Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveFrom Rohtak to International cricket: Shafali Verma’s story sets the right inspiration for budding players

From Rohtak to International cricket: Shafali Verma’s story sets the right inspiration for budding players

Written by: Amrita Priya

(July 13, 2022) She was quite young when she first stepped on a cricket pitch. Disguised as her brother, who was sick, Shafali Verma played at the under-12 national school championship and ended up winning the Player of the Match award. A first-class cricketer today, this Rohtak girl has carved a niche for herself in the world of cricket. The youngest Indian cricketer to play in an international match, Shafali was just 15 when she was selected to play at the Women’s 20 International Series. Interestingly, the teen prodigy became the youngest Indian half-centurion, while playing against West Indies during her debut series. Her first international series turned out to be a great one. Scoring 158 in just five matches, she became the player of the series, garnering lots of attention for her fantastic performance.

Indian Cricketer | Shafali Verma | Global Indian

Shafali Verma, Indian cricketer

By 2021, the 2004-born Haryana girl had built a good repertoire – becoming the youngest player to represent India in all three formats of international cricket at the age of 17 years. Her brilliant performances earned her a place in the Indian team up for the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup, to be held in New Zealand. Global Indian looks at the extraordinary journey of this brilliant, young player.

Off her own bat

Daughter of a jewellery shop owner, Shafali has been playing cricket since she was just eight years old. The young cricketer was trained by her father, Sanjeev, who once aspired to be a cricketer himself. A strict mentor, Sanjeev devised a rigorous training schedule for his daughter. However, he would also give her a reward of ₹5 whenever Shafali would hit a sixer at the local ground. Recognising that Shafali could make an excellent cricketer, her father later made her join the Ram Narayan Cricket Club, Rohtak.

Shafali Verma representing IPL Velocity at a match in Pune

Crediting her father for her success, Shafali wrote on her social media, “I am who I am today because of my father. He has always been the most supportive and friendly dad in the world.” But, her father wasn’t her only inspiration. Not unlike other cricketers, Shafali too idolised one of the greatest cricketers of all times, Sachin Tendulkar. “The reason I took up cricket is because of Sachin sir. My family has just not idolized but worshipped him,” she had once mentioned in a post.

Shafali with her idol, Sachin Tendulkar

The journey continues…

A alumna of Mandeep Senior Secondary School, Rohtak registered yet another record to her name becoming the youngest cricketer ever to play in the final of the World Cup. Owing to her game, the cricketer moved 12 places up in the ODI batting rankings, to a career-best 36th rank.

Shafali with Indian women’s cricket team

The Indian cricketer, who is a right-handed batswoman, has played a significant role in bringing India a 2-0 lead against Sri Lanka in the ten-team league ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) 2022-25 which is in its third iteration. There are many tournaments on the bay and Shafali is in a good form to make a mark in all the matches ahead.

Even though she is quite busy, the sportsperson always manages to find time between matches and practice sessions, to connect with her fans through social media.

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Published on 13, Jul 2022

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Tanay Jain: Upcycling textile waste to stitch garments for the underprivileged kids

(January 26, 2024) Up to 7800 kilotonnes of textile waste gets accumulated in India each year with pre-consumer waste making for a steep 42 percent, out of which 17 percent ends up in landfills. Seeing piles of wasted fabric stacked in corners of his dad's Kolkata-based textile factory (Onaya Fashions) led to the birth of the Onaya Foundation in 2018 with a mission to give textile waste a second lease of life. They upcycle discarded textile waste into garments for underprivileged children. "Till now we have reached out to 6000 children with the help of NGOs and have upcycled 5500-6000 meters of cloth," Tanay tells Global Indian. What began as donations by family members and friends to the underprivileged on special occasions grew during the lockdown when it opened its doors to the world owing to Tanay's vision of expansion. "We often visited orphanages during birthdays and donated clothes. But during the lockdown, we decided to open this idea to the world, where people could donate garments made from upcycled textile waste to the underserved," reveals the 18-year-old, who is studying B.Com (H) at Sriram College of Commerce. Conceptualised by his aunt Vandana Jain in 2018, the foundation expanded its

Sriram College of Commerce. Conceptualised by his aunt Vandana Jain in 2018, the foundation expanded its horizon in 2020 upon Tanay's behest. It began with making an Instagram page to invite keen donors. "They could contact us and we would find an NGO near their place, contact them, take details of the number of children, their age and sizes, and make clothes for them using the textile waste generated from my dad's factory," says Tanay.

