Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusivePlanting forests, creating shoes from plastic, making glass into sand – these young Indian activists are conservationists with a plan

Planting forests, creating shoes from plastic, making glass into sand – these young Indian activists are conservationists with a plan

Written by: Ranjani Rajendra

(December 28, 2021) Three years ago, a young Swedish girl made the world stop in its tracks by emphasising the extent of environmental damage in the world. Her fervent plea was to ask if this is the world we were leaving behind for our children. At a UN climate conference in New York, Indian youth, Greta Thunberg delivered her most famous speech where she berated world leaders, “You all come to us young people for hope. How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words.” Even as Thunberg continues to propagate change with her climate activism, a host of children the world over continues to work and innovate to provide solutions to help mitigate climate change. Of these, are several Indian-origin activists. From nine-year-old Prasiddhi Singh who’s planting fruit forests to increase green cover, Bengaluru-based Sahithi Pingali, who developed an app to help clean lakes, Karan Jerath who worked to address one of the largest marine oil spills, to US-based Nihal Tammana whose recyclemybattery.com helps recycle toxic batteries, and Udit Singhal, who’s working to create a zero-waste ecosystem through his company Glass2Sand.

Karan Jerath

The future is young Indian

According to findings from the Future of Work international research report, over 85 percent of young people in India are interested in a green job. About 84 percent of those surveyed also believe that their generation can create solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges. Quite a tall order for young minds.

“Young people, at the end of the day, want to be agents of change in an effort to prevent and adapt to the climate crisis, and the biodiversity crisis. For what it’s worth, I believe it is our responsibility to help them achieve this, if we possibly can,” observed Prince Charles, in a meeting with international business leaders at St James’ Palace in London earlier this year.

As the focus has begun to gradually shift towards creating sustainable job opportunities for the future, these young minds are waiting for no one. They’re marching right on in their quest to create sustainable futures through their innovations and campaigns.

Vinisha Umashankar

Take for instance Vinisha Umashankar, the 14-year-old innovator from Tamil Nadu who was invited to speak at the COP25 in Glasgow by Prince William to speak on clean technology and innovation. Incidentally, the high school student from the small temple town of Tiruvannamalai, designed a solar-powered iron cart called the Iron-Max. The cart is an alternative to the charcoal burning ironing carts that dot Indian streets and the invention also earned her the Earthshot Prize (or Eco Oscars) that was launched by Prince William.

Talking about her invention, Vinisha said in a tweet, “The big ‘problem’ I am trying to solve is to eliminate the practise of burning charcoal to heat an iron box for pressing clothes by vendors. My innovation, the solar ironing cart will save trees, reduce air pollution, protect the environment and help stop the climate change.”

Similarly, Delhi-based teen Udit Singhal is working to help create a zero-waste ecosystem through his startup Glass2Sand, which has so far processed over 8,000 bottles into over 4,815 kg of high-grade silica sand. The 18-year-old was named by the UN in the 2020 cohort of young leaders for sustainable development goals. In a statement, Singhal said, “As a Young Leader for the SDGs, I will be an active agent of change. I hope to be able to encourage communities to embrace a better civic sense to create sustainable living spaces — like when mountain-high landfills are detonated.”

Working along similar lines is 23-year-old Ashay Bhave, who launched Thaely, a sustainable line of vegan sneakers to tackle the growing menace of plastic waste. Bhave’s company produces sneakers that are made from plastic trash and so far, he has managed to upcycle over 50,000 bags and 35,000 bottles into sneakers that not just look chic but are also environment friendly.

Saving the planet with sustainability

These young minds are also mindful of the fact that rapid urbanisation has led to the reclaiming of precious eco-rich areas of land leading to mass extinctions that the Earth is now witnessing. Taking a step to change this is Mumbai- based conservation photographer Aishwarya Sridhar, who is the first Indian to win the prestigious Wildlife Photographer Award. “I believe in harnessing the power of visuals to bring about change,” says this 24-year-old, who took up conservation photography at age 11. “I hope my images and videos inspire people to become guardians of our planet,” she tells Global Indian Youth.

