Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveGame Changer: Sway Bhatia is taking American TV by storm

Game Changer: Sway Bhatia is taking American TV by storm

Published by: Team GI Youth

(October 11, 2022) Despite being the largest immigrant community in the United States of America, Indian Americans have not received enough representation in Hollywood for years. However, in the last half-decade, many Indian and Indian-origin youngsters have made their presence felt in the movie industry. One such young actor who is batting for Brand India is Swayam Ranjeet Bhatia, or Sway, as she is popularly known. This 15-year-old actress from New York City started her career about four years ago with a small TV commercial and is today considered one of the most prominent child artists in the States. A scene-stealer on the Disney+ series, “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers“, Sway has already been a part of major production projects including HBO’s “Succession” and Netflix’s “Master of None“. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Sway Bhatia, actress

An accomplished singer, dancer, model, drummer, and comedian, the young actress travelled with Broadway’s School of Rock promo tour for two years between 2016 and 2017, singing and dancing in the show’s hit production numbers. From walking at the New York Fashion Week in NYC to India’s Kids Fashion Week in Mumbai, this young Global Indian has made a name in the world of haute couture at a very young age.

“Ever since I was real young I was obsessed with Bollywood. I think all of the aspects of the Bollywood movies from the dancing, singing, and costumes, I think all of that inspired me. I grew up in Dubai, I used to reenact the scenes in little mini-Indian outfits and props from around the house. From then my parents just really realised that I loved the entertainment industry and wanted to be in it,” Sway had said during a recent interaction with Pop City Life.

Starting young

With her roots in Gujarat, Sway was encouraged by her parents right from when she was just a three-year-old toddler. She started taking dance classes after school and also worked on a few print and TV commercials. Interestingly, she got her first big break when she arrived on the shores of the USA as a six-year-old.

A still from Netflix series Master of None with Sway Bhatia, Aziz Ansari and Anthony Bells

“My parents agreed to find dance classes to give me an outlet, and even before I was four, I was already performing in shows and competitions. When I headed back to NJ/NY around the age of six, I adjusted right away, and we signed with a Manager and entirely concentrated on training in several areas of performing arts,” the actress shared. The young star got a chance to share the stage with one of her idols, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, and had a fun time performing with her. It was during this performance that Sway decided that the stage is where she belongs.

A triple threat – a performer who can act, dance, and sing brilliantly – Sway made her professional debut as a theatre artist in the cast of Really Rosie at New York City Center. She went on to act in various plays after that, including The Children’s Hour, The Perfect Fit, and Madeline’s Christmas.

Finding fame

At 13, Sway got the big break she had been dreaming of. Disney had been looking for actors to redo it’s cult-classic The Mighty Ducks (1992 – 1996) and they found their Sofi Hudson-Batra in Sway. “When I first got the auditions, I had not seen the trilogy before, but many people recommended it to me because I used to be a figure skater when I was growing up in Dubai,” she told The Hindu during an interview, adding that she even went to Vancouver for 15 days to train with the National Hockey League players to get the part.

Even though she endured many injuries during her training period, the actress was determined to get the role and after about one-and-a-half months signed a two-season contract with Disney+. Talking about the moment she received the call from her manager to tell her she got the part, Sway recalled, “When I found out I booked the role, I went to the old ice rink that I used to train at and a bunch of memories came back, it was so nice to be back on the ice. I trained a little bit on the figure skating side when I got there. When we got to Vancouver to film the pilot we had two weeks of hockey training and we were getting trained by real NHL players. They were hockey coordinators and choreographers for the rest of the show. We got great training and the whole cast is on the ice was such a great bonding experience. We had to become a team and work as one.”

Art for activism

But, she is not just an actress. An activist in her own right, Sway is an empowered feminist who has inspired kids her age through her social media presence. The actress has time and again mentioned that she is pleased that her part in The Mighty Ducks is inspiring many brown kids in America. “Highlighting the journey of a strong girl of colour who is a great hockey player is so important because you don’t see it in the sports space. She may seem like a perfect fairytale character on the outside, but the show highlights some insecurities we don’t see right away,” she described.

Inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris to break barriers, the young actress wants to one day establish a career behind the camera. “I would love to get behind the camera at some point, especially with cinematography. When I go to college, I hope I can know more about directing or writing, or I might want to study computer science. Right now, I love writing my music and I have a lot of movie ideas in my head that hasn’t been written out yet.”

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Published on 11, Oct 2022

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Rishabh Seen – The pioneer of sitar-metal

(January 22, 2023) In 2007, the year Rishabh Seen first heard the Foo Fighters and t their frontman, Dave Grohl, he knew his life had changed forever. "It was one of those moments where you just know that you're experiencing something that will change you," he said in an interview later. Until that point, Rishabh Seen, who belonged to an illustrious family of Hindustani musicians, had devoted himself to the classical tradition on the sitar. Steeped in tradition [caption id="attachment_26814" align="aligncenter" width="941"] Rishabh Seen[/caption] Rishabh's childhood in Jalandhar was spent immersed in music. His grandfather, Ustad Lachhman Singh Seen, is an acclaimed tabla maestro and music scholar, with his works preserved in the national archives. Rishabh's father, Manu Kumar Seen, is an accomplished sitarist. Growing up in this environment, Rishabh began vocal training at the age of six and his sitar practice started four years later. Despite the family's deep devotion to classical traditions, his father helped him understand the world of possibilities the sitar afforded him. Still, his knowledge of what lay outside classical music remained limited and Dave Grohl came as an inspiration. "It changed my entire vision about life and music in general," Rishabh said. "I discovered

im.

Still, his knowledge of what lay outside classical music remained limited and Dave Grohl came as an inspiration. "It changed my entire vision about life and music in general," Rishabh said. "I discovered that progressive metal was based on instrument-driven songs and that is the point where Indian classical and metal meet." His enthusiasm compounded when he realised there wasn't anybody out there who seemed to have had the idea of sitar-metal, or even a band led by any instrument other than a guitar, keyboard or drums.

Dave Grohl and a journey of discovery

Rishabh's own journey of discovery continued, and he went from the Foo Fighters to Slipknot and Nirvana. "It was around 2011, when I just played a metal song on the speakers. My dad, wondering what on earth was happening, came by to check on me. What was surprising was that he really enjoyed what he was listening to," he said in an interview. Technically speaking, too, the two forms of music are very different. Hindustani classical music involves playing one scale or raaga in a 45-minute concert. With metal, a single song can contain several scales.

At first, the young Global Indian's efforts were not well received. Metal was seen as dark and hairy, while the sitar receives reverence. His fortunes turned in 2015 when he released his first cover of Animals As Leaders' 'Tempting Time'. In no time, the song garnered lakhs of views. That was also the year he founded his band, Mute The Saint. They produced covers of artists like Animals as Leaders, Steven Wilson and Meshuggah and were a success. While the two genres might stand as polar opposites, to the trained and untrained year alike, Rishabh saw only common ground, a similarity "in terms of evoking an inner revolution and spreading peace."

In 2016, Mute the Saint released a self-titled album and two years later, the second, which contained a bunch of covers of Coldplay and Foo Fighters. Rishabh has performed with singer Arijit Singh and solo headlines sitar metal shows.

