training Program, an annual competition for Korean language learners in Seoul. With each achievement, she feels she is getting closer to her ultimate goal – to become a popular professional singer in Korea.

Indian youth | Srija Paul | Global Indian

Srija in front of the Blue House, also known as Cheongwa Dae – the official residence of the President of South Korea

After majoring in English Literature at a college in Delhi and completing a basic Korean language course at the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) in New Delhi, she recently began an advanced practical Korean language course at the SNU Language Education Institute in Seoul. Alongside her studies, Srija works as a Korean language trainer on the language exchange platform Hilokal, where she and other trainers hold audio-based classes to help people improve their Korean. She’s also dedicated to building a musical career in South Korea.

Tryst with the Korean language

Srija’s fascination with the Korean language took root in 2017 when a friend introduced her to the world of K-pop. Intrigued by the unfamiliar sounds and rhythms, she found herself drawn to the unique artistry of the genre, especially the ballads. Her growing love for these songs, and the messages she sensed within the lyrics, motivated her to learn Korean. Initially, Srija’s goal was simple – to understand the music on a deeper level. But as she delved into the language, what started as a personal interest transformed into an unshakable passion.

In February 2023, Srija took a definitive step forward by enrolling in a formal Korean language course at the Sejong Hakdang branch of the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) in New Delhi. There, she immersed herself in rigorous language studies, embracing the nuances of Korean grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. By the time the Sejong Hakdang Invitational contest came around later that year, Srija was ready to compete with other top learners worldwide.

Srija at the Sejong Hakdang Outstanding Learners’ Invitational speech competition in 2023

Her performance in the competition was nothing short of stellar; she presented the speech titled ‘My Dreams and Challenges in Korean,’ which resonated strongly with both the audience and judges. In her speech, she shared her aspiration of becoming a singer in Korea and spoke candidly about the obstacles she had faced. This victory not only reaffirmed her dedication to the Korean language but also brought her one step closer to achieving her dream.

Winning ‘Born To Be A KPOP Star’ competition in 2024

This year’s ‘Born To Be A KPOP Star’ competition marked another significant milestone in Srija’s journey. The event, held in South Korea’s Gyeongsang-do province, featured contestants from around the world, both online and offline. She got emotional upon hearing her name announced as the grand prize winner. It was a surreal moment, a culmination of years of practice, discipline, and commitment to music. Srija attributes much of her success to her language skills, noting that singing in Korean has allowed her to connect with audiences on a deeper level. By conveying the nuances and emotions of Korean lyrics, she brings authenticity to her performances, which resonates with listeners.

Srija received the first prize in the ‘Born To Be a KPOP Star’ competition as an online participant

Platform for cultural exchange

For Srija, the Sejong Hakdang program and the Korean Cultural Centre, India have provided crucial platforms not only to learn Korean but also to experience Korean culture in its entirety. The Sejong Hakdang Outstanding Learners’ Invitational Training Program, which brought her to Seoul last year, is a collaborative effort between the Sejong Hakdang Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in South Korea. Each year, the program invites top students from Sejong Hakdang branches worldwide to compete in Korean language skills, and the event is a central part of the annual Hangeul Day celebrations on October 9. In 2023, over 2,400 applicants from 67 countries participated in the program, and Srija emerged as the grand prize winner, joining the ranks of previous winners, including Anubhuti Kakati, another Indian student who won in 2021.

“When they announced my name as the winner during the speech contest, I was filled with happiness and a sense of achievement. In that moment, I felt that I had taken one step closer to my dream,” she remarked.

Srija Paul while receiving the second prize at the Sejong Hakdang Outstanding Learners’ Invitational speech competition

The preliminary rounds took place at the Korean Cultural Centre in New Delhi, where the contestants were given a choice between two topics: ‘Korea as I and Koreans See It’ and ‘The Korean City I Want to Visit and an Introduction to My City.’ “I chose the first and was placed second. In the interview round with a panel of professors from reputable Korean universities, just 10 finalists had made it,” she shared.

The first visit to Korea

Srija’s experience in the Sejong Hakdang program was more than just a competition. It was a chance to immerse herself in Korean culture and connect with other language learners from around the world. In addition to the speech contest, the finalists engaged in a variety of activities during their 6-day, 7-night stay. These included visits to Gyeongbokgung Palace and Yongin Folk Village, a traditional game performance at Namsadang, and a tour of the Blue House. They also experienced aspects of modern Korean culture, such as K-pop dance.