Aishwarya Sridhar

“I grew up in Panvel and have seen the stark difference in the Panvel of my childhood and the Panvel of today. From being lush with greenery and wildlife, today it is a concrete jungle that I don’t recognise. I grew up watching flamingoes and painted storks in my backyard. Today, however, the only surviving wetland in the area is a 250-acre space in Uran. Most wetlands and mangroves in Navi Mumbai have been reclaimed for SEZs and other real estate projects,” says the youngster, who has been actively campaigning to bring about a real change. In fact, her images also led the Bombay high court to declare that the Panje wetland area should be an ecologically-protected zone. Earlier this year, Aishwarya also did an undercover operation where she shot images of fireworks being set off in the Panje area. The images went viral and led to the Maharashtra CM intervening and ensuring prosecution of the miscreants.

Being the change

The idea, feel most youngsters, is to not just protect our planet, but to protect ourselves from the effects of climate change and the resultant mass extinction. Nine-year-old Prasiddhi Singh too found herself struck by the devastating effects of cyclone Vardah in 2016 which led to thousands of trees being uprooted and an overnight depletion of green cover in Tamil Nadu. The Chennai-based school goer swore to do her bit for the environment and is now on a mission to plant 1 lakh trees by 2022.

Prasiddhi Singh

“So far, I have created 19 fruit forests and planted 23,000 trees. I formed an unconditional bond with nature. I believe I can create a significant contribution in bringing about change,” says the TEDx speaker and green activist who raised funds for her campaigns through online webinars and sessions on how to become an impact creator. Even the prize money this Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardee got was donated to an NGO.

As more and more Indian-origin children ideate on environment friendly solutions, small inroads have finally been made into areas where most governments are still dragging their feet. From policy changes to awareness drives and innovations to change the future, these kids certainly seem to have a finger on the way forward.

The work the Indian youth do

Karan Jerath: Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Indian-origin student Karan Jerath was determined to find a solution. He went on to invent a subsea wellhead capping device to contain the oil spill. He won the Young Scietist Award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2015 and was the youngest honoree on the 2-16 Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy list.
Sahithi Pingali: At 16, this Bengaluru girl bagged the Grand NASA Prize and even had a planet in the Milky Way named after her for her insightful study on the pollution of lakes in her city. Pingali participated in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and used her self-programmed app and a self-made lake monitoring kit to crowdsource data on environmental issues.
Nihal Tammana: The New Jersey-based seventh grader has been tirelessly working to rid the world of battery pollutants through his startup Recycle My Battery. The company recycles all types of used batteries and Tammana has been awarded the NJ Governor’s Award and the Jefferson Award for his work.

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Published on 28, Dec 2021

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Teens Nitish and Aditya Sood are uplifting the homeless in Atlanta

(August 24, 2023) Five years ago, Nitish Sood and his brother, Aditya were at the mall with their mother. Bored, the two boys stepped outside for a game of frisbee. A homeless woman sat by the entrance, as people walked past, all of them either pulling out their phones or checking their watches to avoid making eye contact with her. "We were kind of troubled by that," said Nitish Sood, who co-founded Working Together For Change, a student-run organisation that works for homeless people. "Our frisbee landed near her so we ended up striking up a conversation," said Nitish. They asked the obvious question - how did this woman come to be homeless? She responded with a question: "What do you want to be when you grow up." A doctor, Nitish said at once and to his amazement, the woman pulled out a medical degree. Just before she was placed into a residency, she returned to Atlanta to help her brother, who had been involved with gang violence. "She lost that residency. Medical school bills started piling up and suddenly, she was homeless," Nitish explained. "My brother and I learned that nearly everyone is just a step away from homelessness.

y from homelessness. We decided to do something about it."

[caption id="attachment_25031" align="aligncenter" width="478"] Nitish and Aditya Sood[/caption]

Working Together For Change

That's how Working Together for Change was born. "We wanted to interact with other homeless folk, the people we tend to avoid by checking the time or looking at our phones." They realised that they had been wrong about the average homeless person. "We seem to think of middle-aged men, maybe drunk, doing drugs and sleeping on a park bench. Mostly, we believe him to be lazy, uneducated and unambitious. But that is as far away from reality as you can possibly imagine."

