Shreya Nallamothu: Indian-American teen helps draft Illinois law for safeguarding child influencers
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(August 30, 2023) Holed up at her home during the pandemic, like almost everyone, Shreya Nallamothu, too, took refuge in social media. The then 13-year-old was quick to notice that children, much younger than her, were nothing short of social media stars or kid influencers. While she didn’t think much about it initially, but as her Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok pages kept populating with content by children, the Indian-American teen realised the kids can be victims of exploitation, in terms of monetisation of social media content. “I realised there was absolutely zero legislation in place to protect them,” she told AP. This led her to campaign for amending child labour laws in Illinois, making it the first state in the country to create protections for minors showcased in online videos, including provisions for their compensation.
Shreya Nallamothu
The 16-year-old fondly remembers her parents capturing some of her firsts – first steps or first day at school on video camera, and is deeply grateful to them for keep these personal moments private. “It made me realize family vlogging is putting very private and intimate moments onto the internet,” she said in an interview. Her parents always told her how everything is permanent online and their words kept playing in her mind when she saw so many kid influencers online. “The fact that these kids are either too young to grasp that or weren’t given the chance to grasp that is really sad,” she added.
This prompted the University High School student to work on an independent study to help child influencers. During the process, she explained that child influencers include any kids under 18 with their own social media accounts, not just those in family videos, and can earn a lot of money from their followers on TikTok, YouTube and other social media sites. “I definitely wanted to create policy and legislation around child influencers because I felt like Illinois could be kind of a trend setter and a precedent setter for this issue,” added Shreya.
Shreya Nallamothu
She began conducting research on child influencers, and found that kid influencers accounts are run by their parents as kids can’t set up in their names due to age restrictions on social media. What intrigued her what that due to the social media explosion, parents were using it to monetise kids being on videos. And realised that with money being made and nothing set aside for the kids, it was nothing short of child labour. “A lot of the time (the child influencers) are being forced by their parents to appear in videos, but then because they’re a minor they don’t have access to any of that money,” the Global Indian said in an interview.
That’s when after her detailed research, she wrote a letter to her state senator, Democrat Dave Koehler, urging him to consider legislation to protect young influencers. Two weeks ago, inspired by Sherya’s letter, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker approved a new law that changes the Child Labor Law in the state. This law lets teenagers who are 18 or older sue their parents if they appeared in videos on social media that made money, but they weren’t paid fairly. This is like the rights that young actors have. July 1, 2024 onwards, parents in Illinois will need to save 50 percent of the money earned from a video for their child. This money will go into a special fund until the child turns 18, based on how much time the child is seen in the video.
Children “deserve to be shielded from parents who would attempt to take advantage of their child’s talents and use them for their own financial gain,” said Alex Gough, a spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, after the governor signed the legislation.
Shreya’s determination and awareness have brought about a significant change in Illinois. Recognising the exploitation faced by young influencers, this Indian-American teen took action to protect the rights and futures of children in the world of social media. By identifying a gap in legislation and sharing her concerns with Illinois state Senator David Koehler, Shreya set in motion a series of events that led to the proposed bill amendment. Her efforts demonstrate how the proactive actions of a single individual can catalyse positive change, ensuring a safer and fairer environment for child influencers and ultimately inspiring others to advocate for meaningful reforms.
This Women’s Day here are six young sheroes who've stepped into the limelight as they set about changing the world with their work and achievements. (March 8, 2022) They’re young, they’re fun and they’re raring to go. These young women know exactly what it takes to make a difference in a rapidly changing world and they’re channelising their talents in the right direction. From Karishma Mehta taking story telling to a whole new level, to giving performance art a new dimension, and conserving endangered languages, these women are in a league of their own. Global Indian turns the spotlight on some of these young movers and shakers as they gear up to take on the world. Shruti Rijhwani, researcher saving endangered languages The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Ph.D candidate at Carnegie Mellon University was named in the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 in science. Shruti Rijhwani researched, and has won accolades on the conservation of endangered language around the world. She pursued her BS degree in computer science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 2015. Selected as a research intern in applied science at Microsoft Research India, in 2015, Shruti developed search software for retrieval and deduplication of misspelled entries.
