(June 4, 2022) Remember when Psy’s foot-tapping number Gangnam Style opened up the doors to K-pop across the world? India, too, wasn’t far behind in lapping up the craze, which soon snowballed into the Korean wave. Now a decade later, a teenager from Odhisa has scripted history by becoming the first-ever K-pop star from India. Meet Shreya Lenka, the 18-year-old who has grabbed a spot in the Korean girl band Blackswan, and will soon brush shoulders with band members Youngheun, Fatou, Judy, and Leia. The Rourkela-born dancer and yoga practitioner beat thousands in auditions and trained for six months under DR Music to gain the top spot. Global Indian turns the spotlight on this Indian artist who is set to become a global icon.
Her journey with arts began in Rourkela when she started training in Odissi at an early age. However, financial constraints put a sudden halt to her plans after a year-and-a-half of grounding. But that didn’t deter her love for dance, instead, it pushed her to diversify into freestyle, hip-hop, and contemporary under the tutelage of renowned choreographer Madan Mohan Purthy.
Shreya Lenka is now a part of Blackswan
It was the boy band EXO that opened up the world of K-pop to Shreya, who instantly fell in love with Korean music, and soon found herself ‘fangirling’ for K-pop bands like BTS, Stray Kids, and The Boyz. This love for K-pop nudged her to apply for auditions online after one team member of Blackswan quit the band in 2020. Having chanced upon her golden ticket to the K-pop world, Shreya started preparing for the big opportunity. From practicing dance on her roof to starting a YouTube channel to learning Korean, the teenager did everything to get into the skin of a K-pop star. “I fell in love with K-pop when a friend showed Exo’s Growl to me. It was so unique that I started copying their moves. Then, I researched and came to know about PSY, Rania, BTS, Blackpink, and I dreamed of performing like them,” the Indian artist, who goes by the stage name Sriya, said in an interview.
But getting her first K-pop audition right was a mammoth task, especially with the world under lockdown. With no studios available to shoot her audition video, she knocked on the door of a yoga studio owner who agreed at the behest of Shreya’s aunt, who teaches yoga. “Qualifying in the first round of DR Music’s audition was an achievement as I was the only one from India to be selected from more than 4000 applicants around the world,” said the pop star who sent a dance and song video for the first round, and a dancer cover of Blackswan’s Tonight for the second round.
Shreya Lenka joins K-pop band Blackswan
While dance is her strength, the Indian artist had to work on her vocals. But she often found it hard to find a coach owing to her deep voice. That’s when her grandmom chipped in and found a Hindustani classical music teacher for her. She trained with him once a week and watched online tutorial videos to expand her vocal range. This fool proof preparation helped earn her a spot in Blackswan, something that she calls nothing short of a “dream.” “Being from a small town with fewer resources, facing difficulties is a part of my life, but I am determined to create a mark in the creative field,” she said.
(September 13, 2024) When 19-year-old Josh Roy presented his AI-implemented solution for the genetic modification of whiteflies, at the 2024 TKS Focus Hackathon, it emerged as the global winner, beating over 400 competitors from 300 cities and 80 teams. His solution aims to combat the devastating impact of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) on cassava plants, an essential food staple in the tropics, and address food insecurity. This groundbreaking project, validated by leaders such as the Global Head of Data Science at GSK, was showcased at London Tech Week 2024, which attracted over 45,000 attendees. It also earned Josh a scholarship to the prestigious Villars Institute's inaugural ecopreneurship program. Josh is in active discussions with researchers, NGOs, and technology companies to bring his solution to market and positively impact millions of lives. This November, the US-based youngster would be flying to West Africa to receive the prestigious Global Entrepreneurs Award. “I am due to collect the award in-person in the world's first entrepreneurship village in Akure, Nigeria, where the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu and billionaire Mrs. Folorunso Alakija would be present as guests of honour,” he tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_39224" align="aligncenter" width="508"] Josh
would be present as guests of honour,” he tells Global Indian.