Now a student at the Medical College of Georgia, Nitish Sood is doing his residency in Opthalmology. His brother, Aditya, is a junior biology and social major at Alpharetta and an MD candidate at the Emory School of Medicine. Both brothers are highly accomplished in their own right- Aditya is a black belt in karate and does research at the Neuroplasticity lab at Georgia State University. Nitish is a Presidential Scholar at Augusta University, a Coca Cola Scholar - he was awarded a $20,000 scholarship for exemplary leadership and social activism. He's also a National Merit Scholar. Both boys were born in India and moved to the US with their parents.

Currently, Working Together for Change has touched over 3,000 lives. The organisation has also raised some $1,20,000 for its cause, has mobilised some 600 volunteers and over 17,000 volunteer hours. They have organised over a dozen medical camps that screen homeless people for vision trouble, cholesterol and diabetes. WTFC even organises 'sleep-outs', to give people a taste of what it's like to sleep on the streets. All that began with the back-pack-a-thon, their first initiative.

[caption id="attachment_25033" align="aligncenter" width="2016"] Working Together for Change volunteers at their first backpack-a-thon in Augusta in 2018. Photo: Facebook[/caption]

Life on the city streets

Nearly 3000 people are homeless in Atlanta. The fact is, as Nitish and Aditya also discovered - many more people in American cities are at risk of homelessness. A shortage of affordable housing, limited employment opportunities and not enough social welfare schemes are all possible causes. According to the Atlanta Mission, some 58 percent of this homeless population reports reports symptoms of trauma and 57 percent have a chronic medical condition. The brothers were also alarmed to learn that average homeless person is under the age of 18 and that the fastest growing demographic is under the age of nine.

The Soods got into action immediately. They rallied their friends for a 'backpack-a-thon', distributing backpacks filled with essentials like hygiene products, water and socks. Through this, they also hoped to create interaction between students and the homeless community.

Setting up medical camps to building a house in Tijuana

They also created programmes for school students to interact with homeless kids in housing centres. "We gave them a chance to meet. Everyone should have the chance to have some fun," Nitish remarked.

Still, they knew that raising awareness just wouldn't do. So, they decided to host a medical camp. They didn't have doctors, locations, volunteers or work out the logistics of it, but they began work, scouting for locations, visited homeless shelters and told them that they had doctors and volunteers ready. The Soods also asked their friends to sign on.

The big day arrived with a distressing phone call. The bus ferrying the homeless people had broken down. They had doctors and volunteers waiting at the camp and no patients in sight. "We called every adult we knew to use their minivans to ferry the homeless to the camp," Ntisih said. It worked. "In the end, nobody left feeling dissatisfied. Today, we host medical camps every four months." The WTFC teams even went to Tijuana to build a house from the ground up. "It's not feasible for us to do this but WTFC represents the idea that we must do everything we can to help those in need."

[caption id="attachment_25034" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] WTFC-YMCA-MoreHouse Medical Fair 2015. Photo: Facebook[/caption]

The root of the matter

As the years went by, Working Together For Change made a significant impact, crowdfunding thousands of dollars and setting up student chapters across the state. Still, the brothers felt that all this was addressing only the symptoms, not the disease itself. True change would mean getting the homeless people off the streets. They collaborated with United Way Ventures, setting up camps to help reintegrate them into the job market. They also set up coding camps for teens.

The journey hasn't been easy. "It has meant sleepless nights, passing up sleepovers and not being able to hang out with friends," Nitish said. "But when my brother and I started this, there was a fire lit within us. None of what we did felt like work. We were doing what we loved."

Follow Nitish and Aditya on LinkedIn and Working Together for Change on Facebook

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Let’s build sustainable rockets, says teen changemaker Anushka Sharad