[caption id="attachment_35462" align="aligncenter" width="548"] Tanay Jain[/caption]

In no time, the orders started coming in bulk, especially during the festive season. The contractual karigars stitch kurtas for boys and kurtis for girls at a nominal charge of ₹200. "We wanted to pay the marginalised karigars during Covid-19, especially when they needed an additional source of income," says the teenager, whose foundation has till now made multiple donations to 50-60 NGOs across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Assam. "We supply the karigars with textile waste which is mostly cloth patches and depending on their creativity and ingenuity, they make a kurta/kurti out of it." Tanay says that through the Onaya Foundation, the children at NGOs are getting to wear new garments on their birthdays, "something that wasn't happening before, and makes it special for them too."

The dream of being a social entrepreneur

Born in a business family, Tanay was witness to many dining table conversations that revolved around textiles. But seeing his family inclined towards serving society, he had decided at a young age that social entrepreneurship was the way forward. "I wanted to create an impact in the society through my work. However, I was too young to understand what I wanted to partake in until the lockdown happened, and I became more interested in the work that The Onaya Foundation is doing," says the teenager, whose foundation has made over 7000-8000 donations till now from their factory waste. "You can imagine the kind of textile waste that's generated from the factories that operate on a larger scale."

The positive impact

In the last few years, the Onaya Foundation has made a positive impact not only in the lives of underprivileged kids but the environment as well, especially in the times of fast fashion when a lot of textile waste makes it to landfills, thus causing environmental hazards. Their foundation looks into pre-consumption waste that is accumulated during the making of a garment. "Our idea was to start a cycle where the yarn or the fabric comes from nature and we give back to nature by upcycling textile waste. Moreover, we have also planted saplings and trees from the surplus funds we have received through donations," explains Tanay.

Started as the Katran Foundation in 2018, they have recently renamed it the Onaya Foundation. "The reason we have incorporated it under the Onaya Fashions is that it gives us a lot of resources to market it, create more impact, and formalise the structure. That's what we plan to do in the next two years," reveals Tanay, who looks into the marketing, awareness, and donation drives. His aunt, on the other hand, handles manufacturing and upcycling.

[caption id="attachment_35463" align="aligncenter" width="293"] Tanay with his aunt Vandana Jain[/caption]

Dwelling on the challenges that Tanay faced during the process, he says not getting enough donations was heartbreaking. "Also, creating awareness on textile waste and donations at a student level when people don't take you seriously was a constant struggle," he says, adding, "People often question your motivation thinking you are doing it for your CV. But since I had no inclination to study abroad and no external motive, people understood that it was of personal value to me," says Tanay for whom the entire experience has been humbling. "It has made me understand my privileges and how I can use them for the betterment of the society."

Sustainable fashion is the future

Ask if India is ready for sustainable fashion, the teenager says, "Things have improved in the last few years but it was difficult for us to spread awareness as people had no idea about textile waste causing environmental concerns." At the same time, he is happy that many companies are now championing the cause in the textile industry. "Some people are ready to pay a 20 percent premium for clothes that are sustainable than those that cause environmental hazards. At the same time, it's at a level where people are privileged. In a country like India, people have affordability issues as they care more about the price of the product than its impact. The kind of donations we are doing with The Onaya Foundation is done on a small level but when you look at the problem from a bigger lens, many people still cannot afford two meals a day in India, which puts a lot of things into perspective. I am grateful that the awareness is being spread but there is a long way to go," he signs off.