[caption id="attachment_39224" align="aligncenter" width="508"] Josh Roy at the London Tech Week[/caption]
There’s more to Josh’s personality. A passionate musician and host of The CapitalTycoon Podcast, where he engages with successful innovators, he was also the first student in the UK to complete a music GCSE in tabla. 'Tabla is one of the main focuses in my life alongside entrepreneurship. If you think about it, the two go hand in hand, as both require the ability to think creatively,' he remarks.
Dabbling in AI-powered innovation, music and podcasting
The British-born innovator describes himself as ‘a design engineer at the intersection of business, tech, and product design’ and is passionate about creating solutions to make the world a better place. As the developer of AI-powered innovations, he also identifies as an AI ethicist and is working on an AI-powered tabla tutor prototype designed to train students at all levels, aiming to revolutionize tabla education.
When asked how he balances his academics, music and other interests he smiles, “I don't know if I balance it well, and I'm not sure I'm at the stage to offer advice on how to find balance in my work. As my mentor John Spence told me, "If you genuinely enjoy and are obsessed with what you're working on, that's what you should be doing." I believe it's this sense of enjoyment I get from these projects that keeps them from feeling tedious or time-consuming."
Josh looks at each aspect of his life as complementary rather than separate. For instance, he looks at his podcast as an avenue to explore new ideas while engaging with successful innovators who provide insights that often benefit in his own entrepreneurial ventures.
The Indian-origin innovator who was born and brought up in the UK, received training in Tabla by Kuljit Bhamra MBE. “My passion for the tabla offers a creative outlet that recharges me mentally, which is essential when juggling high-pressure projects,” he remarks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xxT7frsjtE
He has chosen an alternative education path through The Knowledge Society (TKS), where learning is deeply integrated with hands-on, real-world problem solving. “This flexible approach has allowed me to dedicate time to all my passions,” he mentions.
Josh got the opportunity to enroll in the two-year TKS programme after bagging the Unicorn Scholarship, which is only awarded to 20 students annually. He ranked in the top 0.06% of the 31,298 students who applied in the most recent batch. Its acceptance rate is far lower than that of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Combatting Cassava Mosaic Disease to address food insecurity
It all started with an upbringing that focused on seva. Even before he turned 10, Josh started volunteering with food banksand distributing meals to underprivileged elderly people. This sparked his commitment to tackling food insecurity. While he was still in school, the opportunities to attend tech conferences opened his eyes to technology’s potential. Later, a few Hackathon victories fuelled his desire to work on the problem of food insecurity all the more, and he came up with the AI-optimized tool for the genetic modification of whiteflies - engineered to combat the devastating impact of Cassava Mosaic Disease that has potential to benefit35 million Nigerians.
Cassava is a calorie-rich vegetable and the third-largest source of carbohydrates in food in the tropics, after rice and maize, making it an important staple. In African Cassava Mosaic Virus is a plant virus that infects cassava plants, causing mosaic symptoms on leaves and leading to significant yield losses in regions where cassava is a major food source. It is primarily transmitted through infected cassava stem cuttings and by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. When Josh came to know how millions of people in Nigeria suffer from food insecurity due to the Cassava Mosaic Disease, the AI enthusiast got drawn to solve a solution to the problem, and came up with an AI-driven gene editing solution for the genetic modification of whiteflies that cause the Cassava Mosaic Disease.
[caption id="attachment_39225" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Josh during the Villars Institute's mentorship programme[/caption]
Later, the week-long mentorship he received from ecopreneurs and scientists — pioneers in their respective fields — as part of his scholarship to the prestigious Villars Institute broadened his horizons. “With guidance from experts like Sofia de Meyer and Sofia Khwaja-Horekens, I've refined my food insecurity project, focusing on key stakeholders. Meeting people like the chief economist of Mars Inc. Bruno Roche and my mentor Jini Sebakunzi was an honour, and the experience deepened my connection with nature, and problems in its realm,” he says.
Work in progress
“The next steps involve collaborating with agricultural institutions in Nigeria and across Africa to conduct field trials of the modified whiteflies. This will help demonstrate the tool's effectiveness in real-world conditions. We are also working on partnerships with government bodies and NGOs to create awareness and ensure smooth adoption of this innovation. Once proven in field tests, scaling the technology will involve aligning with policymakers, farmers, and supply chain partners to ensure it reaches the 35 million Nigerians who stand to benefit,” tells Josh.