(May 25, 2022) Sustainability in space exploration is one of modern man's biggest dilemmas, drawing bright young minds all in pursuit of a solution. Among them is eleventh-grader Anushka Sharad. A NASA citizen scientist who has helped search for asteroids, the teen changemaker shows a gravity far beyond her years. She aims to bring scientific knowledge to peers with less access and open their eyes to the vast possibilities the study of science affords. She is the founder of seekinspace.com, a NASA Citizen Scientist, science communicator and an amateur poet. "Theoretical astrophysics and computational astronomy are my areas of study," says Anushka, a serious teenager with an approach that is far beyond her years. Thousands of rockets and satellites launched over the last fifty years leading to a sizeable accumulation of junk outside the earth's orbit, sustainable space exploration is one of Anushka's focus areas. Her interest is timely: The subject of space debris has entered mainstream discourse and in 2021, China found itself under criticism from NASA for "failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris." The reproach came after remnants from China's Long March 5B rocket fell into the Indian Ocean only to be met with stubborn

r space debris." The reproach came after remnants from China's Long March 5B rocket fell into the Indian Ocean only to be met with stubborn silence from those responsible. Another focus area is asteroid mining - rich in elements and minerals, asteroids are untapped resources. "Can we harness methods like 3D printing and look at options like asteroid mining to curb our pollution of the earth," Anushka asks, in an interview with Global Indian.

STEM awareness and a personal space odyssey

Recently, Anushka began her role as a Global Ambassador with the Women Tech Network. The community, based in California, promotes gender diversity in technology and connects professionals with top companies and startups. It is a culmination, of sorts, of her attempts to spread awareness on the diverse potential of STEM subjects. For, not one to restrict herself to a single area of study, Anushka delivers lectures on AI and machine learning to other students, hoping to help them understand how they work. She also visits schools to spread awareness on the STEM fields.

"Most students don't know how many career options there are in science. It's not just about physics and math or engineering as a career. There are many choices - technology, chemistry and biology to name a few. But students don't explore these options," explains the teen changemaker. "I have done the exploration and understand how much can be done. I must tell the others too," she tells Global Indian.

In August 2021, Anushka began seekinspace.com, where she publishes her articles and blogs. She is also a researcher with The Nebula Space Organisation, a research platform for students by students. Also associated with The Aurora Academic Journal, another student run venture that works with young researchers from across the globe, Anushka has written over 70 articles on astronomy. "I showed up on YouTube as well," Anushka says. "It's mostly for the AI sessions I conduct along with informative videos and opportunities in STEM fields."

Back to the beginning

"I knew I was made for science and it was made for me," Anushka remarks quietly. When she was in middle school, she got her hands on an encyclopaedia of science that covered an extensive breadth of topics. As she pored through them, her young mind was captivated by the idea that "We humans are made of stardust. We are the same as the cosmos. I am a cosmic entity," she smiles.

Inspired by idea, she studied more and more - always on her own, she says, "I have had no real mentor to guide me or even to point me in the right direction”. The pandemic hit and the country went into lockdown, leaving Anushka with enough time on her hands to continue her studies. She started reading every article she could find, watching videos and documentaries and making lists of books to read. She ordered the books online, building her "treasury of books," as she puts it. Writing articles to help herself analyse the information, Anushka discovered a flair for writing that she uses in her research papers, to write poetry and also, in her first book.

"I was intrigued with Stephen Hawking's The Grand Design," Anushka says. "He makes an argument against God, saying that there is no God and everything is natural," says Anushka. "I am a spiritual human being so I thought that if I want to understand God, I must read something against him. To me, it's about the power of nature."

The solitary observer

Always an observer, Anushka likes to spend her time in nature, paying attention the plants and animals she finds there. "I also like mountaineering," she says, describing many childhood vacations in the hills. "I climb the mountains and think, what is nature trying to teach me? What is it telling me? When I return, I recall those experience and try to understand what they were trying to tell me," she says. Hers is a life of observation marked by solitude, even at her young age. "Solitude is where I find my solace," Anushka admits.

Perhaps it was the solitary nature of her work but Anushka knew it was important for her to gain confidence and speak in public. "I began reaching out to students on Instagram and LinkedIn," says the teen, who is active on social media platforms. "I love connecting with students, especially when they are curious," says the teen changemaker.

Anushka visits CBSE and ICSE schools, organising sessions for students in Pune, where she lives. In October, she hopes to conduct her first session for adults as well, in collaboration with another organisation. "It will be a night camp like the one I had for students," she says. The night camp was her own first experience with a telescope, set up at the campsite beside a lake.

Science communicator

When her blogs and articles became popular among her family and friends, Anushka thought she might like to dabble in it. "I brought my skills in science and language together to be a science writer," says the teen changemaker. "As I understood more about astronomy, astrophysics, neuralinks, AI and machine learning, I wanted to find a way to unite technology and space exploration. Humans can't really travel through space but robots can. And I want to use my skills to be part of something like this, to create something that is bigger than me."