nce. Shruti Rijhwani researched, and has won accolades on the conservation of endangered language around the world. She pursued her BS degree in computer science at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 2015. Selected as a research intern in applied science at Microsoft Research India, in 2015, Shruti developed search software for retrieval and deduplication of misspelled entries. Interning at Microsoft, and later at MIT Media Lab- Google Summer of Code, her forte in language conservation was to be her main stay.
In 2018, she was awarded a Bloomberg data science PhD Fellowship, and with that she became an expert on data science.
Shruti, who has been working on developing natural language processing technologies to help communities revitalise endangered languages, tweeted, “Incredibly honoured to be recognised on the 2022 @Forbes 30 under 30 list in science!” The Forbes moniker is just the beginning for this deeply research-oriented mind.
Her goal is to rejuvenate endangered languages. According to Unesco, about 40 percent of the world’s 7,000 languages are endangered. Rijhwani’s algorithms helped extract text from non-digitised books and handwritten documents and make them accessible online. At the Language Technologies Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, advised by Graham Neubig, she says, “My main research interest lies in natural language processing (NLP) and I have worked on various NLP tasks across a broad spectrum of domains and languages. My current research focuses on developing deep learning models for multilingual and low-resource NLP.”
An 18-year-old is just a step away from becoming the first-ever K-pop artiste from India. Meet Sriya Lenka, the singer who is among the two finalists set to grab a spot in the South Korean girl band Blackswan. The Rourkela-born dancer and yoga practitioner, beat thousands in auditions to gain the top spot. She is currently in Korea for a month-long training under DR Music company before the final showdown with Brazil’s Gabriela Strassburger Dalcin to win a spot in the girl band.
“Surreal,” is how Sriya describes her journey from Rourkela to Korea to train under the best in the music industry. DR Music recently shared photographs of the singer on Instagram and introduced her to the world as a Blackswan probable. A trained singer, Sriya initially had a tough time finding the perfect vocal trainer, but she eventually found a way. “I’d request everyone to support me and help me achieve my dreams,” the singer said.
Vrinda Chadha, 26, young Odissi dancer spreading art and culture
Vrinda Chadha has dance flowing through her entire being. The senior disciple of renowned Odissi dance exponent Guru Ranjana Gauhar, Vrinda has been training under her for the past 20 years since she was six. Vrinda, an alumna of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, also received a national scholarship for Odissi dance from the ministry of culture and is empanelled with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Doordarshan. Her mudras and expertise have taken her across the globe – Spain, Argentina, Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, United Kingdom, Madagascar, and Seychelles. Conferred with the Nalanda Nritya Nipuna Award in Mumbai, the Young Talent Award by the International Academy of Mohiniyattam in Delhi, the title of Odissi Ratna in Bhubaneswar and the Kameshwari Award in Guwahati, her talent is much talked about.
“As a dancer I have always valued the ability to express and connect with one’s innermost being through the medium of art. The liberation and joy of surrender in such an experience is unparalleled and is also what connects me not only to myself but also to those watching,” says Vrinda. As she continues to stretch artistic brilliance every time she takes to the stage, she adds, “My art empowers and frees me both on and off stage. It is my identity. Through it, I hope to spread love, peace and consciousness in the ensuing days of 2022.” This accomplished dancer also believes in giving back and works as a fellow at Teach for India.
She picked up the bass guitar when she was three years old, egged on by her jazz musician father. The youngest bass player in the country, Mohini Dey has recorded music for over 100 films and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including AR Rahman and Zakir Husain. She's a star in her own right too, with her striking appearance, marked by wild curly hair and prodigious technique, Mohini is quite unmistakable. By the age of 11, she was performing professionally and even designing her own outfits.