The program’s focus on cross-cultural exchange and learning has had a lasting impact on Srija, reinforcing her desire to contribute to Korean-Indian cultural relations through her music.

Srija visited the Gyeongbok Palace in traditional attire (Hanbok)

“I was happy and teary-eyed when I landed in Korea; my dream had finally come true. I was mesmerized by the country’s beauty. Additionally, everything was so organized there and the roads wide and clean. My favourite activities were wearing Hanbok and visiting the aquarium at Lotte World,” shared the youngster who travelled back this year to pursue Korean language course at SNU Language Education Institute in Seoul, few months back.

Korean culture in India

The influence of Korean culture in India has grown rapidly over the past few years, with the KCCI playing a vital role in nurturing this interest. The KCCI offers a variety of classes in New Delhi, from Korean language courses to Taekwondo and Samulnori (traditional Korean percussion music). In addition to these courses, the KCCI extends its reach by partnering with 32 schools across India, offering Korean language classes and cultural programs to students.

A dream of musical fusion

Shrija dreams of sharing a stage with her idols, such as Paul Kim and Jung Seung-hwan, and creating music that speaks to both Indian and Korean audiences. For Srija, singing in Korean is more than a performance – it’s a form of expression that bridges two cultures and resonates with listeners on an emotional level.

“I want to create music that brings Korea and India closer to connect people on a deeper level, and I want to keep learning and spreading knowledge of the Korean language and culture to others,” she tells talking about her ultimate goal. To start, she has been working on collaborative projects with Korean singers.

Srija’s journey from a K-pop enthusiast in Delhi to an award-winning Korean-speaking singer-in-the-making exemplifies the power of passion and perseverance. As she moves forward, the youngster remains committed to her goal – one that transcends borders, celebrating the connections that music and culture create across continents.

For her, the Korean language has been more than just words and phrases – it has been the key that opened a door to her greatest dream.

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Published on 09, Nov 2024

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Indian mountaineer, 12-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan is working towards being the youngest to complete the explorer’s grand slam

(January 4, 2022) In early 2020, Indian girl mountaineer Kaamya Karthikeyan travelled halfway around the world to reach Mendonza in Argentina -- the base town for Mount Aconcagua. Accompanied by her father, an Indian Navy officer, the mountaineer was to obtain a special permit from the Aconcagua National Park to scale the highest mountain peak of the Andes mountains. Yet, within hours of her arrival, she was confronted by a mountain of challenges, not just the permit. As a minor, the authorities wanted a resolution from the court. "Will a 12-year-old be able to climb this mountain peak?” the court enquired, ordering a series of medical tests. Stranded for 14 days, experiencing red-tapism on foreign soil, finally luck favoured Kaamya. The judge went on leave, was replaced, and he fortuitously was a mountaineer himself! He swiftly went through Kaamya's credentials and granted her a permit. Challenges overcome, Kaamya made India proud by becoming the youngest in the world to summit Mt Aconcagua. [caption id="attachment_9220" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Kaamya Karthikeyan at the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro[/caption] The 14-year-old Indian mountaineer “Whenever I felt tired, I did not look at how much more was left. I looked back at how much I had climbed and put one step in

" height="627" /> Kaamya Karthikeyan at the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro[/caption]

The 14-year-old Indian mountaineer

“Whenever I felt tired, I did not look at how much more was left. I looked back at how much I had climbed and put one step in front of the other. I was right in front of the pack, happily chatting with the guides ,” smiles Kaamya Karthikeyan in an exclusive chat with Global Indian.

Born in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) in August 2007, Kaamya was barely three when she started accompanying her parents on trails in Lonavala, where her father Navy commander S Karthikeyan was posted. By seven, she was trekking the Himalayas. Her first expedition above 6,000 meters to Mount Stok Kangri in August 2017 made her the youngest girl in the world to have scaled a peak at those dizzy heights. “Scaling this peak three days short of my 10th birthday was special. I had been to the base in 2012 when my dad was climbing it, and had wondered when I would climb it too. There I was, after five years,” says Kaamya, now 14, and a class nine student at Navy Children’s School in Mumbai.