The road ahead

Currently in the midst of preparing for her SATs and IELTs, Anushka hopes to study abroad. "There are so many opportunities available. We get to research at a very early age, which is a big advantage," says Anushka. "India doesn't lack expertise but a bachelor's degree in astrophysics is hard to find," she says. "I also thought, if people like Kalam and Gandhi can benefit from studying abroad, why can't I? I want to study elsewhere and come back here to make an impact." The teen changemaker intends to remain in research, pushing the frontiers of what is known and what can be done, like "building sustainable rockets that are in keeping with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals," she suggests. "No matter what I do, my sole purpose is simply to serve humanity."

Follow Anushka on LinkedIn and Instagram

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Being CarryMinati – how Ajey Nagar became one of YouTube’s biggest sensations

(March 26, 2024) Some people love him, some hate him, others love to hate him. Whatever category you might be in, Ajey Nagar makes sure you just can't ignore him. Best known by his stage name, Nagar, who will turn 25 this year, is India's most followed YouTube personality in 2024, with a whopping 41.6 million subscribers on his channel, CarryMinati and another 12.1 million on his livestream gaming page, CarryisLive. This month alone, CarryMinati ranked 36 in YouTube Entertainment and 84 worldwide. In 2019, he was named one of the Next Generation Leaders by TIME Magazine, and at the age of 20, was one of the youngest on the list. CarryMinati is slapstick, very loud, and often downright silly, with his over-the-top takes on "cringe-worthy" videos he finds on Facebook and TikTok. Behind the camera, though, Nagar is an astute and savvy creator. Born and raised in Faridabad, Nagar always steps out of the house in a black hoodie, even in peak summertime, to avoid being recognised by his legion of fans. "I can't go to malls or restaurants," he told TIME. [caption id="attachment_36840" align="aligncenter" width="382"] Ajey Nagar, aka CarryMinati[/caption] In 2019, CarryMinati found worldwide fame when he dissed

ign="aligncenter" width="382"] Ajey Nagar, aka CarryMinati[/caption]

In 2019, CarryMinati found worldwide fame when he dissed Swedish YouTuber Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie), another controversial star of content. At the time, PewDiePie was locked in a subscriber race with T-Series and released a video that mocked an Indian man speaking broken English. CarryMinati came to the rescue on January 1, 2019, with a Hindi rap video called ByePewDiePie, where he says, "one day, India will rule the world." These days, the Global Indian produces videos only in Hindi, targetting a large chunk of India's 462 million YouTube users (India has the world's largest YouTube audience, with the US a far second at 239 million).

The CarryMinati method

Ajay Nagar began making video content when he was eight years old. And the more he did it, the surer he was that it would be his life. When he completed 10th grade, his mother hoped he would prepare to study medicine, "but I knew I couldn't do it," Nagar told the Hindustan Times. "I said, 'Buy me a PC', and chose arts," he added. It was a big move for Nagar, who comes from an established, and highly educated family. His mother is a doctor, his father a lawyer and his grandfather (late Shri Gajraj Bahadur Nagar) was a Cabinet Minister in the Haryana government.

When he started out, he ran many different channels, but around 2016, focussed his attention on one of them, where he felt he had found a niche. Back then, he was just a school kid playing video games and trying to make his friends laugh by mimicking and roasting celebrities - at the time, it was Bobby Deol. Deol went by CarryDeol and would inspire Nagar's own online name, CarryMinati.

However, the process has remained the same, even though his team has grown. The first, and most time-consuming step, Nagar says, is to find the content. And it could take more than three or four days at times. "Then comes the scripting part, it is the most fun part. I lock myself up in my room for two days and focus on the script." Then comes the shooting and editing, which takes another four days. Viewers send him ideas too, his inbox is always full with links to cringe videos. In 2018, after his team "worked day and night, to get him an opportunity," CarryMinati interviewed Tom Cruise and the team of Mission Impossible 6, and that video has received 33 million views to date.

