Riding her way to glory: Activist Jivya Lamba is a ray of hope for young girls
Written by: Team GI Youth
(January 17, 2024) Every year, India witnesses millions of girls dropping out of school due to a lack of transport facilities to educational institutions. The lack of security for these young girls has pushed several parents to keep them locked up in their houses. While several non-profit organisations and politicians have been working to rectify the situation by spreading awareness, a young 16-year-old activist decided to do something more concrete.
Jivya Lamba
Jivya Lamba, a class XII student from Haryana, was so disturbed after she visited a local village, that she spent several days thereafter searching for a solution to this grievous, yet unaddressed issue. “During the pandemic, I was a volunteer to distribute food, and sanitary products to people in the nearby village. During one such visit, I met with a few girls, who during the interaction told me that many of them had to leave the school after attaining puberty. When I asked for the reason, they said that their school was quite far away, and since the road to the institute wasn’t safe their parents thought it better to keep them at home,” the activist said.
After a few sleepless nights of researching the issue, Jivya stumbled upon the idea of installing GPS trackers on the bicycles of these girls, which can be used by their parents to know where they are at any time – a campaign she named WeCycle. It was quite a simple but effective idea, which helped reduce high school dropout rates among girls and increased their participation in studies – winning Jivya, the prestigious Diana Award, 2023.
Donning many hats
Academically brilliant, Jivya has been vocal about various causes since she was quite young. She has even represented her school internationally in various debate competitions. “Since the age of 11, debating has been a defining journey for me. Winning medals at the World Scholars Cup Global Round and Yale’s Tournament of Champions showcased my dedication and passion for debating. Beyond competitions, debating expanded my perspective. During the pandemic, I invested time in enhancing my skills and earned more medals in the 2022 World Scholars Cup. This journey was more than just a competition; it represents my continuous growth and the profound impact of words,” the activist expressed.
Jivya handing out her book to girls at a rural school
However, it was when the pandemic hit the nation, that the youngster started actively volunteering at the grassroots level. The Global Indian, along with a few friends, collected steam vaporisers, PPE kits, face masks, home testing kits, and sanitary products for free distribution in the village and other deprived areas. They also volunteered to distribute home-cooked meals to not just the needy, but also to COVID-19-positive patients and their family members. “The pandemic highlighted how desperately we needed to reach out to others and offer help. However, it became evident that even though many people recognised this need, the drive to take the initiative was lacking. So, I thought about taking a step and started working with underprivileged communities,” shared the activist, who is also a trained singer.
A true changemaker
It was during one such distribution errand that the activist came across the issue of girl safety. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Many girls, who had attained puberty, were unaware of menstrual health and various related syndromes. “Through my interaction with these girls in rural areas, it became quite clear that they had very little understanding of the changes caused by the onset of puberty and lack guidance on how to tackle it.” shared the activist, adding, “They are reserved and uncomfortable speaking about menstruation, adding to lack of confidence. Some had symptoms similar to PCOS but lacked awareness or community support.”
The young activist talking to parents at school
The activist then invested her time in creating an educational handbook, forming support groups, and actively engaging with families and community leaders to promote awareness about menstrual health. “The idea is to not just spread awareness, but also open a dialogue about these issues. My handbook is developed in the regional language, to make sure that everyone who reads it understands the concepts,” shared the activist, adding, “WeCycle is a step forward in the direction of free mobility for our young female students, athletes, and future-generation mothers. I am committed to making lives easy for these girls and my heart goes out to them.”
