Janaki Easwar: The Indian diaspora connect at the T20 World Cup
Written by: Darshana Ramdev
(November 16, 2022) Wearing a pink dress, a tikka glittering on her forehead, surrounded by Bharatnatyam dancers and backed by Australian rock band Icehouse, 13-year-old Janaki Easwar won a million hearts at the closing ceremony of the T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Stadium.
As cricket-crazy Indians mourned the team’s loss to England in the semi-finals, India made its presence felt, through the Indian-Australian teen sensation with the strikingly deep voice. Titled “We Can Get Together,” Janaki’s multicultural performance was a nod to India’s growing soft power. “I believe the way I represented my culture on national television also helped as the performance at the World Cup final is going to be a great representation of multicultural Australia,” the Global Indiantold the Indian Expressbefore her performance.
The performance at Melbourne Stadium isn’t Janaki’s first brush with the spotlight. Back in 2021, at the age of 12, Janaki Easwar, paying tribute to Kerala as she wore a kasava mundu, floored the four celebrity judges on The Voice, with her cover of Billie Eilish’s Lovely. “My mum loves to try fusion attire on me,” she told The Week. “My mum came up with the idea of blending (a) kasavu shawl with a black top and a skirt made from set-mundu,” she told The Week.
The song brought in over five million views on YouTube. The judges, who gave her a four-chair turn, asked her to sing ‘something Indian’, too. Janaki obliged quite sportingly with a piece of Carnatic music. The Indian singer is the youngest contestant in the show’s history and made it to the top 20.
Staying tied to her roots through Carnatic music
Janaki Easwar
Born in 2009, Janaki has been performing on stage since she was eight years old. The Melbourne-based teen started early, with violin lessons when she was five. Her parents noticed that she had talent when they heard her singing around the house, and, in order to help her connect with her Indian roots, sent her for Carnatic music lessons. She is deeply tied now to her native culture and is fluent in Malayalam, which her parents made sure she learned as a child. Both her parents are from Kozhikode and moved to Australia some 15 years ago. Her father, Shobha Sekhar, is also a trained Carnatic musician, and his daughter’s first teacher.
At the age of eight, she discovered an interest in western music and began training under David Jaanz, at the Jaanz International Music Academy one year later. She continues to learn Carnatic music as well, at the Kalakruthi School of Music in Melbourne.
In April 2020, when Australia began a four-month lockdown, Janaki tried her hand at more serious songwriting. At the time, she was also releasing covers of popular songs, like Enaadi Mayavi, which garnered quite a bit of attention among Indian audiences back home. For the next year and a half, she wrote songs, composed with her guitar and recorded demos, using her phone and her home studio. It resulted in her debut single, Clown, which she released in July 2021, followed by Bittersweet.
It’s fairly easy to forget that Janaki Easwar is only 13 years old, as she strives to make it in a competitive and often cut-throat industry. Her voice and demeanor carry a gravity that is far beyond her years. When she’s at home, though, Janaki makes time to simply be a kid. Like other teens, she hangs out with her friends and spends time trying on makeup. She’s also interested in fashion and in dance, which she learns as a form of exercise.
(May 12, 2022) In April 2021, Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, both 19-year-old Stanford dropouts, founded Zepto, a 10-minute grocery delivery startup. Nine months later, it's a hair's breadth away from being a unicorn, reaching a valuation of $900 million in May 2022. The Q-Commerce company bagged $200 million in a Series D funding round led by Y Combinator, with Kaiser Permanente joining in to back the company as well. All the existing investors - Nexus Venture Partners, Glade Brook Capital and Lachy Groom have increased their investments. Less than a year since it began operations, Zepto delivers 3,500 products in 11 cities in under 10 minutes. The company is looking at major expansion plans - to a dozen more cities in India. According to a company statement, Zepto will use the fresh capital to expand to more cities in India. Aggressive hiring is also on the cards, with the firm planning to bring 1000 employees on board in the next few months, across all functions. Funding has flowed in during their first year of operations. Last year, Zepto raised $100 million from Y Combinator's Continuity Fund, sending its valuation to $570 millions. it raised $60 million in the seed
"We posted 800 percent Q-o-Q revenue growth, while burn has come down 5X on a per-order basis," Aadit Palicha, co-founder and CEO, Zepto, told CNBC TV18. The team, he said, has also "maintained a phenomenal 88-Point NPS (Net Promoter Score) and 60 percent Month-1 Buyer Retention at scale. This unbelievable execution over the past few months has made it clear to investors that Zepto will be one of the winners in Indian Q-Commerce."