"My expectations were nothing. I only wanted 50k subscribers, a room to play my games in and to make enough money to be able to buy new games and create content," he said. His channel grew beyond his wildest dreams, though, and time and time again, Nagar, who has also matured over the years, has re-evaluated and re-strategised his offerings. He's always the over-the-top goofy kid, though but these days, he does have to be careful of what he says, given his massive reach.

Being Ajey Nagar

In front of the camera, CarryMinati is brash and unapologetic. Behind the scenes, Ajey Nagar struggles with the weight of his fame, and of catering to expectations. "I struggle with that, as I do with getting out of the house. I have the fear that once I am outdoors, I will be judged, or that even if I eat, I will ahve 10 people staring at me." He has also admitted that he struggles to walk up to strangers, even at a party, and make conversation, and is happy when they come up to him. That said, relating to people is a crucial part of what he does, because that's the source of his content. It's also essential to him having some normality in his life. "Honestly, there has been a time when I sat down and started feeling bad about myself thinking, 'Oh, poor me, I've missed out on so many things'. The love of my friends, late night rides on scooties and eating junk food at the nearby 24x7. But take a look at my life, it's not bad at all," he said in an interview.

There's also the struggle of expectations and insecurities. "When I'm working on my videos there are moments when I scrutinize my jokes, especially if I like them because I'm worried about whether the audience will find them funny or not," Nagar says. And it's a valid concern, because with his outspoken ways and his incredible reach, controversy follows him around. Just the other day, he found himself in hot water for his supposed mocking of cricketer Virat Kohli for not having an IPL trophy in his collection. RCB supporters were furious and the YouTuber went on to issue a quick clarification, saying it was merely a promotional skit where he was doing a parody of RCB fans. However, in a profession like this one, learning to deal with criticism comes with the job description. “I take criticism seriously, but only if it has value to it. Otherwise, I just really don’t have the time,” says Carry, adding, “The amount of criticism I receive, I criticise myself 10 times more for the same thing," he told Hindustan Times.

Tips for aspiring creators

Learn by observation, CarryMinati advises. "Don't observe it like an audience, rather do it as if it's your job. Observe the little things, then you will understand how someone does that stuff, then your mind will open up." When you're watching a video, he says, try and think about what went into making it - from the thought process to the methods of shooting. And, he adds, it's very slow going. Nobody is going to make a million subscribers in 100 days. "The main thing," he says, "is to keep doing it." Evolving and changing with the times is also crucial. Change and uncertainty are the only constants, and Nagar is always prepared for eventualities. "Evolve the content, figure out what works and figure new things in life. And be yourself because nobody can be you."

Follow CarryMinati on Instagram and YouTube.

Ashwath Kaushik: Singapore based rising chess star making history and inspiring minds

(March 22, 2024) After a challenging three-hour match last month at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus-Open in Switzerland, Ashwath Kaushik, a third-grade student, was on cloud nine. At just eight years, six months, and 11 days old, he made history by becoming the youngest player on record to defeat a chess grandmaster in a classical tournament match. His opponent was the 37-year-old Polish Grandmaster Jacek Stopa. “I feel very proud of my game and how I played against the grandmaster. My expectation was to win and my goal was to beat the grandmaster and get the world record,” said the Indian-origin chess player, who represents Singapore in international tournaments. At the Burgdorfer Stadthaus-Open in Switzerland, he finished 12th overall. 'It's a classical contest, and I am very happy with the results,' he shared after the win. Impressive milestones at young age Before facing Stopa, Ashwath had won his opening three games at Stadthaus-Open. The tension in the game had escalated from the early stages. In the 13th move, Stopa proposed a draw, but Ashwath chose to continue. As the game approached its conclusion, the young player capitalised on a mistake made by Stopa, ultimately securing the most significant triumph of his burgeoning

young age

Before facing Stopa, Ashwath had won his opening three games at Stadthaus-Open. The tension in the game had escalated from the early stages. In the 13th move, Stopa proposed a draw, but Ashwath chose to continue. As the game approached its conclusion, the young player capitalised on a mistake made by Stopa, ultimately securing the most significant triumph of his burgeoning career.