For the youngster, the goal is to not only combat CMD but to create a sustainable model that can be replicated across different regions suffering from crop diseases, ensuring long-term food security.
“My Father was my support for me from the beginning of my unconventional path and encouraged me going against cultural expectations by working to solve humanity's biggest problems through entrepreneurship or should I say, ecopreneurship,” he remarks.
Other projects
Josh has worked onother AIprojects like Project Dynamo while pursuing a consulting challenge with The Knowledge Society (TKS). “It's an initiative I launched to train NGO students in climate change problem-solving and systems thinking, partnering with SOS Children's Villages, India. This project also leveraged AI to translate educational content into regional languages, making it more accessible across diverse communities,” he informs.
Additionally, he has worked alongside Google for another TKS Challenge in AI-driven initiatives, for addressing problems like information overload that its employees face.
Josh Roy understands the importance of quality mentorship and has actively pursued it from business leaders.
Determined to reach out to John Spence, the Chairman of Karma Group Global, the youngster tried over 100 email variations until he successfully connected with Spence. “I was inspired by the experience he created at Karma so I was determined to get his mentorship for entrepreneurship. I tried 100 different variations of emails with trial and error as it was hard to find, until his personal hotmail email worked when I found it through a chrome extension,” he says.
This persistence led to a year and a half of valuable email exchanges, culminating in a phone call. “Since then, Spence has been reading my monthly newsletter where I update him and my other mentors on my personal growth. I consider him and his philosophies an influence in my projects and business endeavours. Persistence won at the end,” remarks Josh who loves speaking opportunities.
In addition to Spence, Josh has built strong relationships with other mentors like Kabir Mathur CEO and co-founder, Leen and Manoj Thacker, entrepreneur, and ambassador of Innovaud Swiss. He connected with Kabir during a family trip to Egypt and with Manoj through a friend's introduction. “Both mentors have been instrumental in guiding my journey, with Kabir even nominating me for The Diana Award and supporting my case for an O-1 visa in the US,” he says. Josh’s persistence to seek guidance have earned him mentorships that continue to shape his entrepreneurial path.
In the shoes of a mentor
One of the youngster’s moments of pride has been getting into the shoes of a mentor of 300 youngsters at Toronto in AI and gene editing for 1517 Fund's annual summit.
“I got the opportunity to mentor alongside a panel of 15 other mentors consisting of Zach Laberge (18-year-old founder of Frenter, who raised over three million CAD), Danielle Stratchman (co-founder, Thiel Fellowship) and Michael Patrick-Gibson (author of Paper Belt on Fire),” tells Josh adding, “I recall a Neuralink intern, Kyrylo Kalashnikov, attending the office hours I was hosting. Gaining exposure to some of the brightest minds in North America was both humbling and inspiring. It felt like they were the true mentors, even though I had the label of mentor for a day!”
[caption id="attachment_39228" align="aligncenter" width="497"] Josh during 1517 Fund's office hour[/caption]
The migration story and future
Born in Tooting, London Josh hails from a family with roots in Kolkata. He was raised in Ascot for most of his life, as well as in Lambeth. His mother is a singer-songwriter who was born in London, and did schooling both in India and the UK. His father is a corporate professional who was born and raised in Kolkata. This March, the youngster moved to the US along with his father who got a new job posting. “I decided to relocate with him and pursue my entrepreneurial dreams in the US,” he says.
In the short-term, Josh’s priorities are clear and twofold: "Radical collaboration with agricultural engineers, scientists and farmers to refine and implement my solutions, ensuring credibility and scalability. Secondly, to earn my O-1 Visa that will allow me to better pursue my entrepreneurial endeavours in the US." He is happy that he received his OCI last month.
With prestigious awards, recognitions, scholarships and mentorship the youngster is confident of making his entrepreneurial dream in America come true.