Zepto isn't Palicha and Vohra's first entry into the startup fray. The company was earlier known as KiranaKart and marked the teens' debut as entrepreneurs. When the company didn't take off in what was a fledgling Q Commerce market at the time, both teens enrolled in Stanford University to study computer science. They dropped out, however, to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.
It was the 10-minute delivery that sent their NPS shooting up. "Simply put, customers love a rapid delivery experience," Vohra had said, in a statement. Ever since, their NPS has remained strong at around 85. It has put them in competition with giants like Swiggy, Dunzo, BigBasket and Grofers, all of which have stakes in the quick-commerce market. The Zepto app has over 100,000 downloads on the Play Store.
The $200 million raised from the Series D funding will go in part towards setting up more micro warehouses and dark stores. It is also the culmination of a period of rapid growth - 200 percent every month. The company is also looking into services that will bring coffee, tea and other products from local cafes - it's a niche segment, one that doesn't quite fit in with the food delivery sector.
Right place, right time
If KiranaKart, their debut venture, didn't attain the same resounding success, it was perhaps for arriving before its time. The pandemic transformed the quick commerce landscape. Demand for home delivery of groceries and essentials multiplied during the lockdown. Palicha and Vohra, also confined to their homes, decided the time was right for Zepto. They were right. The idea found instant merit among investors and the company raised $60 million in a round led by Nexus, Lacy Groom, Y Combinator and Glade Brook in November 2021. There's no better time to be in quick commerce in India.
Consulting firm RedSeer estimates that the Indian Q-Commerce market will grow up to 15 times, with a valuation of $5 billion by 2025. It currently stands at $300 million. Unlike e-commerce, which involves the online purchase or sale of a good or service that can take a few days to deliver, quick commerce aims to deliver within 10-30 minutes or ordering. Also called 'on-demand delivery', it tends to focus on the micro to smaller quantities of goods - over the counter medicines, for instance.
How does it work?
Last month, Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, made it clear that he is not impressed with 10-minute delivery services. It's not the first time the matter has been debated on Twitter - in March 2022, Zomato rolled out a 10-minute express food delivery plan. It had Twitterati fuming and CEO Deepinder Goyal hurried to the platform to tweet his clarifications. While food delivery and groceries aren't comparable, the stance seemed to be inclined towards worrying for the road safety of the delivery executives.
However, when Mahindra rehashed the old debate, Aditya Palicha arrived to defend the 10-minute delivery move. Ten-minute delivery is about short distances, not high speeds, he tweeted to Mahindra. "The average distance of a Zepto deliver is 1.8 km. To travel 1.8 im in 10 minutes, one has to drive at <15kmph."
Hi Mr. Mahindra,
10-min delivery is about short distances, not fast speeds :)
The avg distance of a Zepto delivery is 1.8 km. To travel 1.8 km in 10 minutes, one has to drive at <15 kmph.
That’s why Zepto has 3.1x lower accidents on avg compared to a regular biker on the road.
The quick delivery is facilitated by the fact that the sellers are moving away from traditional warehouses located on the outskirts to micro-warehouses that are all over the city. The catch? Stocks are limited and usually restricted to around 2000 high-demand items.