The youngster does not like to go for draws. “Fight till the end, even if you are losing because there is still some hope. Never give up and keep playing, try your best,” he said. “Just get to the centre and develop lots of pieces. Don't blunder pieces randomly and just develop pieces and you'll be better and your opponent will blunder pieces and then take advantage of the mistakes of your opponent," he remarked. This is part of his winning strategy, and the young player emphasises, 'Go in confident, don't take draws, and always go for the win.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s_dH6p6vio

Born in 2015, the young player has swiftly garnered recognition by securing victories in several youth tournaments. He had emerged the World Under-8 Rapid champion in 2022.

The same year, the then six-year-old had won three gold medals at the Eastern Asian Youth Championships in the Under-8 segment. A year prior to that in 2021, he had in the World Cadets Rapid Championships in Greece, and proved his talent.

“Chess is very important to me because it's fun to play. You get to think a lot, and it's good for your brain,” the young boy shared in a recent interview. The eight-year-old travels overseas multiple times a year for tournaments, and has displayed the patience and diligence by playing the game for up to five-and-a-half hours in tough tournaments.

Extraordinary talent

No one in Ashwath’s family plays chess and it was a surprise for his parents to see their son getting such a fine grip of the game at such a tender age. After discovering the game at the age of four the young player would spend hours engrossed in it. “It’s surreal as there isn’t really any sports tradition in our families” Ashwath’s father Kaushik Sriram said in an interview with Chess.com.

When he was introduced to the game by his parents, Kaushik had quickly surpassed their skills and had even outplayed his grandparents. Recognising their son’s extraordinary talent, his parents enrolled him in chess lessons to further hone the game’s tactics.

He ‘has a photographic memory’, Ashwath’s father said. “He solves long complex puzzles visually. He finished GM Jacob Aagaard’s entire Grandmaster series recently without using a board,” he added.

Ashwath also loves building LEGO in his leisure time. However, chess always remains on top of his priority list.

[caption id="attachment_36776" align="aligncenter" width="389"] Ashwath Kaushik[/caption]

Dedication and support

The young player who aspires to become a world champion, was so focussed since the beginning that he could play chess all day. Looking at his extraordinary talent his father had approached some of the best coaches in Singapore, who readily agreed to train the youngster looking at his talent. Amongst Ashwath’s trainers are Kevin Goh Wei Ming, a grandmaster and CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation.

“He is tactically very sharp, mainly due to lots of practice and we are trying to build his strategic understanding,” Goh remarked in an interview. Ashwath has also received training from grandmasters Thomas Luther and Andrey Kvon. A member of the Under-14 squad of Singapore, Ashwath considers Late Soviet-Latvian chess legend Mikhail Tal his idol.

He receives constant support from his parents and his school, Overseas Family School in Pasir Ris. Interestingly, he is keen on introducing his four-year-old brother to the game of chess as well. Like any child, he has his favourites, such as Juicy Drop candy, and enjoys family outings to the Singapore Zoo and Universal Studios Singapore.

The Indian-origin player had moved to Singapore with his parents in 2017 when he was barely two years old.

ALSO READ | Praggnanandhaa: The prince of chess and Arjuna awardee 2022

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Meet Jainul Abedin, founder of India’s first reusable rocket startup

(December 9, 2022) Jainul Abedin’s name is similar to that of a great Indian icon – the late Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, or A P J Abdul Kalam, the former president of India and aerospace scientist who worked for DRDO and ISRO. In fact, Jainul was so fascinated by this similarity growing up that he developed a deep interest in rocket science and spacetech. In 2020, Jainul went on to establish Abyom Spacetech and Defence as a 19-year-old, during the year of his Bachelor’s degree in Physics. His vision was to build reusable rockets to prevent space debris and save operational costs. It has been working on developing ‘reignition liquid engine’ to make this possible. [caption id="attachment_25153" align="aligncenter" width="752"] Jainul Abedin at Department Of Space, ISRO Ahmedabad[/caption] “Blue Origin and SpaceX are the only companies in the world that not only enable the launch of the rockets but also their landing back to earth,” he tells Global Indian. There is no such organisation in India. Jainul emphasises this, saying, “India has been launching rockets since the 196Os but we are still using conventional rockets. These are single-use rockets as they cannot re-land on earth.” Abyom Spacetech and the

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[caption id="attachment_25153" align="aligncenter" width="752"] Jainul Abedin at Department Of Space, ISRO Ahmedabad[/caption]

“Blue Origin and SpaceX are the only companies in the world that not only enable the launch of the rockets but also their landing back to earth,” he tells Global Indian. There is no such organisation in India. Jainul emphasises this, saying, “India has been launching rockets since the 196Os but we are still using conventional rockets. These are single-use rockets as they cannot re-land on earth.”