Described as the Most Successful Musician Under 30 by Forbes India, Mohini, now 24, has spent 16 years in the industry. It's a tough field to be in, especially as a bass player in India. More so as a woman. Dey has loved every moment of her journey, however. "I am very selective about the work I do and I have lots of fun doing it... My life has been always been adventurous and I like it that way."
Her father, Sujoy Dey, also a bass guitarist, was her first teacher. "My dad was so busy and would come home late at night. But he would wake me up, even if it was 1 am and teach me," she said. “I didn't have friends! All my friends were uncles and brothers."
Her latest offering, Damaru directed by LA-based JS Arts, was conceptualised by Suchismita, another of AR Rahman's proteges, for Maha Shivratri 2022. An up-tempo number, Damaru uses Indian vocals, hip hop and EDM and also features Grammy-award winning composer Ricky Kej as well as London-based rapper Maya Miko.
Aditi Chauhan, 29, goalkeeper of the Indian women’s football team
The goalkeeper of the Indian national team is known for her resoluteness guarding the Indian goal. Among the most talented and experienced in the final line-up, Aditi has a fervour and singlemindedness that is evident on the field. She is the first Indian woman from India’s national football women’s team to play internationally at an English premiere league club, West Ham United. She was also named Asian Footballer of the Year during her stint playing in the United Kingdom.
Chauhan moved to Delhi as a nine-year-old, and schooled at Amity International School. Always sporty, she tried her hand at many games before “the beautiful game” stole her heart. At 15, Aditi appeared on the team for the Delhi women's football team U19 squad.
The girl, who studied MSc in sports management at Loughborough University, joined English premiere league club West Ham United Ladies where she spent two to three seasons. Aditi was a part of the Indian women’s team that won the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship in Sri Lanka. She also played at the recently concluded 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
“Those that shoulder the biggest dreams, face the biggest challenges. Maybe this team’s biggest victory will be in overcoming this, and still going - still playing with heart, still dreaming! The blue tigresses will be back and roar louder than ever, we promise. Keep supporting,” she tweeted.
She was all of 21 when she decided to launch Humans of Bombay, a social media platform inspired by the Humans of New York page. Today, as her platform clocks in over 2.2 million followers on Instagram, it brings to life stories of grit, determination and the resilience of human nature. With tales of battling abuse, racism, and overcoming tragedy, her posts manage to touch hearts and inspire across age groups. Being able to get a hold of these stories was no easy feat for this University of Nottingham alum. Strangers would shy away from speaking to her, till she finally made her breakthrough. Today, the 29-year-old’s platform not just highlights stories, but also helps its subjects through crowdfunding campaigns.
From social media influencer to entrepreneur and author, her journey is nothing short of remarkable. And as she marches on, Karishma has also been featured in reputed international publications like Forbes. As she surges on in her mission to bring to life stories that matter and extend a helping hand along the way, Karishma posted on Instagram, “I was 21 when I founded Humans of Bombay and through these eight years, I’ve had what seems like multiple MBA courses simultaneously. But sluicing through the myriad of business, finance, and the whole shebang, the one invaluable skill we have honed, is the art of storytelling.”
(February 23, 2024) When he first started making YouTube videos about managing one's finances and investing money, Sharan B Hegde's vision was to impart the knowledge he had gained over the years. Over the years, however, this 28-year-old established his name in the digital space by explaining new, complex terms such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the metaverse, the result being that he has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, 300k+ YouTube subscribers, and over 65k followers on LinkedIn. "I never realised that my videos would become so popular, I was working as a management consultant for PWC, and during the pandemic ended up having a lot of time on my hands and that's when I began making the content. I create engaging personal finance content with a blend of comedic flavour and cosplay on Instagram and YouTube. I also write down highly action-oriented posts on LinkedIn and Twitter for those who prefer to read it instead," said the content creator, who recently made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sharan Hegde (@financewithsharan) Not just a content creator, Sharan is also the founder of The 1% Club. "It
Not just a content creator, Sharan is also the founder of The 1% Club. "It is an exclusive members-only community to help people achieve financial independence and become the top one percent. I believe that financial independence is a superpower to never be controlled by money, and less than one percent of the people can achieve it in their lifetime. Even Kaun Banega Crorepati winners end up bankrupt. Clearly, there is a massive need for us to learn what our schools never taught us and my platform is the solution to this problem," the Global Indian expressed.