(January 6, 2021) Singing the Indian national anthem evokes fervour and patriotism. Some hum the British and American ones. Well, not fully, but at least some words! Yet, this Indian boy’s anthem repertoire is something that will take you aback. The 15-year-old Indian anthemologist Yathaarth Murthy is a two-time Limca Book of Records holder for singing the highest number of anthems in the world. He disarms with his eager smile as he shares how he mastered a whopping 260 national anthems – that is how many there are in the world, incidentally! That’s not all, this teen is also an avid environmentalist and was one of the 20 winners of the India 20 Under 20 organised by White Canvas, a mentoring organisation recognised by Niti Ayog. Born and raised in Bengaluru, Yathaarth’s first tryst with anthems happened when his Hindustani classical music teacher tutored him to perform anthems of four countries – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Japan -- on the keyboard. “That was back in 2014. It got me hooked. I liked the lyrics and wanted to explore more anthems. So, I began researching on YouTube and Wikipedia, and taught myself several more countries’ anthems,” the Indian anthemologist tells Global Indian. Onward on, one anthem at a time Anthem spurting became a passion for the student of Vidyashilp Academy. “It lit a spark and there was no
wp-image-9313 aligncenter" src="https://www.globalindian.com/youth//wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IMG_31791.jpg" alt="Indian Teen | Yathaarth Murthy | Global Indian Youth" width="417" height="640" />
Onward on, one anthem at a time
Anthem spurting became a passion for the student of Vidyashilp Academy. “It lit a spark and there was no turning back,” he says. Soon he was spending hours pouring over anthems of different nations. While he understood the gist of a few, he enjoyed the lyrics and tunes too.
While Yathaarth, the only child of architect parents, found the accents and pronunciation a bit difficult, he kept at it. “The first few tries were difficult. As I continued to practice, I got a hang of the pronunciations too. Before I knew it, I was able to sing more than 100 anthems,” says Yathaarth. Incidentally, the term “anthemologist” was something he coined to describe his unique feat.
[caption id="attachment_9312" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Yathaarth Murthy with Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai[/caption]
It was around this time in 2017, that he told his mother about wanting to apply to the Limca Book of Records. To his surprise, he had in fact made the record. That’s how a young Bengalurean came to hold the Limca record for singing the highest number of anthems – 112 at the time. “When I first picked up learning these various anthems, I didn’t think I’d one day become a record holder or a TEDx speaker,” says the class 10 student. Yet, he soon broke his own record when he learnt all 260 anthems, and once again set a new Limca record in 2019.
Saving the environment, one lake at a time
As a primary school student, Yathaarth used to love watching TedX videos and wanted to be on the hallowed platform himself. His dream soon came true when he was invited to deliver his first TED talk in 2018 at age 12. “My first talk was about my journey as an anthemologist,” says the youth who has so far given four TED talks, the most recent in December 2020. The topics have been varied: environment, anthems, and on pursuing one’s dreams.
After he’d set his second Limca record, Yathaarth wondered, “What next?” “How could I give back to the community and do something meaningful? It was around then that I began learning more and more about the environment and climate change. I watched Greta Thunberg’s speeches. Shortly, I began working in the environment sphere in my own small way,” he adds.
Soon, Yathaarth was holding climate strikes and working on a school project for the World Federation of UN Association which earned him more accolades in 2019. “I worked on a project with four friends. We decided to revive Manae, a 4.5 acre lake on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The city was once filled with beautiful lakes, but today most are highly polluted or encroached upon,” says the environmentalist, who launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise Rs 8.27 lakh for the lake’s revival. He worked with Anand Malligavad, also known as the Lake Man of India, to revive the lake and would often visit the lake in his free time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IVIcvIMKhU
“When we first visited the lake, we could see the barren lakebed and there was barely any flora and fauna. Today, the lake is thriving and hosts various birds like peacocks, has beautiful flora and is the water source for a neighbouring village,” beams the boy who still visits the lake sometimes. His work to revive this lake earned him a spot on White Canvas’ India 20 Under 20 list.
Making time count
Anthems and the environment apart, Yathaarth is also a basketball and music lover. As he gears up for his board exams, he has already begun planning for a future as a diplomat representing India at the United Nations. “I’ve chosen sociology, global perspective, history, and environment management, so I can apply to colleges abroad, and work towards working with the UN,” says the teen who spent the better part of the pandemic trying to conduct relief work. From distributing food to the needy through the iCare brigade to organising Housie for a Cause, and diverting funds towards Covid relief, Yathaarth has been busy doing his bit to spread cheer in otherwise dismal times.