[caption id="attachment_9222" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Kaamya Karthekiyan with her parents at Mt Stok Kangri[/caption]

Her father had completed his mountaineering courses and was training in and around Lonavala. Both Kaamya and her mother would accompany him on easy trails, and that is where her love for the wild was cemented. Once her Navy father started leading expeditions, his daughter wondered why mountains attracted her father so much to leave the family for days on end. She asked her mother, and “she told me to find out first-hand. So I did my first Himalayan trek in Uttarakhand,” says Kaamya, whose mother Lavanya Karthikeyan heads a Kindergarten school.

She explored beautiful treks across Chandrashila, Kedarkantha, Roopkund, Brighu Lake, Har-ki-dun and Sar Pass. In May 2017, she trekked to the Everest base camp. After climbing Stok Kangri, the Indian girl mountaineer asked her father what next. He questioned whether she even realises that she had climbed a peak higher than the highest peaks in five of the seven continents!

Mission SAHAS

“That is when we got the idea of Mission SAHAS,” informs the teen. Under the umbrella of Mission SAHAS, Kaamya climbed the highest peaks of Africa (Mt Kilimanjaro), Europe (Mt Elbrus - where she set the world record for being the world’s youngest to ski descent from the peak), Australia (Mt Kosciuszko) and South America (Mt Aconcagua). “I also climbed Mt Mentok Kangri in Leh in 2019, summitting my second 6,000 metres plus peak as a practice climb prior to climbing Aconcagua,” informs Kaamya, who is an avid runner, cyclist, skier and scuba diver.

Conquering Aconcagua has brought laurels her way - The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for her remarkable feat, and she was the first to virtually interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2020. “I was elated. The PM advised me to treat this award as a stepping stone for future accomplishments and not as an achievement by itself,” says the girl whose newfound interest is debating, and has tried to get into the national debating squad, and is also the first runner-up at Mindwars -- a debating TV championship.

Training hard, and long

Training for such expeditions is tough. Kaamya would run over 10 km or cycle for 20-25 km four days a week. On other days, she would do indoor exercises or climb stairs at her 21-storeyed apartment complex in Mumbai (helped train her muscles). And on weekends, a trek on the Sahyadri mountains helped with balance training.

Gulmarg has been her winter training ground for the past six years. “In early 2021, I had the opportunity to train with the Army’s High Altitude Warfare School where I practiced techniques like walking with trekking shoes, skis and sledge pulling,” informs the hardworking girl who has also participated in the junior national skiing and snowboarding championship in Gulmarg.

In the tough terrain of Arunachal Pradesh, she also did a basic mountaineering course from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports.

The future is bright, and peaking

Kaamya’s schedule is packed in 2022-2023. “I hope to climb Mt Denali (the highest peak in North America), Mt Vinson Massif (highest in Antarctica) and ski to the South Pole. That would leave Mount Everest and a ski traverse to the North Pole for me to complete my mission and become the youngest in the world to have completed the Explorer’s Grandslam at just 15,” she pipes.

Before her expedition to Mt Elbrus, she had the opportunity to meet legendary naval mountaineer Captain MS Kohli, the leader of the first successful Indian expedition to Everest in 1965. “He told me whenever I felt tired on a mountain, I should always look back instead of looking ahead -- advice that has greatly helped me,” says Kaamya who is also learning Bharatnatyan, and is a grade 2 and grade 5 pass piano player (Trinity College of Music).

The will to succeed

“I enjoy the journey, not just the destination. I love being in nature’s lap and pushing myself. I like the competition within - it keeps me going,” says the girl whose mother was her trekking-partner early on, and now with climbs getting tougher, treks with her father. She thanks her school for being supportive too.

Mountain climbing has its own perils, and Kaamya recalls an avalanche hit her group during her recent expedition on Mt Trishul in October 2021. “Sadly, we lost a few close friends but thankfully we returned safe. It has made me more respectful of the mountains, and more determined. Mission SAHAS is my way of paying tribute to the lost souls,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_9226" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Kaamya Karthikeyan training in Gulmarg[/caption]

Not sure how she finds time for normal girly activities amidst peak hunting, she loves reading adventure/crime thrillers, the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton, and Agathe Christie. Her idea of a birthday celebration is to take her friends for a hike! “The path to the summit is not easy. But if I can do it, so can you,” smiles the mountaineer who always carries a small idol of Lord Krishna, and always bring down something special from each expedition as a souvenir.

