Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveGolfing trailblazer: Aditi Ashok’s journey in golf and triumphs in 2023

Golfing trailblazer: Aditi Ashok’s journey in golf and triumphs in 2023

Written by: Amrita Priya

(December 3, 2023)The 2023 Ladies European Tour (LET) was a series of golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world held at multiple locations around the world. India’s Aditi Ashok competed with golfers from France, Spain, Thailand, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic and many other countries in the race to the Costa del Sol rankings – a season-long competition to crown the LET’s number one player. The Indian professional golfer who recently bagged silver at the Asian Games 2023, won both the opening and closing tournaments of the season at Kenya and Spain respectively. With these significant wins she made 2023 the best-ever year for Indian women golfers at the LET.

“It was a great battle,” said Aditi after winning the closing tournament of LET at Spain. In May this year, Aditi had achieved a ground-breaking milestone as the first Indian female golfer to break into the top 50 in the world rankings following her T5 finish at the LPGA Founders Cup. “I have grown up with golf being a part of my life. It means a lot. A few days without golf and I start feeling a void. It is an ingrained aspect of my life,” she had remarked in a previous interview.

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Aditi clinched the fourth position in the tournament, whereas her counterpart Diksha Dagar attained the third spot, marking the first time in history when two Indian golfers achieved top-five rankings in the LET season.

Starting young

The 25-year-old had started playing golf when she was merely five. Born and brought up in Bengaluru, the golfer made her Olympic Games debut at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Later, she also qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, representing India, finishing fourth.

Although she was unhappy about the result, the Global Indian said, “So many people in India are writing and talking about golf, and even watching it. I am looking at the positive side. The fact that my Olympic performance has generated more interest is great.”

Indian Sportsperson | Aditi Ashok | Global Indian

Aditi Ashok with budding golfers

Finding support in parents

The golfer’s parents supported her dreams from the beginning. At the age of five when she expressed interest in the sport, her father took her to the Karnataka Golf Association driving range. So invested were her parents in Aditi’s goals of life that her father Ashok became her caddie in the 2016 Olympics, while her mother Maheshwari Ashok was her caddie at the Olympics of 2020 in Tokyo.

“Both my parents supported me a lot when I was young. My dad would take me to the golf course every day and teach me how to manage my game. My mom has been a pillar of strength. From her, I have learnt how to create a positive environment around oneself,” she remarked.

Aditi Ashok with her father as caddie in 2016 Olympics

Turning heads

When Aditi was still a teenager, she was the lone Indian golfer participating in the Asian Youth Games of 2013, the Youth Olympics, and the Asian Games in 2014. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she emerged as the youngest competitor among all golfers, securing the 41st position, not a bright spot yet a milestone of sorts for the youngster who was trying hard to make a mark internationally.

She had got successful in clinching the National Junior Championship consecutively in 2012, 2013, and 2014, holding both junior and senior titles simultaneously in 2014. Following her victory in the Ladies British Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2015, she had transitioned to the professional circuit the following year.

The golfer made history by becoming the youngest and the first Indian to triumph in the Lalla Aicha Qualifying School, earning her Ladies European Tour card for the 2016 season. This achievement marked her as the youngest victor of a Q School for an international tour.

Aditi Ashok

She secured her landmark win at the 2016 Hero Women’s Indian Open, carding an impressive 3-under-par 213. This victory established her as the first Indian winner of a Ladies European Tour (LET) title. Her success in a country traditionally fixated on cricket brought exceptional attention to the sport of golf.

International triumphs

Since then Aditi has been performing consistently well at major international golf tournaments creating a mark for herself. The dedicated player remarked, “I think the game itself is pretty motivating. Every day is different. Just having played well yesterday or last week does not guarantee anything this week. You are always on your toes to improve every aspect of your game.”

In a remarkable year for Indian women golfers, Aditi Ashok’s 2023 triumphs, securing victories and marking history alongside Diksha Dagar has contributed to India’s glory in the global stage of golf.