This Women’s Day here are six young sheroes who've stepped into the limelight as they set about changing the world with their work and achievements. (March 8, 2022) They’re young, they’re fun and they’re raring to go. These young women know exactly what it takes to make a difference in a rapidly changing world and they’re channelising their talents in the right direction. From Karishma Mehta taking story telling to a whole new level, to giving performance art a new dimension, and conserving endangered languages, these women are in a league of their own. Global Indian turns the spotlight on some of these young movers and shakers as they gear up to take on the world. Shruti Rijhwani, researcher saving endangered languages The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Ph.D candidate at Carnegie Mellon University was named in the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 in science. Shruti Rijhwani researched, and has won accolades on the conservation of endangered language around the world. She pursued her BS degree in computer science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 2015. Selected as a research intern in applied science at Microsoft Research India, in 2015, Shruti developed search software for retrieval and deduplication of misspelled entries.
hruti Rijhwani researched, and has won accolades on the conservation of endangered language around the world. She pursued her BS degree in computer science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 2015. Selected as a research intern in applied science at Microsoft Research India, in 2015, Shruti developed search software for retrieval and deduplication of misspelled entries. Interning at Microsoft, and later at MIT Media Lab- Google Summer of Code, her forte in language conservation was to be her main stay.
In 2018, she was awarded a Bloomberg data science PhD Fellowship, and with that she became an expert on data science.
Shruti, who has been working on developing natural language processing technologies to help communities revitalise endangered languages, tweeted, “Incredibly honoured to be recognised on the 2022 @Forbes 30 under 30 list in science!” The Forbes moniker is just the beginning for this deeply research-oriented mind.
Her goal is to rejuvenate endangered languages. According to Unesco, about 40 percent of the world’s 7,000 languages are endangered. Rijhwani’s algorithms helped extract text from non-digitised books and handwritten documents and make them accessible online. At the Language Technologies Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, advised by Graham Neubig, she says, “My main research interest lies in natural language processing (NLP) and I have worked on various NLP tasks across a broad spectrum of domains and languages. My current research focuses on developing deep learning models for multilingual and low-resource NLP.”
An 18-year-old is just a step away from becoming the first-ever K-pop artiste from India. Meet Sriya Lenka, the singer who is among the two finalists set to grab a spot in the South Korean girl band Blackswan. The Rourkela-born dancer and yoga practitioner, beat thousands in auditions to gain the top spot. She is currently in Korea for a month-long training under DR Music company before the final showdown with Brazil’s Gabriela Strassburger Dalcin to win a spot in the girl band.
“Surreal,” is how Sriya describes her journey from Rourkela to Korea to train under the best in the music industry. DR Music recently shared photographs of the singer on Instagram and introduced her to the world as a Blackswan probable. A trained singer, Sriya initially had a tough time finding the perfect vocal trainer, but she eventually found a way. “I’d request everyone to support me and help me achieve my dreams,” the singer said.
Vrinda Chadha, 26, young Odissi dancer spreading art and culture
Vrinda Chadha has dance flowing through her entire being. The senior disciple of renowned Odissi dance exponent Guru Ranjana Gauhar, Vrinda has been training under her for the past 20 years since she was six. Vrinda, an alumna of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, also received a national scholarship for Odissi dance from the ministry of culture and is empanelled with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Doordarshan. Her mudras and expertise have taken her across the globe – Spain, Argentina, Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, United Kingdom, Madagascar, and Seychelles. Conferred with the Nalanda Nritya Nipuna Award in Mumbai, the Young Talent Award by the International Academy of Mohiniyattam in Delhi, the title of Odissi Ratna in Bhubaneswar and the Kameshwari Award in Guwahati, her talent is much talked about.
“As a dancer I have always valued the ability to express and connect with one’s innermost being through the medium of art. The liberation and joy of surrender in such an experience is unparalleled and is also what connects me not only to myself but also to those watching,” says Vrinda. As she continues to stretch artistic brilliance every time she takes to the stage, she adds, “My art empowers and frees me both on and off stage. It is my identity. Through it, I hope to spread love, peace and consciousness in the ensuing days of 2022.” This accomplished dancer also believes in giving back and works as a fellow at Teach for India.
She picked up the bass guitar when she was three years old, egged on by her jazz musician father. The youngest bass player in the country, Mohini Dey has recorded music for over 100 films and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including AR Rahman and Zakir Husain. She's a star in her own right too, with her striking appearance, marked by wild curly hair and prodigious technique, Mohini is quite unmistakable. By the age of 11, she was performing professionally and even designing her own outfits.
Described as the Most Successful Musician Under 30 by Forbes India, Mohini, now 24, has spent 16 years in the industry. It's a tough field to be in, especially as a bass player in India. More so as a woman. Dey has loved every moment of her journey, however. "I am very selective about the work I do and I have lots of fun doing it... My life has been always been adventurous and I like it that way."