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GenZ innovator Arushi Aggarwal brings STEM education from New Jersey to Bihar

(January 13, 2024) Arushi Aggarwal fell in love with programming and robotics when she was 12 years old. What started out with curiosity instantly became a passion, and soon, she was learning robotics, mechanical engineering and programming languages, and attending hackathons. However, she was also quick to spot the inequality within the STEM circles worldwide, and decided to do something about it. It led her to start Unknown16, a non profit that works to bring more young girls into STEM. She also works closely with the state of Bihar, tapping local NGOs there to provide tech education to the less privileged. She's not just another proponent of STEM, however. Unknown16 is made unique by the fact that it encourages its young students to address social challenges, letting them know they can program their way to a better world. In 2023, Arushi, who is a Forbes India Teenpreneur, was invited to the UN as a delegate with the Economic and Social Council's Youth Forum. The GenZ innovator has also developed iBlum, an app that uses gamification to encourage environmental awareness. It motivates individuals and organizations to make eco-friendly choices and community improvements by offering game-like incentives. Businesses participating in iBlum provide

ing in iBlum provide perks for environmentally conscious purchases, aligning their brand with social responsibility and appealing to the values of Gen Z consumers. The app generates customized digital coupons for these businesses, enhancing their appeal among environmentally conscious changemakers.

From hackathons to Unknown16

Arushi, who was born in Hisar, spent a few years in Bengaluru and then moved to the US with her family when she was 10 years old. Life in New Jersey was a far, far cry from what she had known in southern Bihar, and Arushi quickly immersed herself in this new world. When she was 12 years old, she decided to try her hand at coding. "I knew nothing about coding before that and just wanted to try new things," she told Forbes in a podcast. "But after my first year, I fell in love with the concept of building robots from scratch and that's when I continued doing robotics, mechanical (engineering) and programming. That's where my love for programming started."

One year later, in 2016, the Global Indian made it to her first hackathon, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championship in Detroit, Michigan. The experience was profound in many ways - this was Arushi's first broad view of STEM around the world. "I met some all girls teams and suddenly, I realised that on my team, out of 16 members, only two were girls. I was curious about why that was," she recalls. After a conversation with a girl coder at the championship, she understood that one reason why girls really don't show up to these big STEM events is a lack of confidence.

"That question led me to start Unknown16," she says. She wanted to help young girls build confidence, so she designed curriculums, workshops and took classes at their local library. "I taught SCRATCH and Python," Arushi says. Her thoughts would often wander back to her homestate, Bihar, where so many young kids grow up without access to technology. She began cold-emailing NGOs back home, introducing herself and sharing her curriculum with them.

Project Lahanti

As Arushi networked with NGOs in India, she discovered Project Lahanti, and collaborated with them to take virtual weekend classes. The initiative was an immediate success and soon, Arushi was teaching classes with anywhere between 150-300 children of all ages from villages like Kumbadih and Govindpur.

Things weren't so straightforward, though, as she soon discovered. All programming languages require a basic understanding of English and her students, even if they were intelligent, curious and enthusiastic, did not speak English. This put STEM textbooks out of reach, too.

"In my world, people have difficulty learning programming, or lack certain resources, that was my perspective. But when I started talking to these kids, I saw their perspective. So I decided to teach them English first before they move on to programming." She began splitting her time between both, teaching English and simultaneously getting students to work with computers. "My family in India really helped out - they donated computers and even went and delivered them," she smiles. "So I was able to get them acquainted with computers and using programs like Excel."

That wasn't all. While her family's donation did bring computers to the area, there were still daily challenges- sketchy WiFi and power cuts. "Whenever it rained, they would lose WiFi," she says, in a tone of total disbelief. "The lack of resources to combat daily life challenges prevents them from taking that step. So our job is to say, it's okay that the barriers exist, we are here to help you overcome them." She was soon working around an 11-hour time difference, and accepting that if the younger kids couldn't make it to class because of bad weather, or any other reason, she would have to hold another session during the week.

A multi-faceted approach

In 2019, Arushi set up a GoFundMe page, to raise funds for textbooks and more technology. She also approached corporates with CSR portfolios, asking them for help. "I learned how to accept a no," she laughs. Getting more volunteers is also crucial. When taking numerous classes during the week became too much, Arushi shifted her focus to the older students. "I teach college students and they teach the others," she explains.