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Published on 03, Dec 2023

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Krrish Chawla: Stanford University student making clean air accessible

(March 15, 2023) Being surrounded by nebulizers and inhalers during Diwali has been one of the core memories for Delhi-born Krrish Chawla while growing up in the capital. As someone who battled respiratory problems throughout his childhood, the 20-year-old was always surrounded by air filters to enhance his breathing. This propelled him to find a solution for many like him, who were facing similar issues. "Being curious as a kid, I was just 14, when I dismantled a purifier inside my home to discover a very simple working design. However, I was taken aback the moment my father told me about its exorbitant price. With a strong resolution that breathing pure air is not a luxury but a necessity — I decided to build one myself," the Stanford University student said. Being a science student, he was well aware of the operations of an electrical circuit and soon started experimenting with different prototypes. It took him 320 prototypes to finally come up with a commercially viable model - "with a focus on delivering maximum efficiency at the most economical rates." This gave birth to Breathify in 2018 - an air-purifying device with an innovative ‘Reverse Air’ technology. "My parents helped

l - "with a focus on delivering maximum efficiency at the most economical rates." This gave birth to Breathify in 2018 - an air-purifying device with an innovative ‘Reverse Air’ technology. "My parents helped me immensely during the initial days. With the help of my father, I was able to innovate and design a technology called 'reverse air'. It essentially reverses the components used inside the device to reach maximum filtering efficiency," he added. In simple terms, the technology reverses the direction of airflow, thus eliminating any scope of air-mixing with surrounding pollutants.

Made of eco-friendly components, the air purifier is 99 percent plastic-free, uses a HEPA filter that can trap 99.97 percent of ultra-microscopic particles, and is available at ₹4230. "It is a simple plug-in-play operation, consuming 25-65 watts of electricity. The only maintenance is to change the HEPA filter," he told HT.

Being a teenager when he made the device, Krrish had to face many challenges, but for him, the prime struggle was to convince people about the simplicity of an air purifier. "I did several demos in front of people showing them the efficiency of my device. Since childhood, I was deeply inspired by minimalism. I believe that instead of incorporating a lot of complexity inside the machine, we should focus on a simple design to boost functionality," the Global Indian said.

The startup began with initial financial assistance from his father and later, he invested the profits from new orders. "I learned on Google through research and experimentation. The challenge was to understand the airflow and correct it as required,” he said. Breathify has till now helped improve the lives of over 48,000 people and has reached more than 12000 users in India.

Krrish, who is currently pursuing Computer Science at Stanford University, is an avid photographer and a national-level golfer. He is constantly striving for social upliftment, making positive differences in the world – a step at a time. A common aim of all his projects is environmental sustainability, which he hopes to achieve in the near future.

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Teen innovator Varun Saikia’s AI-driven Makara rids water bodies of plastic

(March 1, 2022) The sight of a gasping pilot whale washed ashore in Thailand in 2018 left a 12-year-old Varun Saikia heartbroken. “I followed the news, and found that it died of starvation as her belly was full of plastic waste. It shook me. I knew I had to come up with a solution to help protect marine life,” Varun tells Global Indian in an interview, of the whale that had consumed 80 plastic bags. And he did. The 16-year-old innovated an AI-driven device Makara to clean polluted water bodies. It won him a special award at the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science 2021. His prototype also got a nod from the Gujarat Innovation Council, with a grant of Rs 1,86,000 to create a bigger prototype, set to be launched this year. [caption id="attachment_11605" align="aligncenter" width="649"] Varun Saikia with his AI device Makara[/caption] Understanding the workings of gadgets Born in Vadodra in 2005 to parents who own an advertising agency, Varun loved dismantling toys, especially remote-control ones. This inquisitiveness to understand its functioning led the teenager to become an inventor and innovator at a young age. “I used to pick things easily available at home, and come up

Born in Vadodra in 2005 to parents who own an advertising agency, Varun loved dismantling toys, especially remote-control ones. This inquisitiveness to understand its functioning led the teenager to become an inventor and innovator at a young age. “I used to pick things easily available at home, and come up with new ideas,” says the boy who at the age of eight made a water harvesting system using plastic bottles and pipe. Cutter in hand, he was always pottering on inventive ideas. This often invited the fury of his mother. “She was concerned about my safety, but she also always supported me in my innovations,” smiles Varun.