(October 13, 2022) Every evening when he was a child, when it was time to leave his beloved golf course for the day, Sahith Theegala would burst into tears, begging begging to stay a little longer. He went on to win the Junior World Championships at the age of six. Now in his senior year at Pepperdine University, the Indian-origin golfer is already a star, winning four collegiate titles and the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January 2020. In that year, he also won the Haskins Award, the Ben Hogan Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award. He is the fifth player ever to win all the Player of the Year honours. In the American golf scene, dominated by whites, Sahith Theegala stands out, also because Indian-American sports stars don't come around too often. Theegala is an inspiration for more reasons than being a prodigy. The 24-year-old suffers from scoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature of the spine - one shoulder is visibly higher than the other. He works with his chiropractor and although it doesn't cause him pain, it does account for a "pretty big bend to the right," and an unorthodox swing. Despite this significant setback, the Global
right," and an unorthodox swing. Despite this significant setback, the Global Indian went on to become one of the best golfers at Pepperdine University and is loved for his infectious enthusiasm, both on and off the greens.
Born and raised in LA, the son of Karuna and Muralidhar Theegala, Sahith maintains a strong connection to his Indian roots. He lives at home with his parents, for one. In February 2022, when he lost out to Scottie Scheffler at the very last moment, he won more fans than he could have hoped when, according to Golf Digest, he teared up and sobbed on his mother's shoulder, as his dad stood by saying, "It's okay." Sahith's father, Muralidhar, moved to the US from Hyderabad in 1987, to attend graduate school and the family still goes back to India as often as they can.
The Indian-American golfer's childhood was spent on municipal golf courses, which charge a modest $30 for a round. The courses aren't well-maintained but it was all his middle-class family could afford - and they were keen to nurture their son's talent. "My dad, even though he never plays golf, he's the one that taught me the game pretty much," he told PGATOUR.com.
"We weren't in the greatest financial situation when I was a kid and we had no experience with sports at all, so my father spearheaded the whole mission to college and professional golf... He put everything that he could into me." Despite their financial constraints, Theegala's parents spent their savings on buying him equipment, paying course fees, for a trainer, travel costs and the litany of expenses that came with his passion.
Determined not to let his scoliosis stand in his way, Theegala would spend days out on dusty golf courses, adapting "his putting stroke by tilting his head to the right so he could see the appropriate line from the gall to hole," according to the New York Times.
In 2015, Theegala graduated with honours from high school in California and had won a number of golf awards by that time. "I'd say I was a pretty good golfer," he said, in the interview with PGATOUR.com. He made it to Pepperdine University in California, which is ranked in the top 10 in men's golf among US universitites. "At Pepperdine, I went from average to slightly good to what I felt like was ready to be a decent professional golfer."
An emotional @SRTheegala is consoled by mom and dad after coming up 1 shot short of a playoff @WMPhoenixOpen.
His winning streak in 2019 came to an abrupt pause after a wrist injury. He bounced back, though, making his professional debut in June 2020, somewhat unconventionally. Theegala might not have imagined starting out with the Outlaw Tour but gave a stellar performance nonetheless. The pandemic dealt a heavy blow, when the Pepperdine campus closed and Theegala had to return home. Although that season ended prematurely, Sahith's team ranked first in the country.
His family is always in the stands as he plays, cheering him on. And his fan base is always growing. "I'm an introvert by nature," he told NYT. "You hear about the best performers in the world - singers and dancers - who are really big introverts. But it's different when you get on the stage. When I'm in the act of playing golf, I don't even think about people watching."
Theegala is, however, always aware of being an Indian American, of the fact that it means he is viewed differently by default. He's also playing a sport that has never really welcomed non-white players. "I'm definitely proud of my Indian heritage and I hope I'm inspiring other Indian Americans and people in India to know they can compete in sports," he says. "It's obviously not the main purpose of being out there but it's an ancillary effect of what we're doing and I'm all for it."