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Young environmentalist Sanju Soman is working on building model villages

(May 15, 2022) Back in 2012, a 19-year-old student based in Thiruvananthapuram started an NGO named SARSAS (Save A Rupee Spread a Smile), which aimed at encouraging charity and social work in youngsters. Almost a decade later, environmentalist Sanju was selected as one of the young climate leaders from India by the United Nations as part of their campaign ‘We the Change’, for his exceptional work, in 2021. [caption id="attachment_16665" align="aligncenter" width="701"] Sanju Soman[/caption] Currently, Sanju is tirelessly working on several environmental issues through his NGO Sustera Foundation, which drives collective action through capacity building training, campaigns and policy dialogues to equip communities to adapt better to climate disasters and climate change. "Change should happen now and at a very fast rate," advocates Sanju, during an interview with Global Indian, adding, "During my college days, when I was working towards initiating SARSAS, I realised that there are a lot of youngsters who are ready to do social work but they are unable to do so, due to the lack of a proper platform." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker) Some of the major programmes that Sanju initiated in the last ten years

wards initiating SARSAS, I realised that there are a lot of youngsters who are ready to do social work but they are unable to do so, due to the lack of a proper platform."

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A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Some of the major programmes that Sanju initiated in the last ten years are rainwater harvesting project in Malayinkeezhu, a drought-prone region in Kerala and Trivandrum, an annual charity run to raise funds for financially needy patients suffering from critical diseases. The environmentalist also undertook a 10-day cycling expedition, covering the Western Ghats from Mumbai to Bengaluru in early 2015.

A green panther

A native of Adoor in Kerala, Sanju grew up in Saudi Arabia, where his father worked as a laboratory technician. Although he was attending an excellent school, Sanju would eagerly wait for vacation time, when he would get to come to India. "Saudi back in the day had many restrictions. I was the only child, and didn't have many friends. So, I felt lonely some times. However, back in India, I had several friends. My grandparents lived in a beautiful home, and I remember as a child I would visit paddy field with my grandfather, and loved exploring the village," shares the environmentalist.

[caption id="attachment_16666" align="aligncenter" width="438"] A childhood image of Sanju[/caption]

His love for Kerala made him shift his base soon after finishing his class X in Saudi. "My last two years of schooling were awesome. I made so many friends, and was even involved the co-curricular activities at school," says Sanju, who describes himself as an above average student. After finishing school, while other students were confused whether to pursue engineering or medicine, Sanju chose to study human psychology from SN College in Thiruvananthapuram.

[caption id="attachment_16667" align="aligncenter" width="728"] Sanju during a workshop[/caption]

However, it was during his graduation years that Sanju started getting involved in various voluntary organisations. "I started SARSAS in 2013, which turned out to be one of the largest youth-led NGOs in Trivandrum. The idea was to create a space for young people where they can share their thoughts and discuss about varied social issues, without any hesitations or fear of being judged," shares the nature activist. Through their efforts, SARSAS raised around Rs 70 lakh over five years to support cancer patients, who were from vulnerable communities. The team also launched several social projects, which involved about 300 to 500 volunteers.

Creating a "model wetland village"

During his post-graduation in Climate Change and Sustainability Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Studies (TISS), the environmentalist joined the Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) as a Research Intern in 2015, where he worked for two months. After he came back from Ladakh, Sanju joined the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and led the Habitat learning project in 2016. There he trained teachers and students of government schools near the Vembanad Lake in Kerala for a period of two years.

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A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

"Vembanad lake is the second largest Ramsar wetland site in India and also one of the most diverse and flood-prone regions in Kerala. Realising the importance of the lake, we engaged with the villagers in teaching the students and teachers about climate change and the importance of habitat conservation with a focus on wetlands, especially the one that they live by," Sanju explains. This work made him one of the 58 Global school ambassadors from across the world, chosen by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) to scale up SDG education in schools.