At 12, things took a serious turn with the news of a pilot whale on the shores of Thailand. “After a few days, the whale succumbed. The incident nudged me to come up with a solution,” says the Navrachana School student.

How Makara came to life

The Class 11 student knew he had to get rid of plastic waste that was making many species of fish extinct. He designed a low-cost machine that helps clean water bodies. “After discussing the problem with my mom, she encouraged me to work on the prototype which took three months. Post several trials, I came up with Makara, a fabricated prototype using plastic bottles that worked on a battery, and could be operated by remote control,” reveals Varun who conducted 11 test runs in local ponds and collected 33 kg plastic waste.

With each experiment and test run, Varun improvised the prototype. “Initially, I had added a basket at the tail of the prototype to gather waste. I soon realised that a lot of plastic waste is deeper. So I added a tail net that collected waste in a larger capacity,” adds Varun who pitched the idea to the Gujarat Innovation Council, and won a grant in December 2018.

In July 2019, Varun began working on the bigger model, Flipper, that's 20 feet in length, fully automated, and it can fish out 150 kg waste in one swoop. The teenager claims the innovation doesn’t affect marine life as the ultrasonic waves transmitted from its sensors keep fishes at bay. “Fish don’t come to the surface. The tail net bin is only 10 inches deep, and can be customised up to 1.5 ft depending on the water bodies,” says the young innovator, adding that floating waste is later segregated on land.

This passion for protecting the environment led to the launch of his startup Ocean Cleanerz in 2021. “After working on Makara and Flipper, I realised the need for a company that focuses on finding a sustainable solution to environmental problems,” says the teenager.

[caption id="attachment_11615" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Varun Saikia working on Makara[/caption]

Project Flipper bagged the IRIS 2021 award instituted by the American Meteorological Society, Massachusetts in the category of environmental engineering. “Because of Covid-19, the awards were held virtually. It feels great that my innovation is getting attention, and resonating with people,” adds the teen innovator.

Varun, who calls his mother Ruchira his mentor, has found a perfect support system in her. “She has always had faith in me. She funded my first prototype, that says a lot about her,” adds Varun, who is glad that his parents have been the wind beneath his wings. “I am grateful that they have allowed me to pursue my innovations,” says the boy who wants to study environmental engineering. “I want to get into MIT, and make a difference with my engineering,” adds Varun, who loves going on long walks with his dog.

Starting up as a teen

The teen innovator never misses a day to work on his startup, despite a tight study schedule. “I devote an hour each day to my work as I am passionate about it,” says Saikia who likes exploring tech websites and learning something new each day.

[caption id="attachment_11616" align="aligncenter" width="649"] Varun Saikia working on Flipper[/caption]

The boy who relentlessly follows up on his innovations, advises “never give up on any idea as someday it might materialise into something concrete.” He has been working on Flipper for two years, and is keen to launch it in the next few months. “I would want to use the device to clean lakes of every city and later help to clean river Ganga. Since my device is scalable, it can be used to clean the Indian Ocean too,” concludes the little visionary.