Arushi’s approach to spreading awareness truly makes her unique. Storytelling, for instance, is one approach. She has written several books for tweens, including the Coding Supergirls series, about three girls who solve real world problems using their STEM skills, and developing "powerful, disruptive and cutting-edge ideas along the way." Education and adventure come together in the series, which is meanto entertain and inspire. She is also the organiser of her own hackathon, Code4Cause.

Follow Arushi on Instagram and learn more about Unknown16 on their website.

Vedant Harlalka: The teen innovator making breakthroughs in 3D printing and IoT

(April 27, 2022) Turning a problem into an opportunity is what Mumbai-based Vedant Harlalka believes in. As an eighth-grader, Vedant thought 3D printers were expensive, and he created one that was economical. Not just this, during the pandemic, he ideated on an automatic hand-sanitiser dispenser. “Pushing the boundaries and moving beyond limits is what I truly believe in. At a time when my friends were watching YouTube videos, I was busy making them. Constant evolution is what keeps us moving forward in life,” Vedant says in an interview with Global Indian. A member of Model United Nations, the 15-year-old has engineering and IoT (internet of things) at the core of everything he does. “I began exploring it at the age of 11, and soon found myself immersed in the world of innovation,” adds the keynote speaker at Global Youth Education Summit. [caption id="attachment_15540" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Vedant Harlalka working on 3D printer prototype[/caption] A self-taught innovator Born in Singapore in 2006 to a stockbroker father and a CA mother (now a homemaker), Vedant moved to Mumbai with his family when he was a year-and-a-half as his parents wanted to raise him amongst extended family. Growing up in the era of technology,

t innovator

Born in Singapore in 2006 to a stockbroker father and a CA mother (now a homemaker), Vedant moved to Mumbai with his family when he was a year-and-a-half as his parents wanted to raise him amongst extended family. Growing up in the era of technology, he loved referring to YouTube reviews before buying a gadget. This stirred something in him. “I wanted to be confident in front of the camera,” says Vedant who started his own YouTube channel in grade IV. “I loved reviewing gadgets, and my channel helped me learn scripting, production, and post-production,” adds the innovator who continued this for two years before sinking his teeth into the world of Arduino.

"Reviewing gadgets made me inquisitive about their making. This curiosity led me to learn the basics of computer science through Harvard’s cs50 course on edX. It gave me an insight into a whole new world,” reveals Vedant who explains Arduino as a “printed circuit board which when attached to sensors and modules helps convert ideas into prototypes.”

Turning problems into opportunities

The teenager took a leap of faith into the world of innovation and when “opportunity struck” during Covid-19, he and two seniors created an automatic hand sanitiser dispenser. “Going to grocery stores, we saw that people had to tap the sanitiser bottles, which could potentially spread the virus,” says the St Mary's School student who made a fully functional prototype in 15 days. “We had made small innovations, but with Covid, I knew it was time to do something big. We wanted to give back to society,” adds the young innovator who despite having the first-mover advantage couldn’t turn it into a market-friendly product due to funding and supply chain issues. “The market was in motion, and with ₹15-₹20 lakh needed, the market was saturated with automatic sanitisers in some time,” adds Vedant who refocused on making a cost-efficient 3D printer.

In late 2019, while working on a project with his classmate Ukshaan, he realised the need for a 3D printer for a prototype. But with a decent one costing ₹20,000, these then eighth graders decided to make one under $100. “We realised the potential of making one with recycled electronic scraps like DVD and CD drives instead of the traditional Nema 17 stepper motors, thus cutting down the cost,” explains the Class 10 student who took two years to make the prototype. He is now working on making it a "consumer-friendly product" before patenting it and launching it commercially. "We thought we would finish it in a day, but it took us two years. But those years taught us so much. We learnt through trial and error, and it instilled confidence in us," adds the TEDx speaker for whom it was an uphill task.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFxSNjaNWo8

Overcoming the challenges

With 3D printing still in its nascent stage, the teenager had “few resources”" and had to figure out his way. Vedant also calls the “lack of a mentor” one of the hurdles, initially, however, it turned out to be a learning curve that saw him fit the role of innovator and entrepreneur.