Follow Kaamya Karthikeyan on Instagram

Reading Time: 7 min

Karthik Ramu: The Indian-American revolutionising elder care

(October 18, 2024) In 2015, Karthik Ramu's life changed in a way that few teenagers could have anticipated. His grandfather, living thousands of miles away in Coimbatore, India, suffered a near-fatal heart attack. Karthik, at the time a high school student in North Carolina, found himself helpless, with no real way of staying updated on his grandfather's health. Despite living in a world of smartphones and wearable tech, the Ramu family, like millions of others, had no reliable system in place to track the health of their elderly loved one. This sudden realisation revealed a bigger problem: how can families, separated by distance and busy with their own lives, care for elders in a connected, real-time way? This personal crisis turned into a mission for Karthik Ramu, who at the age of 16, co-founded AmityConnect, a mobile platform designed to give families real-time insights into the health of their elders, no matter the distance. For the Indian-American, this wasn’t just about solving his family’s problem; it was about addressing the universal need for better elder care—particularly in a world where the elderly population is expected to double by 2050. "Seeing my grandfather suffer and not being able to do anything

able to do anything made me realize how out of touch we were with his health," said Karthik, who is currently pursuing BA from University of Virginia.

[caption id="attachment_39908" align="aligncenter" width="355"] Karthik Ramu[/caption]

A Crisis Turns Into a Mission

His journey towards launching AmityConnect began while he was still in high school, enrolled in a STEM-focused entrepreneurship program. This gave him the technical foundation to address a problem that was deeply personal as he firsthand saw how disconnected families can be from their elders’ health. He found that the available medical alert systems were outdated and notified families only after the emergency had occurred. This prompted him to find a solution that was better than the available resources.

Together with his classmate, Kushi, Karthik launched AmityConnect in April 2019. The app pulls data from a range of smart medical devices like Fitbits, Apple Watches, and Hexoskin sensors, and presents it to families in an easy-to-understand format. Through real-time updates on vitals such as heart rate, blood pressure, and activity levels, AmityConnect allows families to monitor their elders' health, regardless of whether they live across the country or across the world.

[caption id="attachment_39909" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Karthik Ramu with co-founder Kushi[/caption]

Building a Global Solution

As Karthik delved deeper into the elder care industry, he realised how urgent the need for solutions like AmityConnect was. The elder population in the US alone faces alarming health trends: 60 percent of seniors have two or more chronic health conditions. And with families increasingly spread across different locations, staying connected to an elder’s health can be incredibly difficult. AmityConnect's vision is to change that by giving families peace of mind and the tools to take proactive action when it comes to elder care.

In the summer of 2020, Karthik Ramu and his team partnered with Fitbit to provide smart medical devices to seniors and ran a successful beta test of AmityConnect with over 70 families and assisted care centers in Northern Virginia. The results were promising, and AmityConnect's user base quickly began to grow.

By 2021, AmityConnect had already reached over 3,000 people across the US, spreading awareness through social media campaigns and local events. The platform garnered attention, and in 2020, it was selected as a winner of the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge, which recognizes young innovators making a difference in the world. Karthik and his team were named among the top 30 changemakers of the year, a distinction that put AmityConnect on the map as one of the most promising elder care innovations created by youth. Karthik was honoured as a Global Teen Leader by the We Are Family Foundation in 2021, also won the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge and was recognised as one of the top 30 changemakers.

Rooted in Heritage, Driven by Innovation

The success of AmityConnect for Karthik isn't just about technology but also about his heritage and upbringing. As a first-generation Indian-American, Karthik feels a deep connection to the values of his Tamilian roots, particularly the importance of family and caring for elders. "The concept of respecting and caring for elders is deeply ingrained in our culture, and this definitely shaped how I approached AmityConnect," explained the 21-year-old.

Growing up in a household where both parents worked in the tech industry — his father is an IT consultant, and his mother assists in their family business — Karthik was exposed to technology from a young age. Yet, he was equally influenced by his parents' roots in Coimbatore, India. The duality of his Indian heritage and his American upbringing gave him a unique perspective, allowing him to innovate with a deep sense of responsibility toward family and community.

"I'm as close to my parents' roots in Coimbatore as I am to my Indian-American culture," the Global Indian reflected. His experience of growing up with both Indian and American cultures shaped how he approaches problem-solving. It helped him combine empathy with innovative thinking, blending traditional values with modern solutions.