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Entrepreneur Akshat Mohite’s Astroborne will train the next generation of astronauts

(February 28, 2024) The dream of space exploration resonates universally, capturing the imagination of people around the globe. However, the reality remains that the actual experience is reserved for a privileged few. Government-run space programs offer select individuals the chance to embark on space journeys, but these opportunities are limited. On the private front, the exorbitant costs associated with space travel make it an exclusive venture accessible only to the extremely wealthy. However, a 23-year-old entrepreneur from Thane, Maharashtra, is breathing life into the dream of ordinary individuals venturing into space. Akshat Mohite, founder of Astroborne Space and Defence Technologies, is ambitiously working towards establishing Asia's leading private astronaut training facility. The facility aims to serve private astronauts, government personnel, and space enthusiasts. As a participant in NASA's Project PoSSUM citizen-science astronautics training programme, Akshat envisions training around 700 candidates each year, with a particular emphasis on aspiring astronauts. "Our world-class training programmes are being designed to breed the next generation of space explorers," shares Akshat as he connects with Global Indian for an exclusive interview. "Once we have the land, the facility should be ready in 18-24 months. The Astroborne facility will provide specialised training using modules like hypoxia

explorers," shares Akshat as he connects with Global Indian for an exclusive interview. "Once we have the land, the facility should be ready in 18-24 months. The Astroborne facility will provide specialised training using modules like hypoxia chambers, space suit acclimatisation, G-Force exposure, and spacecraft ingress/egress simulations. It will also have an onsite analog habitat to facilitate prolonged and hyper-realistic mission simulations, driving innovation in aerospace education. We are also registered with space regulator and promoter Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), already has an agreement with a US astronaut training facility, Nastar Centre," he adds.

A curious cat

Born in Mumbai, Akshat owes all his success to his inquisitive nature. "I have been a very curious kid. I would question my parents about everything," shares the entrepreneur, adding, "I remember my parents took me to watch the movie Krishh. I was very young - probably in the second standard - and this was the first time I got to know that one could become a scientist. So, frankly, I have been working towards becoming a scientist since then. Also, I must add that my school is affiliated with the IGCSE board, which enabled me to understand how to write research papers."

Akshat has received acclaim for his research endeavours, with over ten specialised publications and six research papers accepted by the International Aeronautical Federation. His work has earned him invitations to present at prestigious conferences worldwide, and he was selected to showcase his research at the NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest in both Washington and Los Angeles. "During my 11th grade, I got an opportunity to attend a seminar by an eminent NASA scientist, which motivated me to pursue a career in the field of space technology. eventually, I wrote a research paper about how we can settle about 20,000 people in space, and couriered it to the NASA Ames Research Centre. They were so impressed by it, that they invited me to present the paper at there," says the entrepreneur.

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Ask what motivated him to write this paper, and the youngster quips, "I knew about the International Space Station (ISS), but of course, that facility can accommodate a limited number of people only, who can carry out their research missions. So, that got me thinking about another facility like the ISS, but a much bigger accommodation area. It would help humans conduct so much more research and on many diverse topics."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggu8T8AGVEo&pp=ygUNQWtzaGF0IG1vaGl0ZQ%3D%3D

Unfortunately, though, Akshat couldn't get a visa when he applied to go to the NASA centre to present his paper. "I was going to travel with my mentor, and frankly was quite heartbroken when I didn't get the visa. However, I approached our former Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj ma'am for help. A few of my friends in the USA also reached out to presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. And that's how I actually got my visa in the next attempt. But then by then, the NASA conference was over so it made no sense to go to the USA," shares the entrepreneur.

Space bound

In 2019, Akshat became a part of NASA's Project PoSSUM - Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere. "The programme is affiliated with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), a U.S.-based institution specialising in operational science, flight test engineering, and bioastronautics," shares the entrepreneur.