Starting young
Born in Mangaluru to a well-off family, Sharan's interest in personal finance and investment began from when he was just a little boy. "My mother taught me and my sister Shreya about the monthly budget of the family, and the opportunity cost of everything that was bought for the house. Whenever my dad would take me to a toy store, he used to say, ‘You can’t buy anything more than Rs 100'. They made me understand the value of money. Every time I asked for money, they made me think about whether I needed it," the content creator shared. In fact, for birthdays and special events, Sharan received money from his grandparents, but he never used it. By the time he turned 18, the total had grown to an impressive Rs 50,000. "Money has been a very big motivator for me since childhood to be the best version of myself,” he added.
A bright student, Sharan pursued a mechanical engineering degree from Bengaluru, and it was here that it first occurred to him that he should make a career in the finances. Shared the content creator, "I was a part of the academic club at my college, and I could manage the funds better than most of the lot. We actually saved a lot and were able to afford many equipment. Eventually, I was promoted to be the Chief Financial Officer of the club. Interestingly, managing the money and strategising how to invest or spend it wasn't really 'work' for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, I decided to pursue a career in that field." Thus, the content creator started his corporate career at KPMG India as a Management Consultant.
Focussing on finance
During the pandemic, Sharan discovered that even those who didn't lose their jobs were worried about maintaining their finances. And that gave him the thought to start his own channel to impart the knowledge he has acquired over the years. "It’s so important to learn about maintaining finances - and how to invest or spend it - it’s such an essential life skill. But when I researched, I found that the content available online back then was so dull that most people were not going to watch it. Schools are not teaching it, and people are not gonna learn about it even after they start working, and sometimes not even after that," the content creator said.
And thus in December 2020, he started making engaging YouTube videos on his channel, 'Finance with Sharan'. "Initially, I thought that a few hundred might watch it, but the reach and speed of the channel really surprised me. Eventually, I started making witty and enlightening Instagram reels and they took off almost immediately," he shared.
Currently focussed on his organization, Sharan aims to better other people's lives by spreading financial knowledge. "My mission to spread financial literacy and make it fun for others saw growth in leaps and bounds. Over the last three years, I have realised that there is a need to make finance simple and effective, and that is exactly what I am here to do," said the content creator, adding, "There are so many people who are better than you, the world is a tough place and sometimes even if you put all your hard work into it, you might still not come first and that is difficult to accept."
(April 2, 2024) At 15, Chhavi Kohli was honoured with the National Child Award by the President of India. Now, at 23, this fencing athlete wears multiple hats. The sportsperson has represented India at many international tournaments. She has been a part of the Indian national fencing team and was the youngest fencer to participate at the age of 14 at the National Games in 2015. She is also a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist. Apart from being a sportsperson, Chhavi is a professional painter, and mental health practitioner. She completed her MSc in Performance Psychology at The University of Edinburgh in 2023, and is working on her goal to become a licensed psychologist in the UK. [caption id="attachment_36978" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Chhavi Kohli[/caption] “Currently, I work as a psychologist for Indian nationals in the UK offering services through my initiative Spark Matters. I deal with clinical and non-clinical cases of couples, students, families, athletes, and young professionals,” Chhavi tells Global Indian. “My journey in sports has taught me to keep growing and never lose hope,” added the athlete who has also given motivational talks on well-being as a TEDx Speaker. Pressures of sports, mental health and emerging a winner Born and raised
ugh my initiative Spark Matters. I deal with clinical and non-clinical cases of couples, students, families, athletes, and young professionals,” Chhavi tells Global Indian. “My journey in sports has taught me to keep growing and never lose hope,” added the athlete who has also given motivational talks on well-being as a TEDx Speaker.