For him, age has always been a double-edged sword. If his innovations have been scoffed at for being a “high school project,” it has at times also added a sense of wonder. “Those who have been supportive of skill and talent, ignore my age,” says Vedant who is gearing up for his board exams.

The young innovator is also the project head at Neuralix, an open-source community with the motive of making the brain-machine interface more accessible to students and tinkerers. “We have developed an open-source development board that can be used to interface machine with the brain. Using the board, you can build a lot of projects with bio-signals,” says the teen innovator who plans to pursue electrical and electronics engineering at IIT Delhi. “I think engineering and IoT will always be at the core of whatever I do,” says the boy who wants to launch a startup in EEE soon.

His parents are the wind beneath his wings. “They have been super supportive. I am thankful that my dad once yelled at me for spending hours playing PubG. That motivated me to use my time on the internet wisely, and led me to learn to code and even mentor students,” says Vedant, adding, “When I was 11-12, I didn’t have any mentor, and was lost. But now with a few years of experience, I want to help youngsters by giving them direction. For me, giving back holds an important place.”

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A post shared by Vedant Harlalka (@vedantharlalka)

Vedant wants youngsters to “look beyond boundaries,” and “take the first step, and the rest will follow. Don’t limit yourself.” The teenager wants to break the misconception of innovators being “nerds.” “I love cycling for 20 km-30 km every day, and am a part of Sobo Riders. I also love walks and swims,” says Vedant who calls hanging out with friends a perfect destressor.

Follow Vedant Harlalka on Linkedin, Instagram

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Ashish Kumar Verma: Taking challenges in stride to excel in science, technology, and life

(July 10, 2024) For a boy who has just turned 18, Ashish Kumar Verma has accumulated a lifetime of experiences. At eight, he learned to write with his left hand due to circumstances and has come a long way, inspiring many with his multifaceted achievements. Due to his innovative science and technology projects Aashish has had the opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister and President of India that helped strengthen his determination to be of use to the society. “I have not only met the Prime Minister twice but also shared the stage with him as an anchor during Pariksha Pe Charcha,” he tells Global Indian. On another occasion, the winner of Rashtriya Bal Vaigyanik Puraskar showcased one of his science projects to the Prime Minister, at an event. This presentation also led to a discussion where the Prime Minister suggested the idea of an app to control students' screen time. Inspired by this, Ashish has launched NamasteScreen, an app designed to help students become more focused. [caption id="attachment_38560" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Ashish with PM during Pariksha pe Charcha and with President at Rashtrapati Bhavan[/caption] Adding to his impressive list of experiences, the youngster had the opportunity of visiting the Rashtrapati

ontrol students' screen time. Inspired by this, Ashish has launched NamasteScreen, an app designed to help students become more focused.

[caption id="attachment_38560" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Ashish with PM during Pariksha pe Charcha and with President at Rashtrapati Bhavan[/caption]

Adding to his impressive list of experiences, the youngster had the opportunity of visiting the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raksha Bandhan, where he gifted a Rakhi to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. He also witnessed the launch of Chandrayaan 3 in the presence of the Union Minister of State in the Department of Space, Jitendra Singh. "Such opportunities have been humbling and inspiring. They have increased my appreciation for our nation's leaders, cultural traditions, and technological prowess," he says.

His scientific acumen has also earned the Delhi based youngster a fully funded trip to Japan as part of the Sakura Science Program. With three research papers and numerous awards and speaking opportunities to his credit, Ashish won a bronze medal and a cash award of Rs 50,000 at the WorldSkills national championship. He also secured second place at the national-level Microsoft Fastest Coder Hackathon, winning a medal. Having cleared JEE this year, he is all set to join IIT-Delhi to pursue a bachelor's in engineering.