[caption id="attachment_16669" align="aligncenter" width="751"] Women of Muhamma village working at the social innovation lab[/caption]

It was around this time that Sanju started working on the concept of making a wetland village sustainable and self-sufficient. "Muhamma is a small village which is also part of the Vembanad-Kol Ramsar wetland site. While I was attending a panchayat meeting there, I learnt about the struggles of the fishing community people residing there, especially the women. They were talking about how the increasing plastic pollution was affecting their livelihoods. So, we developed a three-year plan to make the panchayat energy efficient, plastic-free, and also to improve the livelihood of people,” the environmentalist says.

[caption id="attachment_16668" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Sanju, along with several other environmentalists. during an event[/caption]

The programme was affected due to the COVID situation in the country, and the tasks are still a work-in-progress. "There have been drastic changes like reduced plastic consumption, increase in tree cover in the area and recovery of canals,” he says. To empower the ladies in the area, Sanju also set up a social innovation lab, through which Sustera trained over 150 women from the fishing communities on cloth upcycling. He was also part of an initiative to make Muhamma the first synthetic sanitary napkin-free village.

The road ahead

Along with his friends, Sanju started a social enterprise named BHAVA in 2018 to support those women making upcycled goods to sell their products in the market. They succeeded in providing a minimum wage of Rs 5,000 per month to around 40 women through this as an additional income. The environmentalist also launched one of the largest upcycling efforts in Kerala and converted around 30,000 kg of cloth waste into usable products.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Simultaneously, Sanju founded Sustera Foundation, an NGO, to train youngsters in climate action, capacity building of local self-government institutions, and supporting climate entrepreneurs. The NGO has mentored over 70 entrepreneur teams over the past few years.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Currently residing in London with his wife Sonu, Sanju works with World Institute of Sustainable Energy. His research centers on understanding and facilitating multi-level climate governance in Kerala. “I met Sonu while we were working at the ATREE and our ideologies matched. We didn’t want an extravagant wedding. Instead, we used the money kept for the wedding to help people in need during the pandemic. We also used some money to develop a Miyawaki forest in a small piece of land,” says the environmentalist, who is also managing Sustera with its new initiatives in Kerala like creating an ecosystem for green enterprises and eco-restoration.

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Reading Time: 7 mins

Riddhi Javali: Eradicating period poverty by educating and helping rural school girls

(September 28, 2024) A newspaper article about Shuchi Scheme - a menstrual hygiene project by the Karnataka government that distributes free sanitary pads for school girls - coming to a halt owing to Covid-19 shifted something in the then 14-year-old Riddhi Javali. Being a teenager herself, the Bengaluru resident understood the problems that girls in villages would be facing due to this unforeseen circumstance. "Despite coming from a privileged background, kids like me were having an issue procuring the essential items. So with the Shuchi scheme coming to an abrupt stop, it was hard for me to even fathom the kind of problems the adolescent girls in villages would be facing, as discussing periods is still considered a taboo," says changemaker Riddhi, who then decided to start Project Repeat - an effort to provide young girls in rural areas with safe and sustainable menstrual hygiene products like reusable cloth pads. What began as an idea to help the adolescent school girls in nearby villages of Bengaluru has now transformed into a movement that is spread across the state of Karnataka, and has so far impacted 400 government school girls in rural areas. "It has been quite a journey for me,"

w transformed into a movement that is spread across the state of Karnataka, and has so far impacted 400 government school girls in rural areas. "It has been quite a journey for me," the DPS Bangalore South student tells Global Indian, adding, "Knowing that my efforts are helping the girls, gives me immense satisfaction and reaffirms that I am on the right path."

[caption id="attachment_25201" align="aligncenter" width="413"] Riddhi Javali is the founder of Project Repeat[/caption]

A newspaper clipping that changed it all

A newspaper article stating around 19.29 lakh government school girls were awaiting sanitary pads after the Shuchi scheme was stalled, made Riddhi jump into action. The closure of schools due to Covid-19 deprived lakhs of young girls of sanitary napkins and Riddhi was keen to find a solution. Understanding that the disposable sanitary pads provided by the government harm the environment, she knew that sustainable menstrual products were the answer. She had three options - biodegradable pads, menstrual cups, or cloth pads - to choose from to begin the journey. She zeroed in on cloth pads as they are cost-efficient, eco-friendly, and could be washed and reused for up to five years.

