Recap 2023: Teen innovators making waves with award-winning solutions

who share her passion for supporting adolescent mental health. “Daily operations involve coordinating with the team, overseeing content creation, managing outreach programs, and ensuring the platform's growth and sustainability,” informs the 17 year old, who also organizing workshops, awareness programs, besides providing resources to those in need.

She feels the mental health crisis among youngsters in India is a pressing issue. “With the increasing academic pressure, social expectations, and the impact of social media, many adolescents struggle to cope with these challenges,” points out the youngster, who launched Adolescencesio in 2022, with a vision to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive platform.

The journey has not been without its challenges— ranging from technical difficulties to addressing the stigma surrounding teen mental health. “However, resilience, adaptability, and the continuous support from mentors have helped me navigate these hurdles,” says Bhavya, for whom managing Adolescencesio alongside her academic responsibilities has been a challenging yet rewarding experience.

She even received letters of appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice, in 2023 and 2024. “It was a recognition of my efforts and contributions towards adolescent mental health, which further motivated me to continue my work with even greater zeal,” smiles the teenager.

Denmark born

Born in Denmark in 2007, Bhavya’s mother Renuka Suravajhala is an  Assistant Professor/Research scientist at Amrita University while father Dr Prashanth Suravajhala is a Principal Scientist, Systems Genomics at Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

Bhavya had her primary education at Absalons skole, Roskilde (Denmark) after which the Suravajhala family moved back to India. Both Renuka and Dr Prashanth went to Denmark to do their PhDs (2004 to 2008) and subsequently postdoc that Dr Prashanth did until 2016. Bhavya has a sibling named Nirmala, who is 11.

Science researcher, COO & more 

But Adolescencesio is just one part of Bhavya’s introduction. She is a science researcher, social volunteer, a passionate explorer and the Chief Operating Officer at TeenVisor, which provides a platform for teenagers to interact with industry experts and get timely guidance/mentorship.

As a science researcher, the teenager is currently working on a study that explores how the composition of tears is affected by emotions. “This research delves into the physiological and psychological connections in human behavior, a topic that fascinates me and aligns with my passion for psychology and behavioral sciences,” she informs.

In addition to her research, Bhavya is an active social volunteer, who organises workshops, awareness programmes and providing resources to those in need, through various initiatives.

As a passionate explorer, Bhavya is someone who is always eager to learn and discover new things, whether through travel, reading, or engaging in creative endeavours. “My curiosity drives me to explore different cultures, perspectives, and ideas, enriching my understanding of the world around me,” says Bhavya, who was honoured with the Little Shakespeare Award by the Biofootprints Foundation for excellence in literature, in 2021.

Atal Innovation Mission

With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) established Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India.

Bhavya was selected among the Top 100 in the ATL (Atal Tinkering Laboratories) Tinkerpreneur 2022 Program and later among the Top 21 in the Atal Catalyst Program, which was a testament to the innovative ideas she brought to the table.

Through workshops, boot camps, and continuous support from experienced mentors, she learned business planning, product development, and market strategies. “These programs provided me with invaluable mentorship and resources, allowing me to refine my vision for Adolescencesio.”

Her journey with AIM started with a simple idea —  to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive platform for adolescents to talk about their mental health. “I wanted Adolescencesio to be a place where teenagers could share their thoughts anonymously, get support from peers and professionals, and access holistic mental health resources. The idea was clear, but making it happen was not. The breakthrough came when I learned about AIM,” she says.

AIM’s mission to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among young Indians resonated with Bhavya’s goals for Adolescencesio. The initiative was designed to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in students.

One of the most impactful parts of the AIM experience was the mentorship. Industry experts guided Bhavya, helping to refine her vision and offering practical insights into the mental health sector.

Atal Catalyst Program 

The next significant step was the Atal Catalyst program with the Indian School of Business (ISB). This program taught the teenager all the essential business skills such as making business projections, identifying target markets, and perfecting her pitch to investors.

“Under the mentorship and guidance of Vinay sir from ISB and my AIM mentors, Adolescencesio was selected among the top 21 business ideas.”

Next came The Big PItch 2.0. It gave Bhavya the opportunity to pitch Adolescencesio to investors live and Adolescencesio was selected among the top 10 ideas for sponsorship by the DLabs Incubator association at ISB. This recognition not only provided financial support but also validated the potential and impact of Adolescencesio.