Growing up in one of the fastest-growing immigrant communities in the US, Karthik is the perfect example of how Indian-American teens are making an impact by combining their rich heritage with modern innovation. For decades, Indian immigrants have made their mark in fields like technology, healthcare, and business, and Karthik, too, has merged his heritage with contemporary ideas, making him a bridge between two worlds.

Larger Perspective

What began as an idea to help stay up to-date with his grandfather's health became a platform for elder care that reached out to more families in the US. However, his goal has been to scale it globally. "There's still so much more we can do to ensure that families feel connected to the health of their elders, no matter where they are," he added. For him, AmityConnect isn’t just a business but a mission to change how families care for their elders in an increasingly disconnected world.

As Karthik continues to redefine elder care, his story is not just an inspiration for Indian-American teens but for changemakers everywhere. In an era where the elder population is growing faster than ever before, Karthik’s work with AmityConnect couldn’t be more timely or necessary. His journey underscores how young people, empowered by their cultural roots and a drive for change, can solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Follow Karthik Ramu on LinkedIn
Discover more fascinating Stories

For students, by students: Teen changemaker Aryan Maggo’s mission is to help young people discover their potential

(May 10, 2022) A 250-member team and 1,50,000 students impacted from around the world, all in under two years. The teen changemaker Aryan Maggo founded Optiverse in August 2020, when he was a tenth-grade student at Laxmi Public School, Delhi. Now, at 18, he's gearing up to write his twelfth-grade exams and carve out his own path as an entrepreneur, like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, his two big inspirations. Aryan won the Young Achievers' Award 2021 and was named a Harvard Innovation Fellow that same year. In the summer of 2022, he will participate in LaunchX, touted as the world's top acceleration programme for students, founded by alumni of the Harvard Business School. "My interests? Oh, photography, theatre, reading and writing, entrepreneurship, I have my own YouTube channel and have been doing theatre for the last few years." Aryan rattles of a long list of hobbies without pause. Evidently, he likes to explore new things, from "basketball to tennis, I have tried it all." His desire for discovery is constant, even if he doesn't always excel at everything he does. It's all part of the journey of self-awareness - in Aryan's mind, understanding the self is the most important part of all.

ab="" data-ogsc="" data-ogsb="">Aryan rattles of a long list of hobbies without pause. Evidently, he likes to explore new things, from "basketball to tennis, I have tried it all." His desire for discovery is constant, even if he doesn't always excel at everything he does. It's all part of the journey of self-awareness - in Aryan's mind, understanding the self is the most important part of all. It's also why he founded Optiverse, as a means to help students from all over the world find themselves and realise their potential.

A whiteboard stands behind him and Aryan often pauses during the conversation to make a note or two, handwritten into a book on the table beside him. "People ask me how I balance school and work and everything else. I always say, there is so much time and we waste it without realising we're doing so," he says, adding, "I have a bunch of books for different things."

How it began

Aryan had just finished his 10th grade exams and, "felt there was something missing in the students around me." The pandemic had just begun and Aryan found himself cut off from his old friends. "My peers were always talking about the things that got them down - terms like depression and anxiety were part of daily use." Pointing out that Optiverse does not in any way deal with mental health or psychological therapy, Aryan explains, "There was a lot of focus on the negative things in life. And I thought, why don't I do something to help?"

He also recalls a short composition by a junior in school, was asked to write a paragraph describing himself. The boy had written his name, his favourite food, his age and his favourite sports. "I thought, this kid probably has a good idea of who he is but he never shows it nor applies that potential. There's more to life than just academics, after all," he tells Global Indian.

This is where he returns to the Socratic idea of self-awareness. Optiverse is run by students, for students and provides mentees with a six-hour course, divided equally into six sessions. They are put through a set of activities, discussions and questionnaires, acquainted with life maps and design thinking, identity building, decision making and the other parameters "necessary for character development."

Finding recognition

A group of students not yet out of high school are bound to have a hard time proving themselves - a challenge Aryan and the Optiverse team have faced many times. "A lot of our work involves making organisational pitches to potential stakeholders," says the teen changemaker. They have networked with organisations, schools, colleges and NGOs around the world. This includes Lady Gaga's The Way Foundation and a George H.W. Bush Points of Lights Awards.