Pressures of sports, mental health and emerging a winner
Born and raised in Patiala, Chhavi had always been inclined towards sports as a child. She tried her hand at multiple sports before taking up fencing at the age of nine. Reminiscing about her school days, she mentions, “Lalit Gandhi was my coach at school and he had a major impact on my performances while I played for India.”
When she took up fencing, her parents enrolled her under coach Mohit Ashwini. For nearly a year, the fencing coach did not allow her inside the training hall meant for professional players as he wanted to test Chhavi’s consistency, and interest levels. After the young fencer had proved her seriousness for the game by attending the coaching sessions regularly, he started making her train at the training hall.
Under his guidance, Chhavi made India proud by winning the Commonwealth Championship medal twice. She also went on to win the Thailand Minime series Under-16 series twice in a row in 2016, and 2017. The young fencer was honoured with the President's Excellency Award in 2016 by former President of India, late Pranab Mukherjee for her good performances at the international games.
Despite achieving a lot at a young age, in 2018, Chhavi had to give up fencing briefly due to burnout and anxiety induced by performance pressure. “I experienced burnout due to the overwhelming pressure of academics. Since I was in 12th grade and had no breaks for rejuvenation or recovery from my sport over a decade as my coach did not believe in the idea of taking a break,” she remarks.
It was a time when her passion for fencing had turned into pressure for her. “I constantly indulged in thoughts of what others would think about me and my performances,” she shares.
Chhavi had to take a sabbatical of a-year-and-a-half. By the end of it, she bounced back with the support of her parents and after undergoing therapy to look at her passion for sports with a different lens. The athlete went on to win multiple competitions after her return to fencing, and since then has become an advocate of mental health.
Journey of rising above self-doubt
The experience of getting counselled was therapeutic and helpful for the athlete, making her look at her passion with a different lens. “The attitude of running after medals and the pressure that accompanied that mindset got altered in playing the game for the love of it,” she remarks. Not only this, Chhavi passed her 12th board exams with flying colours earning 96.75 percent marks.
Owing to her personal positive experiences of taking therapy Chhavi developed an interest in counselling, and started using social media to spread awareness on this vital issue and has eventually turned a counsellor.
Despite being a sportsperson she never neglected academics and pursued bachelors of arts in psychology, certificate course, diploma and advanced diploma in guidance and counselling from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and pursued MSc in performance psychology at the University of Edinburgh.
The sportsperson has won the BUCS championship and won the Scottish student sport champion award for 2022-23 in the UK.
Inner spark matters
As a mental health and well-being enthusiast, Chhavi has started her counselling service - Spark Matters - dedicated to supporting individuals and communities in their journeys towards improved well-being.
The mental health advocate has curated a wealth of resources, including articles, self-care tips, and evidence-based practices for people to achieve greater balance and resilience in life. “As someone who has experienced the benefits of therapy firsthand, I believe that seeking help for our mental health should be just as normalised as seeking help for our physical health,” Chhavi remarks.
As a mental health and wellbeing practitioner, Chhavi believes that therapy is not just for people who wish to solve problems; it is also for improving as a person and working on one’s state of mind. “Well-being is extremely important. We are running after things without realising that it's costing our health,” she remarks adding. “Just like we take care of our physical health by exercising and eating well, we should be taking good care of our minds by seeking assistance from a professional if needed.”
Giving back and gaining recognition in the UK
Last year Chhavi was conferred the UK Achievers Award by British Council (India) and the Department for Trade (UK). “The award was for my pro bono work in mental health for underprivileged athletes,” says Chhavi, who keeps on counselling such athletes in an attempt to give back to the society.