NamasteScreen

In 2022, Ashish created the project 'AR Prayogshala,' aimed at accelerating the implementation of NEP 2020. The project has already garnered over 25,000 users. His teachers at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Delhi have also utilised it to create content for the PM eVidya Channel.

During Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) 2024 Aashish had the opportunity to showcase his project to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presided over the event. During their interaction, PM Modi suggested developing an application to help students reduce mobile phone distractions, decrease screen time, and improve focus.

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A post shared by Ashish Kumar Verma (@imdigitalashish)

"The conversation inspired me to create NamasteScreen," Aashish says. "It's more than just an app; it offers a complete screen makeover to reduce distractions and increase focus. The project is being developed as open-source and is currently in the alpha-testing phase.

"Developers from all over are contributing to create this launcher for anyone looking to overcome phone addiction," he adds. "This collective collaboration helps us achieve our goals faster and allows us to directly address the needs and concerns of our target users. We are actively collecting feedback through an open GitHub repository where users can raise issues and request features."

In love with technology

Ashish had developed an interest in working with computers at a young age, which sparked his early passion for programming. Although he will be joining IIT-Delhi soon, he has been at the prestigious institution before. As part of Code Day Delhi, an initiative by Hack Club - an international organisation promoting scientific culture among youth and partially funded by Elon Musk - he participated in an event that encourages young people to build innovative projects.

During this event, Ashish and his team created a real-life human interaction AI. “This AI can engage in conversation and perform various tasks, functioning like a super-intelligent assistant. It's not just a concept—it's a working system,” he mentions.

[caption id="attachment_38563" align="aligncenter" width="573"] Ashish at IIT Delhi[/caption]

He not only won the Code Day Delhi award but also had the opportunity to showcase his AI innovation at Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) 2024, where it was used to welcome the Prime Minister of India upon his arrival. “The AI greeted the Prime Minister, demonstrating its capabilities in a high-profile setting using facial recognition technology,” he shares.

Just before the launch of Chandrayaan 3, Ashish had scored a perfect 10 in the Space Innovation Challenge organised by NITI Aayog and ISRO. For this challenge, he designed a spacecraft for a Mars mission capable of accommodating humans. “I named it KDMMH (Kyunki Dil Mein Mars Hai - Because Mars is in the Heart), inspired by the movie 'Mission Mangal',” he tells.

A memorable trip to Japan as part of Sakura Science Program

As part of a cohort of 63 talented students from across India, Ashish had the opportunity to visit Japan thanks to his successful project AR Prayogshala. It's an experience he cherishes not just for the learnings but also for the camaraderie that developed while travelling and staying together in a hotel.

Organised by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the Sakura Science Program is an international youth exchange program that invites young people from across the world to Japan for a short period. This opportunity enables young scholars to learn about leading-edge science and technology and interact with scientifically inclined young minds in Japan.

[caption id="attachment_38564" align="aligncenter" width="717"] Ashish Kumar Verma with the cohort from India at Sakura Science Program[/caption]

Growing up as a fan of Doraemon and Shin-chan, Ashish excitedly shares how he saw houses similar to Nobita's from Doraemon and ate Shin-chan's favourite choco chips. “It was like living out scenes from the anime I watched as a child,” he remarks.

One of the highlights of the event was attending a lecture by Nobel Prize winner Hiroshi Kitagawa. They also visited several labs at Kyoto University, which further ignited Ashish’s passion for STEM. “This experience made me realise that I want to combine technology and pure science to create innovative solutions, as I believe true breakthroughs now lie in interdisciplinary approaches,” says Ashish, who also visited Tokyo and Osaka during the trip. He soaked in the diversity that the two bustling cities offered in comparison to the calmness of Kyoto, ending with a feeling of being 'in two different worlds.'