ALSO READ | PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardee Shreenabh Agrawal is a man on a mission

"Soon after I finished my 12th standard examinations, I flew to Florida, USA, and started training as an astronaut. I underwent the G-Force training in an Extra 300 L aircraft. I also went through hypoxia chamber training, which basically tells us what happens to our brain when there is less oxygen in the air - so during this training some people cry or others lose focus. However, I was informed that since Indian cuisine has a high content of iodine, it helps us retain oxygen in the body. In all honesty, I am not sure how scientific this is, but I didn't face anything while inside the hypoxia chamber. My oxygen level dropped till 85 percent, and then stabalised there," he adds

It was here that Akshat got the idea of starting a company that could facilitate this training not only for astronauts but also for space enthusiasts. "I did thorough research and got to know that a single ticket to space can cost anything between $40 million to $70 million through SpaceX. Also, according to PWC Deloitte, the Asian market is a lot more willing to pay for services such as human space flight, more than any other continent. That gave me the confidence that I could set up such a facility and give services at a much cheaper cost. There are over 5,000 candidates from Asia applying for training in the US and Europe annually but not more than 10-15 are accommodated. These people would prefer coming to India, spending less, and getting the same facilities," he shares.

Currently only focussed on building the Astroborne facility, Akshat shares that he wants to create a facility for those who might not want to go to space, but wish to get the training of an astronaut. "We are still in our early stages, and yet the company has already received inquiries from around 450 aspirants. We have the full-support of the government, which is also quite motivational for us. Astroborne is also developing India's first six-seater commercial space module - Airawat - engineered for suborbital space tourism missions, which will be capable of reaching altitudes of up to 400km," shares the entrepreneur as he signs off.

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Basketball player Ryan Agarwal wishes to represent India in the American landscape

(February 25, 2023) The news was as exciting as it was historic. One of the most prominent basketball teams in the USA, Dallas Mavericks, had picked Satnam Singh to be their team member, making him the first Indian-born player to be selected in an NBA draft in 2015. Little did the world know that Satnam's entry in the NBA would open doors for an aspiring Indian American basketball player, Ryan Agarwal, who at the time was just another sixth grader at a Dallas middle school. Now a Stanford freshman, Ryan is one of the only Indian-American players on the Division I level and wishes to represent India in the American basketball landscape. "Even as I play today, I just have to keep in mind the fact that I help represent such a big community, and only a few people have the ability to do what I’m trying to do,” the basketball player said in a recent interview, adding, "It’s amazing to see how many people support me and have my back." The Stanford player, who is also deemed as the rising star of US basketball, is fully aware that his game could push him to be greater on the court,

adding, "It’s amazing to see how many people support me and have my back." The Stanford player, who is also deemed as the rising star of US basketball, is fully aware that his game could push him to be greater on the court, but it doesn’t pressure him. "Basketball is just kind of fun for me. I don’t really feel like it’s a burden on me," the Global Indian shared.

A star in the making

Ryan's parents had emigrated from India, and he was born in a Dallas suburb. While the young kid never saw someone playing basketball or considered it as a career path, it was the selection of Satnam in the Dallas Mavericks that encouraged him to start playing. In 2017, Ryan and his cousin had a chance to watch Satnam in an NBA G League game, and it was there that Ryan realised he wanted to play just like him. And once he had made up his mind, there was no looking back. The youngster started playing at his school and was soon picked up to be a part of the local team. Standing at 6’7 and a slender 175 pounds, the Indian American player is a certified bucket.

[caption id="attachment_27827" align="aligncenter" width="651"] Ryan with his family[/caption]

While he loved playing the sport and spending several hours mastering the skill, Ryan credits his parents for supporting him throughout the journey. Even though they were initially unsure about the rigorous world of recruiting and elite sports, watching their son play gave them immense confidence. Eventually, Ryan shared, that several families started reaching out to them to ask for advice, partly on how to encourage their children in sports and get them noticed by college coaches. "I’m blessed with the parents I have, because they put me in every sport possible to just try to see what I love, which honestly, not a lot of Indian parents do,” Ryan said, adding, "I think that’s the biggest thing for me. If it wasn’t for the support from my parents, who knows where I would be.”