Recognition comes from all over the world not just because Aryan works with students in foreign countries. Instead, the idea that is the essence of Optiverse, has merit and application that far transcends conventional borders. "Run by students, for students, we give our mentees a better perspective of their skills, strengths and talents," Aryan explains. While most of their mentees are teenagers, they do meet the occasional thirty-something too. "It's about gaining insights positively," he remarks. Optimism and positivity are their core values - baked right into the organisation's name. "We believe it's the foundation of whatever you dream of achieving," he adds.

The system itself is completely free and an advantage, Aryan says, is that the mentor and mentee are almost the same age. "Usually, you have adults counselling children and there is a sense of a gap there. With Optiverse, that is not the case - students feel safe and are willing to open up to someone their own age," he proffers. The mentor and the mentee usually do the course together, too. "The students who have benefited from us promote our work," he explains.

Collaborations are the backbone of what Optiverse does, as is training young people to put the programme forth. Trainers are brought on board by Aryan, after a month-long selection process. "They do the course themselves during that time. By the end of it, they know what question to ask and when. They know how to respond to the questions that come their way," says the entrepreneur. Through this method, the team has grown to a strength of 250, compounding the number of those who have been impacted. "We don't keep track of how many mentees we have," Aryan explains, adding, "We make note of those who were happy with the programme."

Optiverse will always be part of his life. "I see so many students starting up organisations and closing them after school or college. I don't want to do that. 30 years from now, Optiverse will remain part of my secondary life, if not my primary life," adds the teen changemaker.

What the future holds

“The biography of Steve Jobs was the first big book I read," Aryan smiles. That happened soon after his tenth grade, around the time he started Optiverse. "He is a visionary." Then there's Elon Musk, the unpredictable billionaire who dabbles in everything from space to social media - a maverick quality that Aryan no doubt admires. "Entrepreneurship is where I see myself," the teen changemaker speaks with great conviction. "I see myself being part of many startups which also work on the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

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Finding recognition

This summer, he will head off to LaunchX to build a startup from scratch. "I have a 100 percent scholarship," adds the teen changemaker. During the programme, he will begin with a business pitch and have a business that's ready to launch by the end of the month-long programme. With mentorship from experts all through.

OptiverseX is his latest endeavour, an ambitious bid to bring 50 student organisations together around the same table, fighting for all SDGs under one proverbial roof. "Lots of people and businesses focus on one or more SDGs. Here, will be working with all at the same time," he concludes.

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Reading Time: 8 mins

Samyak and Sowmay Jain: Disrupting decentralised finance through InstadApp

(September 23, 2023) Samyak and Sowmay are still on the right side of 20, but are at the helm of the fifth largest company in the decentralised finance space globally. As it is with every great success, this story begins with a big idea, and a big risk. Much to the alarm of their parents in Kota, Rajasthan, the young baadshahs of blockchain dropped out of college - Samyak was doing engineering and his older brother, Sowmay, was on his way to being a Chartered Accountant - to follow their interest in cryptocurrency and found Instadapp, which has already become a major disruptor in the global DeFi space.Their parents wished they would find 'real jobs' but the brothers weren't just goofing around - they had found their purpose and wanted to give it everything they had. In their case, the risk paid off. As of 2022, the company had raised two rounds of funding, and got the attention of top investors like Naval Ravikanth and Pantera Capital in the first round, raising $12.4 million. "The funding gave us a lot of boost, especially in convincing our parents who used to insist on us getting a real job," Sowmay, who is

g a real job," Sowmay, who is now 25 (his brother is 23) told Forbes, shortly after the brothers made it to the magazine's coveted Gamechangers list in 2022. The company has assets worth $10.6 billion circulating in smart contracts, says Forbes.

[caption id="attachment_33242" align="aligncenter" width="569"] Sowmay and Samyak Jain. Photo: Forbes[/caption]

How it began

The first turning point for the dynamic Global Indians came in August 2018. They participated - and won - the ETHIndia hackathon in Bengaluru, one of India's biggest Ethereum events. Ethereum is a decentralised, open-source blockhain system where people can write smart contracts (programs that follow rules automatically without the need for a middleman).

United by their interest in blockchain and decentralised finance, it was at this hackathon that Samyak and Sowmay Jain first created the Instadapp platform. "It started as a passion for us but we pursued it and came out on top in the hackathon," Sowmay said an in interview. "We kept on expanding Instadapp, adding new features and addressing additional difficulties in decentralised financing."

In September 2019, they went in for their first round of funding and came out shining, with big ticket names flocking to be part of Instadapp.