The athlete, artist and mental health practitioner expresses gratitude towards the National Indian Students and Alumni (UK) for helping her gain recognition for promoting mental health and well-being as an athlete. “It was an honour to share the stage with other phenomenal achievers Parineeti Chopra, Raghav Chadha, Purva Aggarwal and Adrija Biswas,” she shares. “Representing my University, The University of Edinburgh at the award event was also a big matter of pride.”
[caption id="attachment_36973" align="aligncenter" width="865"] Chhavi Kohli while receiving the Achievers Award in the UK[/caption]
Life in Scotland and future goals
Chhavi currently lives in Scotland. With specialisation in performance enhancement, mental health, and wellbeing, she is dedicated towards promoting holistic wellness and performance psychology through her consultancy service - Spark Matters.
For the moment, fencing has taken a backseat for Chhavi. “I do not have the finances to support my fencing in the UK. Indian Fencing is not particularly flexible in accommodating the needs of fencers who are also pursuing other careers,” tells the athlete. “I am working to become a licensed psychologist in the UK and hopefully resume fencing,” she signs off.
[caption id="attachment_36977" align="aligncenter" width="555"] Chhavi Kohli with one of her paintings[/caption]
(November 28, 2023) From launching Chandrayaan 3 in July, to sticking its perfect landing on the Moon's south pole, and launching a mission to study the sun - the Indian Space Research Organisation has just witnessed what we can safely call the most successful year. Although ISRO didn't have a traditional beginning and faced significant financial constraints, it has emerged as one of the world's most successful space agencies. Remarkably, this achievement has not only transformed ISRO but has also inspired countless aspiring youngsters who wish to take the Indian flag to space one day. In recent years, India's space technology startup ecosystem has experienced significant growth. Nevertheless, 2023 marked a milestone year as various private entities entered the scene by launching their own satellites. According to the most recent Economic Survey, India now boasts a total of 104 space startups and 368 space technology companies. With the industry poised to attract over $300 million in investments in 2023, Global Indian examines the prominent participants in India's space technology ecosystem. AgniKul Cosmos Their journey began at IIT Madras in 2017 with just ₹3 crores in seed funding. Back then, Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM had just one goal: to build
n investments in 2023, Global Indian examines the prominent participants in India's space technology ecosystem.
AgniKul Cosmos
Their journey began at IIT Madras in 2017 with just ₹3 crores in seed funding. Back then, Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM had just one goal: to build and launch a space rocket within a few years. Although they faced many challenges over the last six years, these two young individuals successfully established India's first private launchpad and mission control center at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in November 2022. With a total funding of $34.5 million, AgniKul is now one of India's most respected space startups.
The facility at Sriharikota has a launchpad and mission control center. It's special because it has India's first rocket engine that was made using 3D printing. They built this facility in just two months. Soon, they'll use it to launch India's first private spaceflight into orbit. "We are trying to get the first few launches this year. These would be developmental flights (test launches). Then scale to a commercial launch in 2023," Srinath had said during a press interaction, adding, "There are going to be big breakthroughs in the Indian space industry in the next few years. The gestation period is a bit long, but I think we are already there. The government being upfront is going to encourage a lot of people to give it a shot. ISRO is helpful and it also has the attention of the Prime Minister’s Office. India will be among the top three in the next five years."
Skyroot Aerospace
One of India's most accomplished space companies, Skyroot Aerospace, has finally launched the Vikram-S after much waiting and several years of effort. This achievement is a big step forward for India's private space industry. The rocket, which is a single-stage design with a spinning motion and uses solid propellant, can carry a payload weighing about 550 kilograms. It's carrying three customer payloads, including one from a customer outside of India. This six-meter-long rocket was built in just two years and features a core structure made entirely of lightweight carbon fiber.