More mountains to climb

The 18-year-old, who is a part of the Standford team now, understands how rare it is to see Indian basketball players playing at the Division I level and also realises his responsibility to encourage other South Asian kids, who aspire to be basketball players. "We didn’t really have a lot of players that were Indian-American playing Division I basketball that we could all look up to,” Ryan told in an interview, adding, "In AAU travel ball, I didn’t see any Indians at all. Even in Texas, playing travel ball against other teams, I didn’t see a lot. It was just kind of on my own team if anything.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acCnKfoOb-U

However, the teen player didn’t shy away from a certain amount of pressure that comes with people judging an entire culture based on his play. In fact, a few months back, Ryan also shared a video highlighting the efforts of his coaches and relatives who helped him during his journey, saying that he wants "to set an example for a whole heritage and prove that we can do it, too.”

So far this season, Agarwal has come off the bench for Stanford in nearly two-thirds of its games, averaging roughly eight minutes when he plays. Rivals.com once ranked Agarwal as a top-20 shooting guard, but Stanford Coach Jerod Haase believes that Ryan is a more complete player because of his size at 6-foot-6 and his passing ability. "I want to continue getting better and better and ready for the next level. I’ll be in the gym probably more than ever with my trainers and by myself," the player shared.

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Anika Chebrolu: Indian-American young scientist working on Covid-19 antiviral drug

(February 19, 2023) For someone who found her inspiration in Marie Curie, Texas-based Anika Chebrolu was always interested in science. It was in fifth grade that she first learnt about the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, and it made her interested in "drug discovery, viruses, and pandemics" at a very young age. All of 10, she started doing extensive research and found about the in-silico methodology for drug discovery. "I was amazed at how we can use computational methods like software and databases to find potential anti-virals against viruses and diseases. That's when I decided to combine my knowledge of influenza virus and the in-silico method for drug discovery to find a potential anti-viral against the virus," the Indian American told Forbes, a few months after winning the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her work using the in-silico methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus in an attempt to find a cure for the coronavirus pandemic. [caption id="attachment_27667" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Anika Chebrolu[/caption] The pandemic was at its peak, and all of 14, Anika was busy working on drug discovery. She started with the influenza virus, about four years

[caption id="attachment_27667" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Anika Chebrolu[/caption]

The pandemic was at its peak, and all of 14, Anika was busy working on drug discovery. She started with the influenza virus, about four years ago. She got the idea for drug discovery using computational methods and over time that progressed from an idea to an actual potential discovery. That's when she signed up for the 3M Discovery Education Young Scientist Challenge. However, seeing the way the pandemic was altering the lives of people across the globe, she along with her mentor Dr Mahfuza Ali decided to shift the research from influenza to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. "I found a molecule from a database of 698 million compounds that can bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV 2 virus, and potentially change the function of the spike protein and inhibit the virus from infecting the cells," she added.

Her discovery of a novel antiviral drug that can bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 created ripples at a time when the world was looking for a solution. Still, in its initial stage, it has a long way to go before it can make it to the market. "Drug discovery is a long and tedious process, and we want to create the best drug with the best potential and with the least or no side effects. One of the first methods in medicine is to not harm the patient. Before we take the drug to the market, there are a lot of stages that we need to go through. It would be the next stage to see how it works on the human body," the Independence High School student revealed.

Having worked on the project at a time when the world was under lockdown, the Global Indian had to face her own set of challenges. Being just 14, age did come into play at times for her as people didn't trust someone as young as her to be working on drug discovery. However, she continued being focussed on finding solutions. One of the biggest challenges was gaining access to the software as most of them have academic licenses or evaluation licenses, and this is where her mentor helped her, along with John Pastor from 3M, who is a computer specialist.

Anika, who wants to be a medical researcher and professor in the near future, began her journey in science at a young age. " I was in six or seventh grade when I started looking at the world, and its problems and how I can use my knowledge of science to solve those problems," said the teenager who says that age is just a number for anyone who is enough motivated to reach their goal.

The Indian-American, who loves to paint and learn Bharatnatyam, has found a support system in her parents, friends, and mentors. Her advice to fellow young scientists is to "never underestimate yourself because you are special. You have that motivation and potential in you, so bring that out by asking questions and keeping your curiosity."

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