Defining DeFi

This story begins with Decentralised Finance, or DeFi, as it is known in tech circles. It's a gamechanger in the financial landscape, using blockchain technology to reimaine and rebuild traditional financial instruments like loans, insurance and trading. The main platform for facilitating this is the Ethereum blockchain.

Conventional finance operations work through banks, brokerages and exchanges, all of which act as middlemen to facilitate transactions, grant loans and manage assets. These are the gatekeepers and each have their own terms and conditions and methods for verifying transactions. DeFi on the other hand, has an open approach. A team of developers create a generic smart contract which will autonomously execute, allowing users to interact directly with each other and to input specific terms, like the amount to lend, the interest rate and duration, inc ase of a loan.

How does InstadApp work?

Obviously, it's a complex world. That's where InstadApp comes in - it provides a user-friendly interface to simplify interaction with these otherwise complicated DeFi protocols. So instead of users having to directly interact with the complex world of smart contracts and decentralised platforms, InstadApp works as a bridge, and makes it easier for users to tweak and use these smart contracts.

Instadapp is like an app store, but for all things crypto. It acts as a bridge between the traditional cash economy and the newer blockchain-based decentralised currencies. Basically, it helps convert transactions done with regular money into cryptocurrency, based on how individuals interact within the online space.

The concept is in big demand, indicated by the fact that InstadApp manages over $10 billion in assets. Instadapp stands out in this space by offering itself as a platform for developers to craft and refine trading tools and protocols. Developers can create interfaces on InstadApp that are tailored to the evolving needs of the market.

"Instadapp's revenue strategy will be to deduct fees on financial volumes and lending / borrowing going through the platform," Sowmay explains. That's in the future, though. Right now, it's all free. "We intend to establish our tokens / DAO and determine the fees." A DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) is a digital organization that operates based on pre-set rules encoded as computer programs, known as smart contracts, without centralized control. Operating on blockchain technology, it allows multiple participants to make decisions collaboratively. Tokens, in this context, are digital assets or units of value issued by projects or organizations on the blockchain. They can represent various utilities within a specific ecosystem, such as granting access to services, providing voting rights in a DAO, or acting as a medium of exchange.

Why it's a gamechanger

InstadApp is not the first payment gateway of its sort. However, as Samyak explains, "We cover the whole DeFi space - borrowing and lending, investments. There are lots of opportunities for frontend developers to build different apps. It can evolve further in the future and maybe replace bank accounts," he smiles.

Reading Time: 6 mins

‘Dhwani’ of interstellar knowledge, the teen changemaker takes quantum leaps

(April 30, 2022) Nothing deters Dhwani Vani. Quantum physics, blackholes or the relationship between space and time - If a subject fills her with trepidation, she dives headlong into research to grasp it, or asks her mentors. The 16-year-old Nasa and Cern citizen scientist has worked with PhD graduates at Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CRNS), France, and is the first to admit that she understood only 40 percent of the programme, yet the immense learning is what she carries into the multitudes of tasks ahead. So much so that the cute bespectacled girl has little time to sleep! Research is her go-to. The student of cosmology, ufoology, astrochemistry, archeo-astronomy and founder of One.Tree India, the global change maker’s passion shines amidst adult scientists. “To be taken seriously one has to show commitment,” and this makes her dive into seemingly complex subjects with knowledge that’s pretty admirable. Her areas of interest Earth restoration, Mars civilisation, and time travel apart, Dhwani inspires others to step up and solve problems. “I will be visiting Bangkok to represent India as a delegate at the Global Youth Parliament in June 2022 ,” says Dhwani in an interview with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_15836" align="aligncenter" width="528"]

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[caption id="attachment_15836" align="aligncenter" width="528"] Dhwani Vani[/caption]

Her brilliance belies her age. “CNRS, France was scary, challenging and demanding. But I learned a valuable lesson - asking and being open to learning. Even though I only got 40 percent of what was done in the programme, I gained mentors and friends,” says Dhwani of the July 2021 apprenticeship. Thankful that being a 16-year-old with initiative draws people to help her, she wants people to, “see beyond my age to my knowledge.”

What they did is complicated, and she explains, “We used parts of the Orion-B data to estimate the total mass of the molecular cloud compared to the dust emission. It helped us grasp the different regions and their conditions for extra galactic observations.”