“We visited many pilgrimage sites and temples. The experience was so surreal, it felt like being in a movie. Later, we explored various scientific institutions. I was particularly impressed by our visit to the RIKEN Science Centre, where we witnessed a real-life 'invisible frog' experiment - the frog was only visible under blue light, reminiscent of the movie 'Mr. India',” he remarks.

[caption id="attachment_38578" align="aligncenter" width="416"] Ashish during his Japan trip[/caption]

Although the opportunity clashed with another prestigious offer to visit Oxford University, Ashish chose the Japan trip instead. “The event aligned more with my future goals,” remarks the youngster who has lived in different parts of the country owing to his father’s transferable job.

The trip culminated in a cultural performance where members of each country showcased their culture. “I was selected to give the closing speech. We had just five minutes to showcase India's rich and diverse culture through our performance. The Japanese hosts and other international delegates particularly enjoyed our presentation.”

Rising above odds

Ashish is a great example of rising above odds. In 2014, a tragedy struck. Through sheer willpower and support from his parents, Ashish persevered. “When I was eight, my right hand was caught in a lift. The following year was a blur of hospital stays, five to six operations, and numerous minor surgeries. I struggled to perform basic tasks, and writing became a challenge. Throughout it all, my parents, though worried about my future, never let their tears show. Instead, they fuelled my spirit with motivation,” he recalls.

He learned to write with his left hand and honed his motor skills by learning to play the piano. His determination didn’t stop there. “I trained rigorously and clinched a gold medal in Taekwondo. My passion for puzzles led me to set a national record of 17 seconds in a Rubik’s Cube championship. At 12, I won my first hackathon, followed by the top prize in a Google competition and victories in over 10 more hackathons,” he adds.

[caption id="attachment_38569" align="aligncenter" width="721"] Ashish with Sara Kemp, Vice President, Intel Government Affairs and Gokul V Subramaniam. Intel India President[/caption]

Venturing into freelance work and founding his startup, AI Navya, Ashish started exploring the world of AI, working on innovative projects that fetched him the Rashtriya Bal Vaigyanik Puraskar and a trip to Japan.

The multifaceted youngster has been invited to speak at prestigious events including Google DevFest in Noida, the INTEL AI Student Community platform, and the National Apprenticeship Awareness Workshop organised by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), among others.

“Throughout my journey, I have been blessed with great mentors who have guided and supported me. Our real treasures are our parents, teachers, and mentors who nurture and believe in us,” he signs off.

Follow Ashish Kumar Verma on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

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Dev Sharma: British-Indian teen leading the fight on food justice and climate action

(November 1, 2024) In the House of Commons, 18-year-old Dev Sharma delivered a message that's become a rallying cry for climate and health action: "Let’s clarify, we did not cause the current climate disaster, but we are facing the health effects — even if we may not have started this catastrophe, we must be the ones to resolve it. We’ll demand answers from the producers of fossil fuels." Dev, one of the 250 Youth Parliament members gathered to debate health and policy issues in the chamber, raised his voice against more than just climate change. In 2023, he called for better action on food poverty, making it clear that for his generation, these issues are inseparably linked. Raised in Leicester's Rushey Mead area, Dev's journey into activism started early. His community’s struggles with health inequities and food poverty hit close to home, especially when Dev began noticing the of junk food advertising aimed at young people. "I feel like I’m being bombarded with junk food ads on my phone and computer, and it’s overwhelming," he wrote for The Food Foundation. "They are everywhere, popping up when we’re watching videos, when I’m gaming with friends, and we don’t have an escape,

ads on my phone and computer, and it’s overwhelming," he wrote for The Food Foundation. "They are everywhere, popping up when we’re watching videos, when I’m gaming with friends, and we don’t have an escape, especially not at the moment when we are living on our screens." The flood of junk food ads pushed him to do something bigger, something that would take his voice from his community to the halls of Parliament.