(February 15, 2023) When they spot the uniformed men with walkie-talkies watching them - again - Malaika Vaz and her companion, the cinematographer Nitye Sood switch instantly into tourist mode. They huddle together for a selfie and gush over a shawl at a nearby stall. "I don't want to tell you what country I'm in because I feel like that could expose me to danger," Malaika Vaz says, in hushed tones, to the Nat Geo podcaster on the other end. This was 2017 and the intrepid young wildlife filmmaker was undercover in a 'city in east Asia' in a seafood market in a shopping mall. They were following the illegal trade of manta rays, a convoluted and perilous pipeline that took them from fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean to the Indo-Myanmar border and Guangzhou in China. This was back in 2021 and one of Vaz's most explosive documentaries. As one might already have noted, the now twenty-five-year-old Malaika Vaz's life beggars' belief. It's the kind of thing young filmmakers and journalists dream of doing, but rarely gather the courage to accomplish. For Vaz, however, it was almost second nature. Growing up in Goa, Vaz began diving in the ocean
She was swimming in the Maldives the first time she spotted a manta ray - "I saw a beautiful black shadow coming out of nowhere. It was curious about me. I was frozen, I wasn't expecting this giant cloud to come up to me. It was poetic. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with them."
Even as a child, the Global Indian was captivated by the great outdoors. She is the youngest person to reach the Arctic and the Antarctic with the students at the Ice Foundation. Early on, she learned windsurfing, and sailing and is a professional diver. As she grew older, though, she felt she needed more than just adventure. Having witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by unsustainable tourism, illegal trade, and climate change on the marine ecosystem. And she decided to do something about it.
She had always had an interest in filmmaking and a conviction strong enough to compel her to quit college and follow her passion instead. She joined a production company as a researcher and not long afterward, was asked to go in front of the camera.
"I realised that while I loved being on camera, shaping the stories and bringing in new perspectives and narratives that hadn't traditionally been seen on television was what I liked best," she said. She turned to other roles - she has been a director, writer, and producer, apart from presenting. She is also the founder of 'Untamed Planet', a production company that seeks to make an impact in the conservation world.
Scaling new heights in Ladakh
In 2014, she travelled to Ladakh, to train a group of village women to climb mountains. The message: Even the most perilous wilderness might prove safer for India's women than its cities and villages. At the time she was a student at Mahindra United World College and had already found herself a place in the Limca Book of Records as the youngest Indian to travel to both Polar regions in 2011-12. She headed off to Ladakh with a group of students from school, all part of the UWC's Outdoor Education Programme. Together, they climbed the Stok Kangri and Lungser Kangri. "The nine women who are training with us are all from villages in the Muslhi valley," she said. Many had a history of domestic abuse.
Documenting wildlife to conservation
Vaz and her team travel around the world documenting wildlife and exotic locations but that's only one part of what they do. Vaz also takes on issues like animal trafficking, travelling undercover, and coming face-to-face with dangerous kingpins across the globe. Like tracing manta ray traffickers across Asia, for instance. That became Peng Yu Sai, which was nominated for the 'Green Oscars' and takes the viewer into a murky world comprising fishermen, middlemen, traffickers, and even armed forces personnel as Vaz tries to protect her beloved nautical giants.
She describes, in the Overheard podcast, seeing the manta ray trade for the first time. She was in a village in eastern India when a local farmer told her to come to see the "flat pancake fish." Intrigued, she wandered through the bustling seafood market, which overflowed with every kind of exotic marine life - more than she had seen in the ocean itself. Hundreds of people jostled through the market, the air ripe with the smell of sweat and dead fish - "You cannot wash that smell off you," she remarks. She saw piles of tuna, crab, prawn, bull shark - and then, to her dread, "twenty-five dead manta rays lying on the floor. It felt like a waste of life."
Malaika Vaz is also behind Nat Geo Wild: Living with Predators, a three-episode series that "documents the stories of the real heroes of Big Cat conservation - local communities." In each episode, Vaz talks with ex-poachers, tribal communities, and the forest guards who are at the forefront of protecting India's Asiatic Lions, leopards, and tigers. The series aired across the Asia-Pacific, South Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, starting on August 15, 2020.
The power of stories
She has also produced films about migrant workers through the National Geographic Covid-19 fund for Journalists, explored bat conservation after the species received a bad rep during the pandemic, and elephant tourism.