Her father, Sujoy Dey, also a bass guitarist, was her first teacher. "My dad was so busy and would come home late at night. But he would wake me up, even if it was 1 am and teach me," she said. “I didn't have friends! All my friends were uncles and brothers."
Her latest offering, Damaru directed by LA-based JS Arts, was conceptualised by Suchismita, another of AR Rahman's proteges, for Maha Shivratri 2022. An up-tempo number, Damaru uses Indian vocals, hip hop and EDM and also features Grammy-award winning composer Ricky Kej as well as London-based rapper Maya Miko.
Aditi Chauhan, 29, goalkeeper of the Indian women’s football team
The goalkeeper of the Indian national team is known for her resoluteness guarding the Indian goal. Among the most talented and experienced in the final line-up, Aditi has a fervour and singlemindedness that is evident on the field. She is the first Indian woman from India’s national football women’s team to play internationally at an English premiere league club, West Ham United. She was also named Asian Footballer of the Year during her stint playing in the United Kingdom.
Chauhan moved to Delhi as a nine-year-old, and schooled at Amity International School. Always sporty, she tried her hand at many games before “the beautiful game” stole her heart. At 15, Aditi appeared on the team for the Delhi women's football team U19 squad.
The girl, who studied MSc in sports management at Loughborough University, joined English premiere league club West Ham United Ladies where she spent two to three seasons. Aditi was a part of the Indian women’s team that won the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship in Sri Lanka. She also played at the recently concluded 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
“Those that shoulder the biggest dreams, face the biggest challenges. Maybe this team’s biggest victory will be in overcoming this, and still going - still playing with heart, still dreaming! The blue tigresses will be back and roar louder than ever, we promise. Keep supporting,” she tweeted.
She was all of 21 when she decided to launch Humans of Bombay, a social media platform inspired by the Humans of New York page. Today, as her platform clocks in over 2.2 million followers on Instagram, it brings to life stories of grit, determination and the resilience of human nature. With tales of battling abuse, racism, and overcoming tragedy, her posts manage to touch hearts and inspire across age groups. Being able to get a hold of these stories was no easy feat for this University of Nottingham alum. Strangers would shy away from speaking to her, till she finally made her breakthrough. Today, the 29-year-old’s platform not just highlights stories, but also helps its subjects through crowdfunding campaigns.
From social media influencer to entrepreneur and author, her journey is nothing short of remarkable. And as she marches on, Karishma has also been featured in reputed international publications like Forbes. As she surges on in her mission to bring to life stories that matter and extend a helping hand along the way, Karishma posted on Instagram, “I was 21 when I founded Humans of Bombay and through these eight years, I’ve had what seems like multiple MBA courses simultaneously. But sluicing through the myriad of business, finance, and the whole shebang, the one invaluable skill we have honed, is the art of storytelling.”
(November 1, 2022) Born to an Indian doctor father and a Swiss artist mother, Hollywood actress Geraldine Viswanathan grew up in Australia with a deep love for horses and acting. After appearing in a Kodak television commercial when she was four years old, Geraldine began honing her acting skills. Geraldine who has also worked as a voice artist grew up deeply loving performing arts as part of her upbringing. Her mother Anja Raith who runs an acting school, attended musical theatre school in London and was an aspiring actress before getting married to her Tamil descent father Suresh Viswanathan. Geraldine’s maternal grandfather was a ballet dancer and film maker. The actress, who has been in the Hollywood Reporter’s ‘Nex Gen Talent,’ list as one of the 20 rising stars of the industry, is passionate about horses. “I came out of the womb loving horses, I don’t know what happened,” she joked in an interview with W Magazine. Groomed to be a star The 1995-born actress attended the Hunter School of Performing Arts at New Castle, Australia, enrolling in drama classes when she was in kindergarten. Although she was young, she was determined to begin preparing for what she knew would
le="font-weight: 400;">“I came out of the womb loving horses, I don’t know what happened,” she joked in an interview with W Magazine.
Groomed to be a star
The 1995-born actress attended the Hunter School of Performing Arts at New Castle, Australia, enrolling in drama classes when she was in kindergarten. Although she was young, she was determined to begin preparing for what she knew would be her future.