By 15, Dev had won the Diana Award for his efforts in food activism, and he soon saw an opening to make a more concrete change. Recognising the influence of junk food ads, especially online, he launched a campaign targeting then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, calling for an end to junk food advertising that targets children. The campaign took off, fuelled by support from the public and celebrities like Jamie Oliver. Ultimately, Dev’s online letter-gathering turned into a landmark achievement: the UK government announced a ban on online junk food advertising in June 2021. The world’s first ban of its kind, it was even included in the Queen’s Speech, marking a major win for Dev and youth advocates around the country.

[caption id="attachment_40127" align="aligncenter" width="498"] Dev Sharma[/caption]

As the pandemic hit and the UK went into lockdown, Dev’s advocacy didn’t slow down. With schools closed, many children who relied on free school meals faced a tougher time getting nutritious food. Partnering with footballer Marcus Rashford, Dev called on the government to extend meal support during holiday periods. His voice became one of many in a rising wave of young activists demanding that policymakers step up. More than a million people signed the petition, and in response, the government extended free school meals through the holidays — a step that helped ease the burden on countless families.

Dev’s work has helped prompt other important policy changes. For the first time in over a decade, the UK government increased the value of the ‘Healthy Start’ benefit — a scheme that provides nutritional support to young families — from £3.10 to £4.25, allowing more families to afford healthier options. Today, Dev is the chair of Bite Back 2030, a youth-led organisation advocating for systemic changes in the food industry. "After research found that 15 billion ads were being seen by children and young people, there was a consultation launched by the Government to ban junk food," Dev shared in an interview. "The Government asked for the public's opinion on the matter. But I felt like the voices of young people weren’t really being heard. So, I wanted to do something about it.”

Dev’s impact now reaches beyond his local community and resonates with the larger British-Indian diaspora. For Dev, being a British Indian is about carrying forward a legacy of resilience and community support, values he channels into his advocacy work. The British Indian community has long been a part of the social justice fabric of the UK, and Dev’s activism highlights how new generations are building on that legacy, particularly in issues that affect minorities and underrepresented groups. By tackling food poverty and demanding clean air for his generation, he’s brought these urgent issues to the forefront of government policy discussions.

International platforms, too, have noticed his work. Dev has spoken at high-profile events like the UN Food Systems Summit and the Global Obesity Summit in New York. Closer to home, he recently led the UK Government’s first youth inquiry into the cost of living, an examination of how rising costs are impacting young people across the country. "The health of one in three children is already at risk from the food they eat," Dev noted, as he argued for lasting changes that prioritize child health.

The personal moments also drive his mission. Studying for his GCSE exams in 2021, Dev found himself bombarded by fast food ads on YouTube. That was when he realised he wasn't alone — millions of young people were seeing the same ads, feeling the same pressure to choose unhealthy options. That moment led him to work with Bite Back 2030 to launch a campaign that didn’t just raise awareness but fought for tangible change. "Each time a member of the public signed the letter, an automatic email would be sent directly to the Health Secretary," he explained, adding that the campaign’s success brought the issue to the attention of MPs, who eventually agreed to ban the ads.

[caption id="attachment_29293" align="aligncenter" width="699"] Dev Sharma won the UK Parliament Award[/caption]

Even in his achievements, Dev remains focused on what’s next. He was recently asked to switch on Leicester’s Diwali Lights, the largest Diwali celebration outside of India, symbolizing his role as a leader not just for British Indian youth, but for all young people who want to make an impact. He’s spoken at international gatherings, worked with government officials, and continues to drive campaigns that change lives.

Dev Sharma is a young leader pushing the limits of what youth activism can achieve. His work is proof that young voices are key to tackling today’s toughest challenges. With the determination to take on everything from junk food advertising to climate action, Dev represents a new wave of British Indian activism that’s reshaping policy and inspiring a generation ready to make a difference.

Follow Dev Sharma on his website, Twitter and LinkedIn
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