Through it all, filmmaking has been her medium. "We need to phase out wildlife trade," she told Business Insider. "Given that consuming wildlife is still seen as a marker of 'making it' in parts of Asia and globally, I think storytelling can make a difference. Powerful films can advocate for a world where we're not consuming endangered species."
(February 18, 2022) As he stood before the chopping board at New York City's famed Eleven Madison Park, all set to start cutting, Chef Neel Kajale found himself face to face with an angry sous chef. "I simply couldn't understand why he was upset," he said. Neel was even more mystified when the sous chef then adjusted the cutting board. "He told me that everything has to be perpendicular and parallel. My cutting board was not in line with my workstation. I was at Eleven Madison Park. Everything had to be perfect," said Chef Neel explained. When you're working with the world's most celebrated chefs, every detail needs to be perfect. The Michelin experience By the age of 25, Chef Neel Kajale has done quite the tour of world-famous, Michelin-Starred restaurants and their chefs. After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management, he worked with Chef Atul Kochhar, of Benaras fame, joining the team as they began NRI in Mumbai. He has also worked at The Bombay Canteen and Farzi Cafe before setting off to study at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City, where Eleven Madison Park would come calling. Today, he has moved away from the high-glamour, high-stress restaurant life and works
helin-Starred restaurants and their chefs. After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management, he worked with Chef Atul Kochhar, of Benaras fame, joining the team as they began NRI in Mumbai. He has also worked at The Bombay Canteen and Farzi Cafe before setting off to study at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City, where Eleven Madison Park would come calling. Today, he has moved away from the high-glamour, high-stress restaurant life and works at a test kitchen, creating content and exploring a space that to him, feels like home.
[caption id="attachment_11024" align="aligncenter" width="651"] Chef Neel Kajale[/caption]
When food is what you aspire for
At 13, the Mumbaikar knew he wanted to be a chef. He loved food, disliked maths, so the choice was simple. “There was no point in struggling with something I had no talent for. What I did have, however, was a passion for food,” recalls Neel. Encouraged by his parents, he leaped headlong. “I had no backup plans. It was a do-or-die situation for me,” adds the 25-year-old.
MasterChef piqued his interest, and he was hooked. “As an Indian, it was a revelation to see what could be done with food. Here, we didn’t think about plating food or about Michelin stars. I wanted to know what is happening in the world of food,” explains Neel who was blown away by the culinary revolutions in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
New York Minute
In June 2021, Eleven Madison Park re-opened its doors to guests - even on opening night (after the pandemic), the three Michelin-starred restaurants had a waiting list of around 15,000. And Neel was at the heart of plating, cooking and more. Celebrities streamed in - Angelina Jolie, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chipotle founder Steve Ells, etc. For Kajale, however, accustomed as he was to celeb-spotting, Angelina Jolie was a revelation. “You feel good because they’re so mesmerized by what you’re doing,” he recalls, adding, “Rightly so because the food is phenomenal but it’s so stressful that after a point, you start saying, it’s just food, not rocket science.”
Plating up aging beets and mustard leaf kimchi, or learning a thing or two about chef-owner Daniel Humm’s famed dry-aged duck breast – it’s the sort of experience any young chef cherishes. Neel was no exception – with a combination of talent, dedication, and unshakeable grit. “You need to bring your A-game every day. If you want to excel at anything, you need to give it everything. The standards and expectations are so high,” he explains.
When a test kitchen turned food into learning
His days of exploring the fine dining experience, of plating herbs with tweezers are behind him for now. Except for the tweezers, which he carries around. “Since there were so many guest walk-ins at Eleven Madison, we couldn’t really do things with our hands. So, we used tweezers. Now - instead of plating herbs, I’m flipping phulkas at home!” smiles the chef who is reinventing his culinary repertoire.
[caption id="attachment_11018" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Chef Neel's journey took him from Mumbai to Manhattan as he worked with some of the world's best chefs[/caption]
Today, Neel yearns for innovation, to find a bridge between food and media that India - and the world, haven’t seen before with his painstaking work at the test kitchen. Think Chef Sanjyot Keer, of Your Food Lab, or global superstars like Babish and Joshua Weissman. After decades of watching the most glamorous chefs plate up gourmet meals, Neel has found his calling at Haven’s Kitchen as test kitchen manager (New York). Diving deep into recipe development and content creation, his days are filled with ingredient-spotting and taste trails. These are then filmed to be shared with epicureans across platforms.