[caption id="attachment_23669" align="aligncenter" width="804"] Geraldine with Daniel Radcliffe[/caption]
“I remember being in this play when I was in grade five. I never got any leading roles, but I did get one little comedic bit part and I remember getting a laugh and feeling pretty cool about it,” she said in an interview with wwd.com.
When Geraldine turned 15, her family moved to Los Angeles for a few months. It became a turning point for the actress, who turned this family move into an opportunity to set a base in America, securing a manager for starting a career in Hollywood. Australia had comparatively limited options for her in acting, outside the stereotypical work.
[caption id="attachment_23672" align="aligncenter" width="839"] Geraldine with her co-star[/caption]
At the end of her family’s stay, she came back to Australia with them but continued working on her career. She would send audition tapes to her manager in America, while performing standup and sketch comedy with her group, Freudian Nip, back in Australia as she waited for her big break.
When she turned 20, Geraldine was selected for the Heath Ledger Scholarship, that gets awarded to an emerging Australian actors with extraordinary ability and dedication to their craft.
Amidst all the developments in Australia, she remained committed to her American dream and later after making big in Hollywood, told in an interview to Insider, "Here in America I didn't feel held back by my ethnicity, which was a really exciting feeling."
[caption id="attachment_23671" align="aligncenter" width="941"] Geraldine with her Miracle Workers team[/caption]
The big break
In 2016, Geraldine was cast to appear in the film, Emo the Musical in Australia where she had a very small part to play. The following year she joined the cast of ABC’s drama series Janet King in the country that she calls home - Australia.
It was in 2018 that she got her breakout role as an actor in the film Blockers in the US. She played the role of one of the teens whose parents are determined to not let them lose their virginity on the night of their high school prom, while the teens are hell bent on doing so. The film turned out to be the surprise comedy hit of the year. Geraldine’s role was acknowledged, and her dream of having a career in America finally saw the light of the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vhy589rkgU
Following this, she went on to work on two critically acclaimed movies Bad Education where she played an Indian character, and Hala in which she portrayed the role of a girl from Pakistan. Both films earned rave reviews at Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. Bad Education even managed some Emmy nominations.
Reel and real
In 2020 Geraldine starred in Selena Gomez-production, The Broken Hearts Gallery at Toronto, Canada. It was a breakthrough movie for her in many ways. She not only starred alongside a fellow Australian actor Dacre Montgomery but also like her real life she portrayed the character of a Brown girl whose mother is blonde. The reel mother even looked similar to her real mother.
Just a few years into her career, the actress enjoys a fairly large fan base and has shared the screen with established stars like Allison Janney, Hugh Jackman and Daniel Radcliffe. She has been playing recurring roles in the Australian series Janet King, and TBS comedy anthology, Miracle Workers in the US which is in its third season.
[caption id="attachment_23667" align="aligncenter" width="872"] Geraldine on the set of Miracle Workers[/caption]
She’s also possibly the first person to tell co-star Daniel Radcliffe that she hasn’t watched the Harry Potter films because she found them too scary. She was eight years old when she saw the first Harry Potter film and Geraldine was so terrified, she had to leave in the middle.
The actress, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, has subsequently given some more good performances in films like The Package, Cat Person, and The Beanie Bubble. She likes to work on projects that are ‘socially conscious’. Geraldine is always on lookout for acting opportunities that have a ‘fresh take’ on life and allow her to ‘explore different sides’ of herself.
The Viswanathans
Though Geraldine and her sister Indira have not travelled much to India, the actress is connected to the country through her Indian grandparents, who live in Australia. “My grandma is an incredible cook. She cooks biryani, and sambhar and chapati and poori – for me and my sister, that’s our favourite. South Indian food definitely feels homely to me,” she declared in an interview with Business Standard.
[caption id="attachment_23670" align="aligncenter" width="695"] Geraldine with her sister and parents[/caption]
The actress who is fondly called Yoyo by her loved ones, finds great support in her mom who always has some tips to give to her daughter in acting. Viswanathan home is never bereft of animals, they love their cats, and dogs as much as their horses.