(June 12, 2024) “As a kid, it was all about curiosity for me,” Rupal Jain says. This curiosity led her on a journey from Bhilai to Singapore and then to the US, where she made her mark in the semiconductor and microchip manufacturing industry as a young engineer, innovator, and author. In her short career, Rupal has worked with American IT corporations, AMD and Micron, published three books and earned five patents for her innovative product ideas. Her accomplishments have earned her early recognition within her industry. Recently, she received the Asia Leadership Award at an event in Mumbai. “Technology should enhance the quality of life for people and demonstrate practical and humanitarian impact," she believes. [caption id="attachment_38204" align="aligncenter" width="467"] Rupal Jain[/caption] Talking about semiconductors (basic materials needed to make microchips and integrated circuits) around which her career and achievements revolve, Rupal tells Global Indian, “Semiconductors play a critical role in artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Advanced processing microchips are the backbone of AI systems, enabling complex computations and data analysis at unprecedented speeds. These microchips are vital for AI-driven technologies used in various fields, from simple gadgets like smart home devices to sophisticated applications in
span style="font-weight: 400;">Global Indian, “Semiconductors play a critical role in artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Advanced processing microchips are the backbone of AI systems, enabling complex computations and data analysis at unprecedented speeds. These microchips are vital for AI-driven technologies used in various fields, from simple gadgets like smart home devices to sophisticated applications in aviation and military systems.”
Using technology to address real world challenges
Rupal believes that her patents for innovative products across interdisciplinary fields such as microchip manufacturing, AI, and IoT are significant as they contribute to advancements in electronics, agriculture, and medical devices.
“All my patents collectively contribute to improving both the technological landscape and the quality of life,” says the innovator, who is actively seeking partnerships with organisations to take these innovations forward. “While these processes are typically time-consuming, I am hopeful that I will be able to bring these technologies into real services soon,” she adds.
One of her standout patents focuses on an intelligent sleep system designed to alleviate conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic neck pain, spine issues, and back pain. Her solution integrates sensors and adaptive materials to provide personalised support and comfort, significantly improving the quality of life for individuals suffering from these chronic conditions.
Another patent involves an AI-IoT design to prevent defects in semiconductor manufacturing. "This innovation is particularly relevant given the governments' worldwide focus on semiconductor missions, whether in India, the USA, or the UK,” Rupal highlights.
[caption id="attachment_38206" align="aligncenter" width="861"] Rupal Jain at Asian Leadership Awards ceremony at Mumbai[/caption]
Whether it was working independently or in collaborative teams for her five patents, the engineer and author worked on the guiding principle of using technology to address real-world challenges.
Sharing knowledge as a mentor
After graduating from Bhilai Institute of Technology and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Rupal’s career as an engineer led her to work at organisations like AMD and Micron in both Singapore and the USA. She has worked on projects encompassing the regions of the USA, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, and India.
Based in Greater New York, Rupal shares her knowledge as a member of many professional organisations in her field, such as the International Society for Service Innovation Professionals (ISSIP), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Educational Society (IEEE EDSOC), and Sigma Xi, an international scientific research honour society of science and engineering. “I have always been enthusiastic about roles that allow me to contribute to the growth and dissemination of knowledge in my area of interest to inspire and support young innovators globally,” she says.
As an Ambassador for ISSIP and a Lead in IEEE Young Professionals Education Society, as well as in other roles with Sigma Xi and the IEEE Technical Committee on immersive learning, her responsibilities involve promoting service innovation and strengthening collaboration among professionals from various industries and academic disciplines. “I work to bridge the gap between technology and its practical applications, ensuring that innovations positively impact businesses and society. This includes organising conferences, workshops, and seminars to disseminate the latest research and technological developments,” she tells.
[caption id="attachment_38207" align="aligncenter" width="566"]Hybrid IEEE event conducted by Rupal Jain for UICT Nakawa, Uganda[/caption]
Recently Rupal had the opportunity to be a guest mentor and speaker at a hybrid IEEE event at UICT Nakawa in Uganda. “This event, initiated under the IEEE YP and IEEE Mentoring-Meet program, was an enjoyable experience where I interacted with a large group of professionals about strategies in goal setting in the semiconductor industry. There was a lot of interest and many questions regarding advancing Uganda's growth in the microchip industry,” she shares.
Rupal has also had engaging experiences as speaker and mentor at other events, such as the Nile University and the IEEE Meet in Nigeria, where she addressed topics related to microchip excellence, quality management using AI-IoT, and more.