“If a tomato soup is trending on a rainy day, my job would be to use our sauces to make that soup. It’s a very different life from running a station and handling pressure. Here, you’re perfecting one thing, time and time again,” he adds. Not an easy job but one that has, as Neel puts it, brought him closer to food.
A few of his favourite things
Ask him what he truly loves to cook, pat comes the reply, “home food.” For Chef Neel, it’s the food that nourishes him. The welcome sound of a fragrant curry leaf popping in hot oil is his all-time best aroma. “It's so special to Indian cooking. It’s something I absolutely love,” says Neel.
“What do I cook for myself? A dal chawal or roti sabzi.” His kitchen at his New York home is stocked with Indian ingredients and his mother, does, on occasion receive a call with a request, “How do you make your dal?” Not the restaurant-style dal tadka but “mum’s simple moong dal” is unmatched.
The young Indian chef is a music enthusiast and often strums the guitar. High on fitness and sports, a game of tennis is a welcome break, or it's travel and good wine.
Each year, thousands of the world’s brightest minds vie for the coveted Rhodes Scholarship, a life-changing opportunity to study at the University of Oxford. Established in 1902, through the will of British businessman and colonialist Cecil John Rhodes, the scholarship is one of the oldest and most prestigious international academic awards. Designed to cultivate public-spirited leaders, it aims to foster mutual understanding and peace through education, bringing together exceptional students from around the globe. As the Rhodes Trust states, “When different people come together in a shared spirit, exciting new things begin.” [caption id="attachment_40553" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Cecil John Rhodes' statue at the Oxford University[/caption] In 2025, five Indian students have been selected to join this elite community, marking the continuation of a legacy that has evolved far beyond its colonial origins. Originally intended to foster unity among English-speaking nations, this esteemed and long-standing international scholarship programme underwent revisions over time. By the 21st century, eligibility expanded to encompass citizens from all countries. Indians gained access to this scholarship opportunity in 1947. Rhodes Scholars receive full financial support, covering tuition fees, visas, health surcharges, and even travel and living expenses during their time at Oxford. Starting in 2026, the number of
intended to foster unity among English-speaking nations, this esteemed and long-standing international scholarship programme underwent revisions over time. By the 21st century, eligibility expanded to encompass citizens from all countries. Indians gained access to this scholarship opportunity in 1947.
Rhodes Scholars receive full financial support, covering tuition fees, visas, health surcharges, and even travel and living expenses during their time at Oxford. Starting in 2026, the number of scholarships available to Indian students will increase to six, thanks to a perpetual endowment by entrepreneur couple Mukund and Soumya Rajan. Global Indian takes a look at the five Indian youngsters who have bagged the 2025 Rhodes scholarship:
Pal Aggarwal
Pal is a fourth-year undergraduate student from Ghaziabad, U.P., studying Engineering Physics (Hons.) at IIT Bombay. With dual minors in Computer Science and Machine Intelligence, her academic journey is deeply rooted in her passion for astrophysics, mathematics, and data science. Pal dreams of becoming an astronaut and is equally committed to advocating for women in science, inspiring others to pursue their ambitions in traditionally male-dominated fields.
[caption id="attachment_40554" align="aligncenter" width="374"] Pal Aggarwal[/caption]
Beyond her academic pursuits, Pal is an accomplished Bharatnatyam and contemporary dancer. As a student researcher at IIT Bombay’s Space Technology and Astrophysics Research (STAR) Lab, she works on "Daksha," a proposed space mission to detect electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave sources. Her previous work includes contributing to the uGMRT’s Fast Radio Burst (FRB) detection pipeline at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune, and participating in the Student Satellite Program at IIT Bombay. Her internships span a Quantum Computing research stint at the National University of Singapore and a strategic consulting role at Bain & Company, where she earned a coveted Pre-Placement Offer.