(March 12, 2024) A few years back, when an interviewer asked Chirag Shetty what was his future goal, the Indian badminton player had replied, "Currently, my target is to become the World No.1, and I know that I and my partner (Satwiksairaj Rankireddy) can achieve that if we continue to play as well as we did in the Indonesia Open." And just yesterday, the 26-year-old joined the exclusive ranks of the only doubles pair from India to achieve the prestigious World No. 1 position in the BWF World Ranking. So, now what? "My ultimate target is to win a medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics," quipped Chirag, during the press conference. Known to be the first Indian to win a gold at the Asian games in badminton, Chirag has been working towards just one goal, for the last seven years. "A couple of years down the line when I retire, I want to have a room filled with all the big medals that badminton has to offer,' said the player, adding, "My ambition is to have a medal in all prestigious events, including the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and world tour finals." [caption id="attachment_49908" align="aligncenter" width="552"] Chirag Shetty (right)
is to have a medal in all prestigious events, including the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and world tour finals."
[caption id="attachment_49908" align="aligncenter" width="552"] Chirag Shetty (right) and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy with their former coach Tan Kim Her.[/caption]
Alongside his partner, Chirag has been making waves in the badminton scene, clinching victories at the Indonesia Open, Asia Championships, Swiss Open, Korea Open, and the most recent French Open 2024. "The key was to be steady," said Chirag talking about a difficult match he had with his Chinese opponents - Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan, adding, "They can be quite a formidable pair. They play some really attacking badminton. So you need to keep your calm. We knew that they would come all guns blazing. But we had to stick to our plan and that's what we did."
Born and raised in Mumbai in a Tulu family, Chirag was always inclined towards outdoor sports. While he always participated in various sports activities in school, a real turn came in his life when his father took him to the Uday Pawar Badminton Academy. The young badminton player first held the racket and completely fell in love with the sport. "I started playing badminton at the age of seven under Manish Hadkar. Initially, I started playing just as recreation but gradually when I started winning tournaments, my interest grew," shared the player, adding, "After completing my 10th standard I chose it as a career option. After passing my 10th standard, I had to choose between science and commerce and I opted for the latter because I wouldn’t have been able to continue playing badminton if I had taken science."
[caption id="attachment_49907" align="aligncenter" width="552"] Chirag Shetty with Prime Minister Narendra Modi[/caption]
The young player later moved to the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, where he crossed paths with his current partner, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. Although he was initially paired with Arjun MR, the team coach, Tan Kim Her, recognised the potential of uniting two tall, strong players with impressive skills to form a formidable doubles pair. "It was one of the best decisions to pair with Satwiksairaj. We are now adept at adapting to a given situation, and our responses in a crisis have been effective. Satwik is a very calm and composed guy, ensuring the pressure doesn’t build up. We complement each other pretty well with a clear strategy going into a match,” Chirag said of his partnership.
Although they have been partners since 2015, the world witnessed the true strength of this duo only in 2018, when they played a crucial role in earning India a historic gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Chirag also won the men's doubles silver with his partner. "That was an interesting year," the young player shared, "We won our first big badminton tournament, the Hyderabad Open, by beating an Indonesian pair named Akbar Bintang Cahyono and Muhammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the final." Since then, the Global Indian has won several titles, including the BWF World Tour, Thailand Open, Swiss Open, and India Open.
All set to represent India at the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, Chirag is confident that he will be able to bag a medal with his consistent performance in the last couple of years. "We have had some brilliant games, and would like to replicate the performances," said the player, adding, "Our first target will be to make the quarter-finals in whichever tournament we play and if we do reach the quarters then we will take one match at a time."
(February 16, 2024) Anurag Kamal, inspired by his early work on electric trucks at Eicher Motors and the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) revolution led by Tesla, transitioned from conventional internal combustion engines to a focus on EVs, culminating in his co-founding of ElectricFish in 2019. The Forbes 30 Under 30 is the co-founder of ElectricFish, a climate tech innovator, is redefining the EV charging experience with its software-powered, distributed energy storage solutions, utilizing 100% renewable energy to enhance local energy resilience and streamline EV charging. [caption id="attachment_35867" align="aligncenter" width="418"] Anurag Kamal[/caption] From Eicher to ElectricFish Anurag Kamal began his career at Eicher Motors, where he began working with conventional internal combustion engines. During the two years he worked there, he transitioned to electric transportation, as the company began developing its first electric truck. "At Eicher, I came to realise the important role electric vehicles play in reducing emissions," the Global Indian said in an interview. At around the same time, Tesla was being built in the U.S. It was an exciting development, one that prompted him to move to the US, where he did a master's in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University. He continued to pursue his interest in
em> said in an interview. At around the same time, Tesla was being built in the U.S. It was an exciting development, one that prompted him to move to the US, where he did a master's in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University. He continued to pursue his interest in EVs, studying inverters, motors and batteries. Eventually, he wrote his master's thesis on the mathematical modelling of aging in lithium ion cells.