Exploring technology as an author
With a knack for multitasking, Rupal is also a prolific author whose works aim to empower professionals in her field with practical knowledge and innovative insights. Rupal’s book ‘Mastering Project Management: PMP and Agile for Leaders’, published by BEP, USA, addresses aspiring and current project managers. It imparts transferable skills applicable across industries such as semiconductor, engineering, IT, and construction in a global context, covering critical topics like Agile, CSM, and leadership development.
Her second book, ‘Advancements in AI and IoT for Chip Manufacturing and Defect Prevention’, published by River Publishers, Denmark, addresses the dynamic landscape of semiconductor fabrication and chip manufacturing. It explores the significance of defect prevention and the transformative potential of AI and IoT technologies in optimising manufacturing processes. “It's tailored for semiconductor professionals, interdisciplinary researchers in chip development, and electrical, electronics, and AI-ML professionals seeking knowledge and industry practices for IC (chip) manufacturing fabrication processes,” she explains.
Her third book, ‘Semiconductor Essentials: A Leader's Express Reference to Electronics Concepts’, serves as a comprehensive reference. “It condenses essential topics and equations crucial for device concepts, semiconductor development, and design into accessible formats,” she mentions. “This book is particularly useful for quick access to support research and innovation across various fields such as electronics, applied physics, photonics, and material science.”
Looking ahead
The engineer, innovator and writer aspires to further drive innovation and excellence within the microchip manufacturing and electronics industry. She aims to lead initiatives that push technological boundaries while cultivating a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Her goal is to mentor the next generation of leaders, ensuring a sustainable and forward-thinking future for the field. “The microchip and semiconductor industry has a great impact on society as it powers the technology that underpins modern life,” she remarks.
She is consistently attuned to these aspects, motivating herself to make contributions in the ever-changing technological landscape. Reading books on technology, leadership, and personal development is one of her favourite pastimes. Rupal also loves exploring new places, spending time with family and friends, and staying active.
(September 2, 2023) The United States discards more food than any other country in the world. Every year in United States, approximately 31% (133 billion pounds) of the overall food supply is wasted by consumers and retailers, as per the estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS). The wasted food is either dumped in landfills or burned in trash incinerators. This leads to 18% of the US' total methane emissions that come from landfills, resulting in global warming and impacting food security and resource conservation. To address this problem in her community, Maryland based Shrusti Amula, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School, founded the NGO, Rise N Shine Foundation. The youth-led initiative aims to tackle the effects of food waste through composting and food recovery programmes, and in the process – avert climate change. [caption id="attachment_32863" align="aligncenter" width="749"] Shrusti Amula[/caption] So far, Shrusti has diverted close to 1,00,000 pounds of food waste from incinerators, converting it into compost instead. Her non-profit also runs food recovery programmes to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme has been adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system and will be running in all 209
So far, Shrusti has diverted close to 1,00,000 pounds of food waste from incinerators, converting it into compost instead. Her non-profit also runs food recovery programmes to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme has been adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system and will be running in all 209 schools by June 2024. In the past year, the non-profit has donated approximately 150,000 meals to the food insecure community.
Shrusti has received many awards and recognition, the most recent being named a ‘Woman of Worth 2023’ by L’Oreal Paris.“It is difficult managing school, Rise N Shine’s initiatives, and my other extracurricular activities. The main reason I am able to manage the non-profit is because I am passionate about the work we are doing,” Shrusti tells Global Indian.
L’Oreal’s Woman of Worth
Each year, L’Oreal Paris launches a nationwide search for ten extraordinary non-profit leaders to be named ‘Women of Worth’ honourees. Each honouree not only receives $25,000 to support their charitable cause, but are also provided mentorship from the L'Oréal Paris network and a national platform to tell their stories.
Shrusti is the youngest of the ten honourees of 2023. “With this honour I hope to expand the reach of our programmes and inspire youth nationwide that they too can create change in their communities,” she says.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kuJ6CRYVQI
Making impact
Through Rise N Shine, Shrusti has been meeting many goals - cultivating green habits in students, creating leadership opportunities for them by making them their schools’ volunteers, and helping them become climate change makers of tomorrow.