Rayan Chakrabarti
Ryan, a postgraduate student of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), is driven by a deep interest in memory studies, anthropology, and the narratives of nationalism. A graduate of English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Ryan envisions creating a dedicated archive and museum to document the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching impact on South Asia. This passion for exploring collective memory led him to co-found the Pandemic Oral History Archives, capturing firsthand accounts of the crisis and its aftermath.
[caption id="attachment_40555" align="aligncenter" width="373"] Ryan Chakrabarti[/caption]
Ryan’s academic pursuits are complemented by his commitment to social impact. During his time at St. Stephen’s, he worked on a poverty alleviation project, conducting surveys to facilitate bank account access for slum residents and teaching remedial classes to underserved students. An accomplished pianist, he also channels his creative energy into writing and translating poetry that interrogates politics and nationhood, blending art and activism in meaningful ways.
Shubham Narwal
“I can’t believe I am India’s first vet Rhodes scholar elect. Happy to be part of the Rhodes community,” shared Shubham in his heartfelt reaction on social media after being named a Rhodes Scholar for 2025. Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Shubham is driven by a mission to safeguard biodiversity. His academic focus lies in clinical embryology, where he aims to pioneer new conservation strategies for critically endangered species, particularly the Great Indian Bustard.
Apart from internships at reputed institutions, Shubham’s journey has been enriched by a fully funded short online course on modern methods in Infection Biology conducted by the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg, Germany. In the course where students from other countries were his fellow participants, he delved into bioinformatics, microscopic imaging, and the One Health approach to tackle neglected tropical diseases, earning valuable global insights into animal health and ecosystem management. Beyond his academic pursuits, Shubham’s love for basketball and Harry Potter highlights his vibrant personality, balancing scientific rigour with creative passions.
Vibha Swaminathan
Vibha, the Rhodes Scholar-elect for 2025 from Delhi, is deeply committed to exploring the political and legal fragilities of citizenship regimes in India. A final-year student at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) and an alumna of Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), Vibha envisions combining her academic pursuits with a dynamic human rights litigation practice in India’s trial courts. Her journey reflects a seamless integration of intellectual rigor and practical advocacy.
At LSR, Vibha’s brilliance earned her several accolades, including the Faculty Prize, the Randhir Singh Award for Excellence in Political Analysis, and the Rena Sewak Award for Excellence in English Public Speaking. At NLSIU, she has continued to excel, taking on leadership roles as an elected member of the LLB Recruitment Coordination Committee and a member of the Academic Support Programme. She has also contributed significantly to legal practice, engaging in appellate citizenship litigation before the Guwahati High Court and assisting with constitutional cases in the Supreme Court. Vibha’s dedication to academia is equally impressive. She served as a teaching assistant for Criminal Law II (Criminal Procedure) and a research assistant for the Women Leadership in Law project.
Avanish Vats
Avanish, a bachelor’s student at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, is driven by a passion for epistemology and a vision to make philosophy accessible to disabled people. A former student of DPS Ranchi, Avanish combines his intellectual pursuits with a strong commitment to social work, aiming to bridge the gap between abstract ideas and real-world inclusivity.
An accomplished tabla player, Avanish has been a central figure in enriching the cultural fabric of his academic institutions. From serving as the primary tabla performer for school assemblies to being a key member of his college band, his musical journey has instilled in him discipline, teamwork, and a deep appreciation for community and culture.
Together, these Rhodes scholars represent the multifaceted talents and ambitions of a generation determined to shape a more equitable and innovative world, using the opportunities at Oxford as a stepping stone to drive meaningful change.