"Initially, the plan was to employ rural women who could make cloth pads by procuring waste cloth from cloth factories. However, the proposal was busted when I was told that a medical grade cloth was needed for the process," reveals the 19-year-old who had to think on her feet, and immediately started looking for NGOs who make cloth pad kids. That's when she came across Giocare. "I ordered the first batch of 50 cloth pad kits from my pocket money and got in touch with Srinavasa V sir, the Block Resource Coordinator for Dept of School Education and Literacy Government of Karnataka. He took me to a government school in Harrohalli village on the outskirts of Bengaluru, my first visit," adds Riddhi, who distributed cloth pads to the girls and educated them on menstruation.

[caption id="attachment_25202" align="aligncenter" width="739"] Riddhi interacting with girls at Karnataka Public School in Harohalli[/caption]

In a country where menstruation is still a taboo topic and around 23 percent of girls drop out of school upon reaching puberty, getting the girls to open up was a task for Riddhi. "They were extremely shy. But with each school interaction, things started to get better and more streamlined. However, what struck me the most was their problems. Some told me that their school washrooms would get blocked girls would try to flush their pads, and that the government wouldn’t repair them for months," says Riddhi, adding, "Others informed me that garbage collectors won't pick up pads, and later the piles of pads were either burned or buried."

A challenging project

The first few trips were an eye-opener for the teenager, who was keen to help. But funding was a challenge that kept prolonging the task at hand. "After spending my pocket money initially, I realised that this wasn't a long-term solution. That's when I started an online fundraiser, while it was family and friends who started contributing at first. But later, we did a tie-up with Ladies Cosmo Circle Bengaluru who funded us for one school," says the changemaker, who believes that people are all for spreading awareness but still think twice before contributing money. "That's the reason I continue with my campaigns so that the funds keep pouring in," she adds, stating that she now has a team of volunteers who help spread awareness by constantly contributing to the website as well as their Instagram page.

[caption id="attachment_25203" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A girl student with cloth pad kit at Government High School, Attihalli[/caption]

While Riddhi now has an army of volunteers who help her with Project Repeat, when she started, it was a one-man or in her case, one-woman show. "For two years, I was the only one who was visiting the schools, giving presentations, raising funds, and even updating the website. But soon the word spread, and like-minded people came forward to lend their support and skills," adds the changemaker. However, it was an uphill task for Riddhi, who had to not only push herself out of her comfort zone but also had to fight the age bias. Recalling an incident, the changemaker says, "I remember once I had finished giving a presentation in one of the schools when one of the teachers told the students that it was my mom who was behind Project Repeat and doing everything. I had to correct her and say that I was the one spearheading this, while my parents were there for moral support."

[caption id="attachment_25204" align="aligncenter" width="783"] Riddhi Javali giving a presentation about menstrual hygiene at Government School Attihalli[/caption]

Plans of expansion

However, these challenges have only made her more determined to work towards period poverty. After having impacted 9-10 government schools in Karnataka, she has now begun creating awareness about menstruation in her school as well. "We have started with Class 7 and Class 8 where boys and girls educate both boys and girls," says the Class 11 student, who has plans of expanding Project Repeat to parts of Tamil Nadu. "Since my mother is from the state, I am comfortable with the language, and can reach out to school girls in rural areas." However, her ultimate aim is for Project Repeat to reach every corner of India, and get more girls and young women out of period poverty. "As little girls, we are so ashamed of periods that not many speak about them openly. So it is important to change this mindset at a young age, as these are the formative years," adds the teen changemaker.

Riddhi calls her software engineer parents the wind beneath her wings, always letting her "explore and discover things." "From pushing me to do better to being present at every school visit despite their busy schedules, they have been huge pillars of support for me," says a grateful Riddhi who loves unwinding by cooking, reading books, playing badminton, and learning Carnatic music.