Her composting programme currently runs in nine schools while three more are in pipeline. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme is now running in 40 Maryland schools, apart from offices, restaurants, grocery stores and bakeries. It will expand to all 209 schools of the county by the end of 2024.
It started when…
“In 2018, I stumbled upon on the acute problem of food waste and its impact on climate,” Shrusti shares. She extensively researched its impact in her community and found out that it was being overlooked to a great extent.
The youngster presented this problem and the possible solutions at the eCybermission competition - a STEM Competition, backed by the US Army. One of her proposed solutions was to start food waste collection programmes and divert the wasted food to compost facilities.
The teenager was delighted to find herself as one of the top five winners of the competition, and started her pilot project at Clarksburg Elementary School in her community. The school principal and the administrative staff of the school were very supportive of Shrusti’s idea.
In this programme she was able to haul the leftover food from the students’ lunch boxes to make compost, thus diverting the school’s food waste from incinerators and landfills and giving back to the environment through compost. “I learned that it is easy to educate young minds on the harmful effects of food waste and spearhead the behavioural adaption to proper disposal of food waste,” she says.
This learning served as an impetus for further work in the arena. Since then she has partnered with close to a dozen local schools and multiple organisations to make this solution a big success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1W2eVaAHfo
From composting to food recovery
After tasting success with her composting programme, Shrusti expanded her initiative towards food recovery in schools and businesses, looking at the amount of uneaten food wasted and the burgeoning problem of food insecurity after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the success of her pilot initiative, and the potential of her programme to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged, it got adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system, and would be rolled out to all the 209 schools of the county by 2024. Rise N Shine Foundation also partners with companies to redistribute food that would otherwise be wasted to homeless shelters and food banks. In the past year, the non-profit has donated approximately 150,000 meals to the food insecure community.
How does it work?
“Unused food in Montgomery County accounts for nearly 124,000 tons of our solid waste, Our wasted food contributes to greenhouse gas pollution and wastes the land, water, energy and human effort that was used to produce the food” shares Shrusti.
Rise N Shine Foundation collects food from local businesses that would have been otherwise thrown away and provide it to homeless shelters, food pantries and under-served communities, where people are experiencing hunger. “We are playing our part and contributing towards Montgomery County's recycling goals for reducing food waste,” she remarks.
[caption id="attachment_32870" align="aligncenter" width="786"] One of Rise N Shine's food donation events[/caption]
Although it’s a youth-led non-profit organisation to promote and motivate kids to do their bit for the environment, Shrusti works with people of all ages and backgrounds.
The non-profit has expanded to a wide array of service campaigns that support causes ranging from hunger and social justice to quality education, civil rights, and youth activism.
Shrusti Amula has participated and contributed to various legislative bills at the school and county level. Outside of school and community activities, she is a trained Indian classical dancer, USA national women's cricket player, mentor, and a debater. She is also a bronze and silver awardee of Girl Scout.
Rise N Shine’s awards and recognitions:
Recipient of 2022 Climate & Energy Leadership Award given by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Recipient of Citation from The Maryland General Assembly
Recipient of Proclamation from The County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland
Shrusti’s recent awards and recognitions
‘Women of Worth’ honouree by L’Oreal Paris
Riley's Call for Kindness Award - Grant and Fellowship Winner (2023)
EPA President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) Winner (2023)
Governor's Youth Service Award (2023)
Women Making History Award (2023) by Montgomery County Commission for Women and Montgomery women
Points of Light Award Honoree (2023)
The President's Volunteer Service Award (Gold) (2022)
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Climate and Energy Leadership Awards (2022)
(June 10, 2022) As a 15-year-old visiting India from Saudi Arabia, Zain Samdani had no idea that this family vacation was set to change the course of his life. A meeting with his partially paralysed distant maternal uncle left him "shocked." In the era of technology, seeing his uncle dependent on others for every small thing was nothing short of a horror. That encounter nudged this robotics enthusiast and innovator to develop Neuro-ExoHeal, an exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilises neuroplasticity and Azure technology to help patients with neurological damage recover faster at an affordable price. The innovation not only left Google CEO Sundar Pichai impressed but also made the 21-year-old win Microsoft 2022 Imagine Cup World Championship, which is considered as the 'Olympics of Technology' with more than 10,000 participants from 160 countries. "Having been interested in robotics from a very young age, I started working with prosthetic designs in 2013. But I realised that cosmetic prosthetic hand could cost between ₹1-₹2 lakh while a robotic prosthetic hand was available anywhere between ₹40-₹50 lakh. I knew that affordability was the key. But the meeting with my uncle only strengthened my passion to find an affordable solution," Zain tells Global Indian.