Two friends, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, founded a company in Hyderabad. Their goal is to become the world's leading provider for launching small satellites within the next five years. Speaking about their ambitions and plans, Pawan recently said in an interview, "2023 is just the beginning of an era of SpaceTech, which would be the next trillion-dollar industry. We are more like a cab to space, where we can offer dedicated rides to required orbits to satellite customers while companies like SpaceX are focused on building very large vehicles.”
Dhruva Space
In 2012, while ISRO was busy with the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), a man named Sanjay Nekkanti had a vision. He dreamed of creating India's first private satellite and enabling organizations to harness the potential of small satellites. This dream led to the birth of Dhruva Space, India's inaugural space technology company. Later, the founder was joined by his friends from BITS-Pilani - Abhay Egoor, Krishna Teja, and Chaitanya Dora. Fast forward to 2022, the company reached a significant milestone when it successfully deployed its satellite orbital deployer on the PSLV C53 in June, followed by the launch of its two Thybolt satellites on PSLV C54.
This startup, which operates in both Hyderabad, India, and Graz, Austria, provides versatile satellite platforms that can be customized for various applications. Their goal is to make space access quicker, more dependable, and more affordable. Dhruva Space also offers a comprehensive solution, allowing clients to own and manage space-based assets in one place. Speaking to the press after launching two satellites in November last year, Abhay said, "We are looking to raise or invest about USD 20 to 25 million over the next two years where this amount of capital would be used to invest and build an infrastructure facility for assembly, integration, and testing of satellites up to 100 kg class. We are exploring setting up the same facility in Hyderabad. We are already in conversation with parties."
Pixxel
Back in 2019, while still in college, two 20-year-olds, Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, made an unconventional choice. Instead of pursuing a traditional job, they decided to venture into something new. Although their decision might not have had unanimous support at first, the entire nation celebrated when these two young entrepreneurs successfully launched their satellites, named Shakuntala, into a low Earth orbit (LEO) using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in April 2022. Pixxel continued to make strides in the space industry by launching their second satellite on Isro's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C54 mission.
[caption id="attachment_26123" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, founders, Pixxel[/caption]
Giving an insight into their company and its mission, Awais said, "Our one-line model is to make satellite imagery data useful. This is why we process the data once we have it beamed down from the satellites. Once the data is ready, there are a lot of companies that know how to analyse satellite imagery. There is Orbital Insight, there are precision agricultural companies and hedge funds that buy this data to extract insights from this. They are going to be our customers. We will be working with banking institutions, agriculture, mining companies, oil and gas companies, and defence organisations. All of them are going to be our customer base."
Bellatrix Aerospace
It took a while for them to establish themselves in the space technology sector, but once they grasped the dynamics, they've been excelling in every aspect. Founded by two young entrepreneurs, Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, the Bengaluru-based company, Bellatrix Aerospace, is gearing up to conduct tests on their propulsion technologies, which are responsible for directing satellites to their intended locations, in 2023. Their ambitious plan includes launching a "space taxi" service by 2024.
[caption id="attachment_26124" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, founders, Bellatrix Aerospace[/caption]
The startup has introduced a cutting-edge facility to accelerate its prototyping and model production, complementing its testing lab affiliated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). In an intriguing move, the company is set to invest $76 million in the establishment of a local Research and Development (R&D) center and manufacturing plant in Bengaluru. This new facility is anticipated to produce a variety of thrusters, including the hall thruster, microwave plasma thruster, nano thruster, and environmentally-friendly propulsion systems.