[caption id="attachment_25205" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Riddhi Javali giving Project Repeat cloth pad kit to a government school girl[/caption]

Riddhi, who began following her passion at the age of 14, advises young people to take the first step. "If you have a slight inkling about what you want to do, take that first step. At times, that's the hardest part but once you do it, things start to fall in place," the changemaker signs off, adding, "Always believe in yourself."

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Building CITTA: How Akanksha and Tanay Sharma are shaping baby care in India

(February 21, 2024) The baby care industry in India has seen significant growth over the last few years, driven by increased consumer awareness rising disposable incomes, and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 14.02 percent from 2022 to 2027. Parents want safe, natural and cruelty-free products for their babies, as overall trends move towards healthier, more sustainable lifestyles. Indian brands have risen to the challenge, bringing modern innovation together with a deep understanding of local and cultural nuances, and India's age-old traditional remedies. CITTA, co-founded by 24-year-old Akanksha Sharma, her mom, Monisha Sharma and brother, Tanay Sharma, is a Pune-based baby care brand that reached a turnover of Rs 1.2 crore within two years. [caption id="attachment_36018" align="aligncenter" width="613"] Akanksha and Tanay Sharma with their mother, Monisha[/caption] ‘Nushke’ to building a brand When Akanksha was studying in the US, her mom and grandma would call her all the time, lovingly giving her advice or ‘nushke’ like 'drink turmeric milk,' and 'use rosewater when you're out in the sun'. Around this time, a well-known baby care brand received a lot of bad press for using unsafe ingredients in their baby powder. Akanksha, who was always entrepreneurial, teamed up with her

hen you're out in the sun'. Around this time, a well-known baby care brand received a lot of bad press for using unsafe ingredients in their baby powder. Akanksha, who was always entrepreneurial, teamed up with her mom and brother to create a safer alternative, and CITTA came to be. Both siblings were abroad - Akanksha was studying Apparel Industry Management at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA, while Tanay was doing a Bachelor's at the University of Toronto. Eventually, they returned home to build their business.

Business in their blood

"I was born and raised in a business family," Akanksha tells Global Indian. "I have witnessed their struggles, growth and expansion. Entrepreneurship is in my blood. My parents are my biggest inspiration since I saw them during their struggling years and I see them now and all that they have accomplished. It pushes me to do better everyday." A quiet and shy child, Akanksha grew into a confident young adult, going on to become head girl at Lexicon School in Pune, where she also participated in co-curricular activities, played basketball, volleyball, took part in debates, elocutions and lots more.

Akanksha and Tanay, who are currently 24 and 22 respectively, grew up in a joint family of 10 members where struggles were common in the early years. "I would see all the adults in my family work very hard till late. They made a decision to start a school together in which there were only 16 students in the first year, out of which three were me and my two sisters," she says. Today, the school has 10,000 students, and holds a valuable lesson for Akanksha and Tanay. "Anything is possible with consistent hard work and dedication," says Tanay. "It pushed me to do better. I got into the University of Toronto and did my undergrad there along with running my own small business."

CITTA began with a mission to create safe and nurturing baby care products. As they researched the industry, they found it needed gentle but effective skincare solutions for both infants and their parents. They expanded into the skincare segment too, along with baby care products. "We are proud to be free from toxins, harsh chemicals, parabens, sulphates, silicones, talc, mineral oils, allergens, petroleum jelly and other potential irritants," the duo say. "This ensures that are products are gentle on sensitive baby skin." The CITTA product range includes a Moisturizing Baby Balm which uses eight natural oils, including Shea butter and vitamin E. Their talc-free baby oil is made with corn, oats and kaolin, which prevents rashes. Their foaming baby wash and baby shampoo are soap-free and tear-free.

Made for the Indian consumer

As homegrown baby care brands now flood the market, CITTA caters to the specific demands of the Indian consumer. "Whether it's developing eco-friendly packaging, incorporating advanced technologies into our products or introducing unique formulations, we strive to set ourselves apart in a crowded market," Akanksha and Tanay explain. They invest heavily in sustainability, ensuring that every part of the supply chain is rooted in integrity, from the ethical sourcing of raw materials to minimizing their carbon footprint every step of the way.