Abyom Spacetech and the uniqueness of the idea driving it has brought Jainul recognition on coveted spacetech and aviation platforms like ISRO, IISF, DST, Aero India, and Toycathon. The innovator was also felicitated by Yogi Adityanath, the CM of Uttar Pradesh, for being the only spacetech entrepreneur in the state.

Game changing idea

Rockets become ‘unusable’ after the launch. But if there are reusable launch vehicles, they can be used later in other missions. Another benefit is of cost efficiency. With reusable rockets, the cost of space missions would reduce as space agencies would not be required to build a new rocket every time.

Apart from reducing the accumulation of rocket waste in space, ‘it can make space tourism viable for common people’. That’s a goal Jainul holds close to his heart. “We are not just working in the realm of launching the satellite into orbit but also working on space applications to help sectors like agriculture, meteorology and telecommunications become more efficient through the use of these space apps,” he says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNAtvaRrlm4

Abyom Spacetech and Defence has managed to get a few government grants through schemes like the Startup India seed fund. His startup is not only the first aerospace startup from Uttar Pradesh but the only one in the country working towards building reusable rockets.

Early start

The Uttar Pradesh boy had made up his mind to become an entrepreneur in the spacetech segment by the time he passed high school. “My urge to learn about space science was so strong that I went through every bit of learning material that I could access on the subject, whether it was books or information available on the internet.”

Coming from a lower middle-class background, he did not have funds to give wings to his dream. This is where social media played a crucial role. He started building connections with people who had similar interest or background in aerospace and rocket science. Today some of the top executives in his startup including the CTO are people with whom he connected on social media during the ideation phase.

[embed]https://twitter.com/AbyomSpaceTech/status/1557972045941526529?s=20&t=QHs7EGDFZ1L7N1BDKS15Bg[/embed]

To generate revenue for the startup, Jainul and his team entered the edtech market. There, they went on to educate some 2500 people in rocket technology and used the revenue they earned to work on their vision. “Since I am from a lower middle-class family, I studied rigorously to do well in academics.” This hard work paid off when Jainul managed government scholarships at different stages of his education. “I used that money as well in building the startup,” he says.

In 2020 Government of India opened the spacetech sector for private organisations. Across India, four innovators got selected to present their ideas to ISRO scientists.” Jainul was one of the four.

Since the pandemic was in full swing during that time, Jainul was invited to a virtual conference organised by the ISRO headquarters, to speak on ‘Developing India’s potential in the space sector’ along with the other three winners. “I was fortunate enough to discuss the ongoing problems in India's space industry on such a big platform,” says the entrepreneur, whose startup operates from the BITS Pilani campus in Hyderabad.

Making a mark

He has come a long way in just two years. ABYOM SpaceTech and Defence is supported by MCA, INSPACe, ISRO, BITS Pilani, I-hub, StartinUP, DPIIT, and Government of India.

Born and raised in UP’s Kushinagar, and briefly in Kolkata, the youngster finished high school and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Gorakhpur. Currently, he’s a master’s student at DDU Gorakhpur University.

“The entrepreneurial journey is a bundle of challenges and without resources or backing, it wasn’t easy at first,” he says. The innovator, who comes from a community of farmers, has seen many rejections already on his journey to find funding and technical support. “Wherever I went to pitch my idea, people did not believe that someone as young as me was trying to work on finding a solution to such a technical and challenging problem.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imsyisv_E74

He found recognition through a government scheme and has since been part of more than 45 national and international webinars, sessions, and conferences to brainstorm on problems faced in the field of aerospace. He has some published research papers to his credit.

Though the 21-year-old has managed to turn many heads already, earning both grants and recognition, he wants to further scale up his startup and diversify into other commercial products in the field of aeronautics and defence. “Abyom requires more funding and I am trying to get it from private players this time,” he signs off.

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