(September 19, 2024) In March 2020, two young women launched a podcast, sitting in their bedrooms and broadcasting from their laptops. They had a modest audience of around a thousand listeners at the time, all they wanted to do was make finance more approachable to first-time investors. Simran is a TEDx speaker and her podcast, Girls That Invest has over one million downloads to date. The two friends, Simran Kaur and Sonya Gupthan, were over the moon. "We're from New Zealand. It's a small island. Things like that don't really happen around here," Simran told Vogue. In 2022, they also published their book, Girls That Invest: Your Guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks, which is available on Amazon. Why teach women to invest? To give them the independence so many of them sorely lack, they say. " The Global Indians both grew up in Auckland, and first met when Simran, then five years old, stole some stickers from Sonya, also five. That was the start of a lifelong friendship and, although they didn't know it yet, a thriving business. Both had comfortable lives, attending good public schools. Simran recalls, however, the family's Sunday rip to the temple, which was
hat was the start of a lifelong friendship and, although they didn't know it yet, a thriving business. Both had comfortable lives, attending good public schools. Simran recalls, however, the family's Sunday rip to the temple, which was in a less affluent part of town. "Very quickly, I learnt my temple friends didn't have the same privileges and experiences that my school friends did, and the reason was money. Money is such a huge part of our lives, it affects how we interact, it affects our ability to receive access to care," Simran said. Sonya, like her friend, had a good life and didn't really think of personal finance until she turned 18, which she admits is "a huge privilege in itself." On her 18th birthday, her brother gave her a copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad, which stoked her interest.
Girls That Invest
As Simran began learning about investing, the early experience was quite formidable. Full of complex jargon, the subject seemed unapproachable. Still, she was just about to begin her career and wanted to know how to manage her money. She did a certificate course in investing and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't so difficult after all. Not long after, the two girls sat together in Simran's bedroom at her university, and had their first heart-to-heart about money. That's where this story begins, really. They chatted for hours, discussing what they earn, save and invest. "There was such fire in that conversation, we thought that we should share this information as a podcast to encourage friends and family to invest too."
The idea for a podcast had already been on Simran's mind. "Right after the conversation, we made tea and Sim talked about her vision for Girls That Invest and starting a podcast - it didn't take much convincing for me to jump on board," said Sonya. With these modest intentions, the two friends decided to start a podcast. The pandemic provided them with an opportunity - as stocks spiralled, Simran knew it was a good time to invest. That's how Girls That Invest began, as a friendly banter between two childhood friends sitting in a bedroom and broadcasting from a laptop. "It was truly a grassroots mission, we learned everything about ourselves through editing, recording, software all through our saviour Google while trying to balance full-time jobs," Sonya recalls. Two years down the line, Girls That Invest has nearly 2,00,000 monthly downloads and a big social media fan base.
Changing a mindset
"Only the rich can invest'. 'That's too complicated'. 'I'll invest after I buy a house and a car'. 'It's boring'. The idea of investing is full of misconceptions, although there is a wealth of apps and businesses that help with it, the sheer volume of information is daunting too. Interestingly, Simran and Sonya observed, in their own words, that "most money-media is usually about men. For women, it's about how to save $10 on your grocery bill."
They made it their mission to remove jargon and deliver advice that be understood and followed. Sonya admits that it was a barrier she faced too. "One of the most important t hings to know is to figure out what type of learner you are. This allows you to understand how you can digest and retain information best," Sonya says.
Girls That Invest is also a book now, and was the number 1 business book on WH Smith. The entrepreneurs have also relaunched their masterclass. They gave their first TEDx talk in the US and are nearing the quarter-million follower count on Instagram.
The aim of being savvy with money, the two entrepreneurs say, is freedom. "Money is not about cars or fancy things for me, it's the ability to live life the way I want to. It means choosing when I work, where I work, how I live my life, who I surround myself with, how much time I spend with my loved ones and what values I live by daily," says Simran.
Chhavi Kohli[/caption]
Chhavi Kohli[/caption]
Chhavi Kohli while receiving the Achievers Award in the UK[/caption]
Chhavi Kohli with one of her paintings[/caption]
Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, founders, AgniKul Cosmos[/caption]
Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, founders, Skyroot Aerospace[/caption]
Sanjay Nekkanti, founder, Dhruva Space[/caption]
Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, founders, Pixxel[/caption]
Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, founders, Bellatrix Aerospace[/caption]