Building CITTA came with its share of challenges and successes. "Each contributed valuable lessons that will significantly shape our plans and strategies moving forward," they say. There have also been numerous shifts in consumer preferences and lifestyles, which has taught them to invest more in R&D practices as they navigate the complexities of the global supply chain. "Disruptions brought about by external factors have emphasised the need for resilience and adaptability," say the siblings. "We have learned to proactively diversify our sourcing strategies, build strategic partnerships and implement agile inventory management systems." They are also working on enhancing their online presence, creating user-friendly interfaces and building robust e-commerce infrastructure.

The sibling journey

Akanksha and Tanay remain at the forefront of CITTA and use their sibling rapport to their advantage. "It's fun and nice," Akanksha smiles. "Tanay, as a brother and working partner, is always supportive. Whether in a meeting, during decision -making or facing any difficulties, you always know that there's support from someone who is equally invested. Despite my emotional nature, Tanay is calm, so we complement each other." Arguments are par for the course, but those are always sorted out in the end.

"Tanay agrees."I had always pictured working with my sister when I was younger and I really like doing so because she gives me immense support and strength," he smiles. "I get to be my goofy self around her and we get to laugh a lot together," he laughs. They strike a balance by talking shop only at the office and just being siblings at home.

It's a unique dynamic that has made for an exciting and fulfilling journey, bolstered by a deep understanding of each other and complementing one another's strengths and shortcomings. "There is a natural synergy that goes beyond business - it's a family affair infused with shared passion and dedication," say the siblings. "We celebrate victories together, learn from setbacks and constantly push each other to innovate. It's not just a partnership, it's a shared adventure that makes every success even sweeter."

Follow Akanksha Sharma and CITTA on Instagram

Reading Time: 6 mins

‘App’lying thought: Teen changemaker Karthik Ramu innovates for elder care

(March 19, 2022) If you have a proclivity for tech, one of two things can happen: You can turn that knowledge into a solution; or you, learn and create an ecosystem striving higher. For teen changemaker Karthik Ramu, it was a coupling of both these that helped him solve the hugely ignored elder care problem in the US. Deep in the throes of his freshman year at the University of Virginia, his grandfather in Coimbatore fell ill. The Virginia-based boy and his family were on tenterhooks. Nothing worth something is going to be easy. One day you get someone interested, another day you are rejected - continuing to innovate with focused understanding is important. - Karthik Ramu, teen innovator and global teen leader Witnessing angst and uncertainty, Karthik set out on a path to research on elder care, get data, and he and his classmate Kushi launched AmityConnect. The mobile platform helps families monitor elders’ health by aggregating real-time health data from smart medical devices (smartwatches, etc). Honoured as a global teen leader by We Are Family Foundation (2021),

he and his classmate Kushi launched AmityConnect. The mobile platform helps families monitor elders’ health by aggregating real-time health data from smart medical devices (smartwatches, etc). Honoured as a global teen leader by We Are Family Foundation (2021), he also won the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge award and was chosen among the top 30 changemakers. The enterprising teen changemaker is direct, has a weakness about numbering his pointers, to then tackle each head on.

[caption id="attachment_12886" align="aligncenter" width="355"] Karthik Ramu, co-founder, AmityConnect[/caption]

When an idea was born

The Tamilian born in North Carolina is as close to his Coimbatore-born parents' roots as he is to his Indian-American culture. The single child’s upbringing was also entrenched in tech as his father is an IT consultant, and his mother helps at their firm. AmityConnect was initiated in 2018-19 at his stem-based magnate high school. An entrepreneurship computer science programme piqued his curiosity, and he ideated on a solution with the potential to impact society.

“The biggest problem for our team was our grandparents – they had medical emergencies. I saw my grandfather suffer a heart attack. We felt distant and unaware, and were unable to offer the best care,” says teen changemaker Karthik Ramu in an interview with Global Indian. Putting his thinking cap on, the co-founder realised that the need for elder care was critical. His grandfather recovered, and a quest began to solve this oft-forgotten need – “Did you know that the elderly population is expected to double globally from 900 million to 2 billion in 2050 – it shook me,” adds the 19-year-old.