The Hyderabad-born moved to Saudi Arabia at a very young age with his project manager father and homemaker mother. When he noticed that his mom was always busy with household chores and raising kids, the then five-year-old Zain promised to make her a robot that would ease her burden. "It was that early that my love for robotics began," laughs Zain who is currently in India after wrapping up his first-year exams at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany.
For the Ashoka Young Changemaker 2021, it all started with that one idea and later progressed into in-depth research on the subject. However, things started to move when he began programming at age 12 and within a year, was into prosthetic designs. "For me it's a two-step process. I visualise the product in my head first, and then make it with a cardboard. Back then 3D printing was booming but was also expensive. To cut the cost, I reached out to Make India, a 3D printing company in Saudi Arabia who sent the code free of cost after hearing about the purpose behind it," says the innovator whose biggest takeaway from the incident was "to never stop asking."
How passion turned into a mission
The passion turned into a mission after the chance encounter with his paralysed uncle which led him to create ExoHeal. "It was upsetting to see that despite technological advancement in the world, nothing was done to help him move around." This nudged Zain to build a device based on the concept of neuroplasticity. Divided into a sensory glove for the functional hand and an exoskeletal robotic hand for the paralysed hand, the first prototype came into existence post extensive research and innumerable meetings with neuroscientists and physiotherapists.
During his research, the Global Teen Leader 2019 found that "the patients were frustrated with the system and had given up hope." This made Zain even more determined to give them a "sense of independence" and do things on their own, and led to the creation of Neuro-ExoHeal which helps a paralysed hand replicate a movement made by the functional hand. "The mirroring allows the neuron to trick the brain into believing that the paralysed hand is working perfectly, thus forming new neural connections."
The earliest prototype made him one of the 16 global finalists at the Google Science Fair in 2016, and later the advanced version recreated the magic in 2019. "My uncle could feel the sensation on the very first day of using Neuro-ExoHeal. It’s something that otherwise takes weeks or months to achieve," Zain beams with pride as his creation is on its way to a proper clinical trial in the next few months. "Pandemic in 2020 pushed the plans but now we are back on track," says the innovator who is happy with the initial response from many patients. "Seeing it work, many have been enquiring as to when it will be launched in the market."
Looking for a silver lining, always
Zain, who began as innovator and later moved to entrepreneurship, calls the journey transformative. "It essentially enabled me to look outward – to see what was going around me and make the right connection," reveals Zain who wants to make a two-fold impact. "I want to enable paralysed patients to regain independence and also want to work in the space of mental health."
The entrepreneur feels that overachievers like him are often under pressure to outdo themselves, and this takes a toll on mental health. It hit him hard in 2018 when was diagnosed with intermittent exotropia, a rare medical condition that doubles your vision every two or three hours. "It happened right before my boards and my studies were affected. My brain would shut down every few minutes due to constant doubling of my vision." Not one to give up, amidst the chaos, Zain decided to find the silver lining. "It gave me time to think about myself and that's when my raw artistic expression came out. I have been a painter but this break gave me time to explore my passions beyond innovation," says the innovator who recovered completely within two years with the help of rehabilitation. A poet and a painter, Zain loves unwinding with board games. For him, life is about knowing yourself but most importantly, making a positive impact that can change people’s lives.
Rupal Jain at Asian Leadership Awards ceremony at Mumbai[/caption]
Rupal Jain[/caption]
Rupal Jain[/caption]
One of Rise N Shine's food donation events[/caption]
Shrusti Amula[/caption]
Zain Samdani[/caption]