A Nashik girl who reached for the stars

Having parents with a scientific mindset has been a huge plus for Dhwani. “Unquestionably, my mother is the backbone of my passion as she also fancies this domain,” says Dhwani of her mother Rupali Vani, a doctor, with a clinic that has been running for 25 years, and her father Inderjit Singh who works with her.

The girl from Nashik who signed up for a Nasa Citizen Scientist conference on a whim and became a citizen scientist says, “Through citizen science, people share and contribute to data monitoring and collection programmes. It is a powerful tool to provide students with the skills to excel in stem subjects, and to gain hands-on experience conducting real scientific projects.”

It enthused the girl scientist enough to be wide-eyed and awake at 3 am working on gathering evidence – Today, she has contributed 149 cobblestones (computations of data) (129.07 trillion floating-point operations) to LHC, and has set herself the 500 cobblestones mark by next month-end.

Sleep be damned when cutting-edge subject matter is so much more beguiling, right? “If I am truly honest, I won’t recommend anyone doing the amount of work I do. At least two days a week, I am sleep-deprived, and on a coffee-buzz,” says the teen researcher, sustainability leader, youth empowering mentor, and girl-child mentor. What’s credible is that she began these endeavours just three years ago.

Having written many articles – on space debris, death of the International Space Station, she is currently working on three research papers, one to be presented at a Cern competition, based on the concepts and understanding of particle and quantum physics.

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Infact, her research paper on habitable zones and host stars with the Society for Space Education, Research and Development, was presented at Sagan Workshop by Nasa. It’s a topic that fascinates Dhwani as she “hopes to find evidence of another planet that demonstrates signs of life,” completely transfixed with the existentialist question, “Are we alone?” “The habitable zone is the area around a star which is not too hot or cold for liquid water to exist on the surface. Host stars are stars around which a particular planet, brown dwarf, or lesser object revolves,” pipes the Nasa citizen scientist whose ever questioning nature unearths much learning.

Getting a bronze honour at the international astronomy and astrophysics competition, Dhwani was also an interstellar traveller on the Mars Mission India as well.

The activist student

There is an activist in this committed student too. As a WHO volunteer at a hearing week recently, she aided in helping 100 people get impacted. Treasurer at her school’s interact club – the group donated books, pens and shoes to an underprivileged school. Yet, it’s her work as founder of a youth-empowering organisation one.step that sees her guide peers on internships, CVs, etc.

She began One.tree.India inspired by One.tree, to spread sustainability goals – always proactive, Dhwani mailed the parent organisation on opening a separate branch for India. Soon she was on her way. She then started One.Step, “where we hope to help passionate learners get proper guidance on what they can do to shine in their field at a young age.”

Research, research, research

Dhwani began researching at 14, and got her first diploma in cosmology with 92 percent marks at 15. “I see myself as a researcher who travels the world to understand its connection to the universe,” says the teen deep thinker.

Looking at the sky, many just gaze at the twinkly beyond in wonder, Dhwani looks further. Fascinated by the moon mingled with the smell of the ocean, she has a sporty side too. “I love sports, and am also very adventurous,” says the girl who won gold medals in shotput till 10^th, did karate and is now a blue belt. Yet, that's not all. She also played three years of football, two years of basketball… and in her words “much more,” sports as well. Paucity of time has stopped all that now, but she is determined to get back. Representing her school at the international sports school organisation and the Mumbai Games powered by FIT India, she packs so much in a life that is just finding her ground. What helps? Self-development books. She feels everyone has the space to excel. “Space is a resource and we are creating issues by putting all our junk in orbit. This is leading to exponential rates of space debris that has to led to millions of dollars worth of damage,” she declares comparing the human mind, and the problem of debris in outer space.

Busy as a bee

Physics and astronomy aside, Dhwani loves cooking with family. “After seeing what I have done, the smiles I created, and the visionary youth that were empowered – it keeps me inspired to do more,” says the girl who just started her A levels at Fravashi International Academy in mathematics, physics, chemistry, general English, and IT. Her sights are now set on an astronomy degree from the University of British Columbia.

The girl who is lucky to hit the pillow and almost instantly fall asleep is teased mercilessly about that, and her internal alarm clock that makes her wake up without one! “They often say that I have installed a clock in my brain,” she giggles, already prepping for a talk on mentoring other students, and the search for life in galaxies far far away.

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Reading Time: 7 min