Caring for the aged

About one in six people in the US are elderly – with chronic conditions. Often, families and caretakers are left in the dark, and unable to give pertinent care. Initially, they created an app that aggregates data from medical devices but soon realised the larger problem – the data was inaccessible to caretakers, family, etc.

AmityConnect was born as a simple yet ground-breaking way to care for the elderly – simplifying data from devices to send updates on health, and using AI to predict trends — the idea was pitched to tech competitions. Seven family members were roped in to test the app, and it emerged that it was perfect for senior-living facilities. Amity, meaning peace and calm, is Karthik’s way of connecting everyone together for elder care – a peace emanating prospect, no doubt.

The app data also helps predict medical emergencies. “The data we are aggregating shows a trend in medical vitals, thus with AI and ML, we are able to predict heart attacks, etc. We tried to create an AI model to help senior living facilities prep for emergencies,” explains the serious-minded teen changemaker.

The team is also streamlining the way senior living facilities work (often outdated). Families get elders’ health updates at their fingertips with a feature that allows senior living staff to convey data. The beta testing during Covid-19’s peak saw them partner with 20-30 Apple Fitbits. Slowly understanding and smoothening glitches, the focus is on funding, development and growing the team. They also won a competition judged and created by Tim Draper, a renowned venture capitalist in the US, winning $16,000 -$17,000 funding. The goal is to triple funding, launch and tap into the 40,000 to 50,000 US-based senior living communities.

[caption id="attachment_13038" align="aligncenter" width="839"] Karthik Ramu, co-founder, AmityConnect with his friends[/caption]

The only way is up

Expanding the team, they brought in WWDC scholars (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference) – Don, from Singapore and Nick from Netherlands. In the pre-launch stage, Karthik is now busy with school and wants to study MBA (economics and computers science). A part of him longs for the traditional setup of families in India, where primary caregivers are family members, but he accepts that the US is different.

Starting up is tough, and he believes he has the resilience and strength of purpose to succeed, “Nothing worth something is going to be easy. One day you get someone interested, another day you are rejected - continuing to innovate with focused understanding is important - How can I impact others? I realise that the only things that stay are your ideas and work,” says the very mature teen changemaker.

His “India” is a bustling cornucopia - active and alive. Those yearly trips are precious. Fluent in Tamil, Karthik adds, “I speak to my grandparents often. When we go to India, we visit the village. I’ve been brought very Indian, and that has helped me in many ways. Acknowledging the other parts of you, and your identity is helpful, and makes one unique.”

Projects, and more projects

Left to his own skillset, his parents are supportive but noninterfering. “Their goal is to guide me in the right direction – whether to pitch at competitions or a willingness to drive me there, they motivate me. At the same time, I am doing these different ventures, helping out with different entrepreneurship projects so they ensure I balance it all,” smiles Karthik, who hopes to graduate and devote time developing AmityConnect, and ultimately be his own boss.

His parents are unaware of his projects, “They joke that I never tell them anything, but they end up being pleasantly surprised and proud,” adds the teen changemaker.

Quiet, contemplative, his close-knit friends’ circle helps him spread those bookish wings further. The 5’10’’ basketball player is thankful to his teachers – “Ms Schmidt, Ms Dorothy, who were a guiding force to help me get the right resources. Cliff Weitzman (founder and CEO, Speechify, an AI-powered text to speech platform), who has a YouTube channel inspired me with his writing. He knows what it is to be a student entrepreneur, and grow a 100-plus team to generate revenue,” says the basketball aficionado.

Another mentor, Drew Bartkiewicz (in the top 100 influential people by Goldman Sachs) from We Are Family Foundation is a mentor. The teen changemaker says, “His immense experience in scaling app-based companies – helped us immensely.”

Covid-19 was Karthik’s, “time to introspect, create his own values and understand where he is, and where he wants to go.” Yes, for a freshman, the teen changemaker philosophises too.

Follow Karthik Ramu on Linkedin