COO at TeenVisor

Thanks to AIM, Bhavya connected with other young entrepreneurs who share similar passions and goals. One exciting outcome is her current role at TeenVisor as the Chief Operating Officer, where she works on innovative solutions for adolescents with other young entrepreneurs.

“Whatever I have achieved so far would not have been possible without the guidance and blessings of Amma, Satguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, all my gurus, mentors, teachers, my school, my school principal, my parents, and my friends. They have stood by me throughout my journey.”

More recently, Adolescencesio won the 2nd place at the International Stogofest in Dubai, marking a significant achievement on the global stage. “We were the only team from India to have won this prestigious award, marking a significant achievement on the international stage,” smiles Bhavya, beaming with pride.

As a Tinker Champ, Bhavya had the opportunity to mentor and guide other young innovators, sharing her experiences and insights to help them realize their potential. “This role has been incredibly fulfilling, as I am able to contribute to the growth and development of future leaders and change-makers.”

[caption id="attachment_39036" align="aligncenter" width="506"] The Young Innovator is also COO at Teen Visor[/caption]

Future Plans

Looking ahead, Bhavya aspires to further her studies in psychology or a related field in behavioral sciences and cognition. “My long-term goal is to expand Adolescencesio's reach and impact, while also contributing to the field of psychology through research and practical applications.”

She hopes to implement awareness programs in schools and collaborate with NGOs and government bodies to create a global community where every adolescent feels supported and empowered.

• Follow the young innovator on LinkedIn.

e channel, ‘Simars World’. 

[caption id="attachment_33076" align="aligncenter" width="544"] Simar Khurana[/caption]

Girls are no less than boys 

Simar’s father Paras Khurana, an HR professional, told Global Indian, “I have two daughters. Simar is the second one, and when she was born, a few people expressed sympathy and were rueful that I was blessed with another girl. They told me to try for a boy. Simar’s achievements are like a slap on their face.” 

 Talking about the Guinness Book rules he says, “Guinness recognises two categories for the youngest video game developer - one for males and one for females. Simar qualified for the female category. However, if there would have been an open competition, she would have excelled regardless. Sadly, there still appears to be a bias favouring boys over girls.” 

 Simar is ‘super excited and grateful to be a world record holder’. While her father shared, “the process was very lengthy and exhaustive. It took almost three months to verify and validate.” 

Discovering the talent 

Simar began her coding journey just this year when her parents recognised her exceptional aptitude for coding, mathematics and doing things creatively. They decided to enrol her in a coding class.  

“Such is her creativity that she can create something great out of simple things, and I realised that with her talent for maths and coding she can be a good video game developer,” said her father. 

 What started as a single class per week soon escalated to three classes, and eventually, Simar dedicated herself to five coding classes weekly. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkDujfmrI3U&t=39s

Simar's inspiration for her game promoting healthy food choices stemmed from a visit to her family doctor, who emphasised the significance of maintaining a balanced diet. This conversation with her doctor left a mark on the impressionable mind of the six-year-old, sparking her interest in the consequences of consuming junk food and the importance of making healthier choices.  

Driven by her newfound knowledge, Simar embarked on her video game journey to transform the perspective of children her age in a fun manner. 

Hiccups along the way 

When Simar's parents began searching for a place to provide her with coding training, they explored several options. However, they encountered a common response: "She's too young. Most children are just beginning to learn to read and write. Developing a game would be quite challenging." Many institutions recommended that they introduce her to coding when she is at least eight to 10-year-old. 

However, looking at their child’s ability her parents knew that she has an extraordinary potential as at such a young age Simar can also solve mathematics problems meant for grade three kids. After trying at many places they finally found an institute that agreed to enrol her.  

That’s when her father started researching the world records in coding and found out that nobody has developed a full-fledged game at a young age. “I told Simar this and she got excited, ‘I want to make a world record,’ she said and began announcing to the whole family that she’s going to make a world record’,” Paras shares. 

“Simar is hardworking and she did it pretty well for a six-year-old to go through five classes a week on coding and then spending a couple of hours every day on practising and doing projects,” he remarked.

[caption id="attachment_33082" align="aligncenter" width="563"] Simar Khurana[/caption]

What’s next? 

The coder has graduated to the next level of working into animations. She loves Roblox, an online game platform and game creation system developed by Roblox Corporation that allows users to programme games and play games created by other users. Down the line she aims to develop something even better than that.  

Motivated by her accomplishments, the youngster is working on a more interactive and engaging game. She has a message for everyone – “Don’t eat junk food!”

• Follow Simar Khurana on YouTube