During a vacation to Costa Rica in 2018, then ten-year-old Moitri Santra saw that the waters seemed red and brown. Although she didn't know at the time, she was looking at Red Tide, one of the many harmful algae blooms that release toxins which are fatal to fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds which feed on the poisoned fish. Apart from this, these harmful algal blooms deplete the oxygen available in the water. Moreover, she noticed signage all over the beach, warning people not to go in the water. The Global Indian would go on to create a solution to harvest harmful algae when it is still alive and potentially turn it into biofuel. What are Harmful Algal Blooms? [caption id="attachment_37062" align="aligncenter" width="272"] Moitri Santra[/caption] When Moitri Santra got home to Florida, she began researching toxic algae, discovering that it is a rapidly growing concern. She found a seven-year study by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the harmful algae event database had record 9,503 events with impacts on human society. "It contaminates marine life and sea food," said the teenager, during her presentation for the 3M Young Scientists Challenge. She went on to develop a robot, and a film gel that
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the harmful algae event database had record 9,503 events with impacts on human society. "It contaminates marine life and sea food," said the teenager, during her presentation for the 3M Young Scientists Challenge. She went on to develop a robot, and a film gel that can attract algae to a substrate. Her vision is to be able to clear the oceans of Harmful Algal Blooms by collecting the algae alive and converting it to biofuel.
Harmful Algal Blooms occur naturally in waterbodies, and can also be encourage dby human activities. Phosphate and nitrate runoffs from fertilizers, as well as from sewage and leachate (liquid from solid waste), along with excessive sunshine can cause harmful algal blooms to proliferate. They also ten dto prefer warmer, still and more shallow waters. Huge amounts of money are spent to clear water bodies of these HABs, the US alone spent $1.1 billion in 2020. Also, there are products to combat these blooms, but Moitri says they just aren't up to the mark, or are pollutants in themselves.
Moitri's solution
"I created a water soluble, biodegradable and positively charged gel with a citrate ion and citric acid," Moitri explains. The chitosan and citric acid contained in the gel induces coagulation in the algae. She spent a summer vacation experimenting with gels and substrates, transforming the family dining room into her makeshift lab. "These algal blooms are everywhere but are especially prominent in Florida," she explains.
Moitri's gel is designed to be biodegradable and water soluble, reducing its environmental impact. The chitosan polymer swells and carries the citric acid in water in the gel. The gel induced coagulation in the algae, causing it to clump together, become dense and sink to the bottom. However, the process also causes them to die. However the decomposition process depletes oxygen from the water, killing off marine life all around it.
A functioning prototype
Her 3M mentor, Dr Kannan Seshadri helped her with a turnaround. Moitri Santra realised that algae can be harvested to make biofuel, which comes with environmental benefits of its own. "I experimented with gels, powders and flakes and found that dried film gel floats effectively on water, and attract algae in under a minute. However, this requires a substrate material to trap the algae. In her early version, Moitri had used a scotch brite sponge, which is a non woven material with intertwining fibres. "I experimented with around a dozen non wovens in rayon, viscose, wood pulp, PA and nylon," she explains. "I chose only the hydrophobic ones because the hydrophilic materials will soak up water and become heavy. Finally, she settled on PET non-woven material.
But after all this, how is the algae harvested? For this, she built SCARAB, an EV3 robot that can be deployed on a boat. The substrate is tied to spools and fastened under a 'guide' to hold the material in place. The material is coated with gel and when the motors are turn on, the spool spins slowly counterclockwise, ravelling and unravelling the substrate to collect algae. The material of the substrate also allows the algae to become trapped. "The algae are alive at the end of the process. I examined it under a microscope and it was clearly moving," she adds.
The 3M Challenge and Broadcom Masters
She attributes much of her success to her mentor, Dr Kannan Seshadri. "He helped me turn my simple idea into a functioning prototype," Moitri says. "I was thinking of sinking the algae and he allowed me to see that it could potentially cause more environmental harm." Moitri's next challenge is to remove the algae from the strip without damaging it, which she hopes to do with a primer. "If the right primer is used it can also increase the strip's reusability," she says. She hopes to see her innovation being deployed around the world, and the eventual use of this harvested algae in the making of biofuels.
In 2022, Moitri also placed second in the technology category at the Broadcom MASTERS, taking home a cash prize and the opportunity to attend a STEM summer camp. She decided to follow her interest in medicine and medical university at the University of Connecticut's Pre-College Summer Program for its pre-med focus. There, she spent her time attending lectures in the morning and taking practical lessons in the afternoons, exploring a different specialization everyday. "using mannequins, we did simulations of emergency situations," says Moitri, who has always been fascinated by the human body and its many complex functions.
Josh Roy at the London Tech Week[/caption]
Josh during the Villars Institute's mentorship programme[/caption]
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