After graduation, Anurag moved to Silicon Valley where he joined BMW and worked on their i4 electric optimization systems, as well as using his time to attend industry and climate conferences. "I understood there was a massive need for energy storage and EV charging infrastructure in the coming years and that integrating those two domains would make sense." In 2019, Anurag co-founded ElectricFish with Vince Wong and Nelio Batista, after he pitched the idea of an integrated energy storage and EV charging service at a hackathon in San Francisco. Anurag, Wong and Batista continued working together after that, and eventually attended an accelerator at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. There, they met their fourth co-founded, Folosade Ayoola.
What is ElectricFish?
[caption id="attachment_35868" align="aligncenter" width="489"] Anurag Kamal and the ElectricFish team[/caption]
Founded in 2019, ElectricFish is a pioneering climate technology company that focuses on revolutionizing the electric vehicle (EV) charging experience while promoting energy resilience in local communities through the use of 100% renewable energy. At the heart of ElectricFish's mission is the development of distributed energy storage systems, powered by advanced software, to address some of the critical challenges facing the electric grid and EV infrastructure today.
ElectricFish's approach involves creating a network of energy storage solutions that are distributed across various locations, rather than relying on centralized energy storage facilities. This method allows for a more efficient management of energy distribution, ensuring that power is readily available closer to where it is needed, especially in areas with high demand for EV charging or those vulnerable to power outages and grid instability. They currently use a lithium iron phosphate battery, which is slightly safer in case of a fire than the traditional lithium-ion versions.
The product
"It's a big battery," Anurag laughed, in an interview. "It can do bi-directional energy transfers from the electricity grid (stored energy) and makes decisions about when to store and when to feed energy." It also comes with an extreme fast charging port with a 200mAH range. "You charge your car from seven to 10 minutes and it can go another 150-200 miles," he explains. In comparison, there are over 1,70,000 publicly available EV charging ports in the US, which are a mix of both regular (Level 2) and fast charging (DC Fast Charging) stations. Level 2 charging stations, which are the most common, provide around 20 to 30 miles of range per hour of charging.
ElectricFish's 350², which is a plug-and-play energy storage system, works with all vehicle architectures from 300 to 950 VDC. Their software-backed smart chargers can store cheap, clean power supply from the grid and shift this power through the day when required.
Normally, an EV is plugged for around eight hours in a parking spot. Tesla is the only other company that provides extreme fast charging and this is mainly compatible with its own vehicle architecture and works with 400-600 volt batteries, Anurag explains. Only Tesla vehicles, as well as other EVs like the Hummer, which have such large architectures, can use these charging stations. 350² is also designed to power community loads through its bi-directional electricity meter and an ultrafast CCS port.
Not only do ElectricFish batteries offer extreme fast charging for non-Tesla cars, they also don't deplete energy from the grid. Instead, the batteries can learn how to draw energy when demand is low and store it for later use. "It's green and available to charge cars very quickly," Anurag says. They work with convenience stores, municipal depots and car dealerships as well. "The idea is to slowly grow the business and have enough critical mass of stored energy."
Who are their customers?
ElectricFish currently has three customer segments: convenience stores/ gas stations, fleet operators and utilities. "Car dealerships are also becoming a key segment," Anurag adds. Convenience stores that are usually located with gasoline pumps were the first target group. "Our fast EV chargers provide a gasoline-like experience for customers, where they can get their EV charged, grab something to eat and continue their journey." Getting up to 200 miles of range in 10 minutes is very handy, especially on long-haul trips. Fleet operators are also looking to electrify their vehicles and need a quickly deployable charging solution. "Electric utilities are also interested in our product as either adding energy storage at substations or providing EV charging services for their customers. We are part of several electric utilities' innovation programs across the US," he explains.