Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveSkill India: Champions make country proud in WorldSkills Competition 2022

Skill India: Champions make country proud in WorldSkills Competition 2022

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(December 17, 2022) In 2022, India outdid itself in the WorldSkills Competition, moving two places up the ranking table, from 13 in 2019 to 11 in 2022. With the government putting skill development in primary focus, the country has earned two silvers, three bronzes and thirteen medallions in the world’s biggest skills competition, considered the gold standard of excellence.

WorldSkills International is the global hub for skills excellence and development, founded in 1950 with the aim to provide youngsters a chance to compete, experience, and become the best in their chosen endeavour. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship, Government of India, has been leading the nation’s participation on the WorldSkills Platform.

Nandita Saxena after winning silver medal in patisserie and confectionary

This year saw 1400 participants from 58 countries, participating in 62 categories. The events were held in a decentralised manner in 15 countries across Europe, East Asia and North America, over a period of 12 weeks between September to November 2022. Global Indian takes a look at the champions of 2022 who brought medals back home:

Nandita Saxena (silver medal in patisserie and confectionary): Nandita became the first Indian female competitor in history to win the silver medal in confectionary and patisserie at the WorldSkills platform. The Karnataka girl had joined IHM Aurangabad after her Bachelor’s degree to develop her patisserie and confectionery skills. Under the guidance of her mentor Vinesh Johny, she learned the nuances of the craft. She went to Lucerne, Switzerland to participate in the global challenge.

Indian youth | WorldSkills Competition | Global Indian

Nandita Saxena | Photo Credit: WorldSkills India

Praveen Kumar Giri (silver medal in water technology): The Odisha boy is a mechanical engineering student of CV Raman Global University. A staunch proponent of using technology for water conservation, Praveen was drawn to the field when he observed the perils of water scarcity in his surroundings growing up. He bagged the silver at the state level skill competition and went on to snag the gold at the National Skill Competition in Delhi before moving to the WorldSkills platform. He demonstrated his skills to experts in Stuttgart, Germany.

Praveen Kumar Giri | Photo Credit: WorldSkills India

Anushree Srinivasan, (bronze medal in hotel reception): The Coimbatore girl has won the first medal for the nation in the hotel reception category. The graduate from SRM Institute of Hotel Management, Kattankulathur joined ITC Hotels soon after passing out. She has internship experiences at Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and The Savera Group. Anushree used her work experience to upskill herself in problem-solving, teamwork and time management, under the mentorship of Aagman Baury. She travelled to Montreaux Switzerland to participate in the global challenge.

Anushree Shrinivasan | Photo Credit: WorldSkills India

Likith Kumar YP (bronze medal in prototype modelling): Likith travelled to Bern in Switzerland for the WorldSkills Competition. Prior to winning the bronze medal there, he had bagged the first place in the prototype modelling skill in IndiaSkills 2021 – the countrywide skill competition. Likith honed his skills under the guidance of his mentor, Bhaskar Singh, the chief expert in prototype modelling skills at Toyota India.

Likith Kumar YP | Photo Credit: WorldSkills India

Karthik Gowda Seehalli Nagaraju (bronze medal in mechatronics): Born into a humble background, the Mysore boy got the chance to hone his expertise in mechatronics at Toyota Kirloskar Motor. The twenty-year-old dedicated his win at WorldSkills 2022 to his mentor, Bhagyashree Patil. He demonstrated his skills to leading experts and manufacturers in machine vision and automation at Stuttgart, Germany.

Karthik Gowda | Photo Credit: WorldSkills India

Akhilesh Narasimhamurthy (bronze medal in mechatronics): The competitors of mechatronics were allowed to participate in a team. Akhilesh had teamed up with Karthik. This win holds a lot of significance for the youngster who has had a troubled childhood. With a specially-abled mother, Akhilesh struggled to make ends meet after his father abandoned them when he was young. He dedicated the award to his maternal uncle who funded his study. He has been trained at Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) by Bhagyashree Patil.

In WorldSkills Competition 2022, India moved two places up securing 11th position earning two silvers, three bronzes and thirteen medallions.

Akhilesh Narasimhamurthy | Photo Credit: WorldSkills India

This is the 46th edition of the WorldSkills Competition, which is held every alternate year in a new country. Originally scheduled to be held at Shanghai, this is referred as a ‘special edition’, as it was delayed due to the pandemic and then conducted in a decentralised manner across several countries.

Indian champions participated in 50 skill categories, including graphic design technology, bakery, jewellery making, web technologies, health and social care, mobile robotics, restaurant services, information network cabling, autobody repair, automobile technology, 3D digital game art, fashion technology, and hair dressing among others. 

A total of 56 competitors, 50 experts, 11 interpreters and seven team leaders were part of the Indian contingent after rigorous selection process of National Skill Development Corporation starting from district to India Skills 2022 National Competition.

Visit WorldSkills India website to know more

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Published on 17, Dec 2022

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Prakrithi Suresh: Harmonising Carnatic Music, Bharatanatyam, and spirituality in UAE

(October 27, 2023) Prakrithi Suresh is a UAE based Carnatic music vocalist and Bharatanatyam danseuse who connects the two forms through devotional perfomances. The Sharjah-based vocalist is a known face in UAE’s musical circuit, with many stage performances to her credit. She successfully conducted a ‘Health Benefit Series’ on her YouTube channel, driven by the belief that traditional Carnatic music holds a treasure trove of wellness advantages. In her quest, she explores the idea that each ragam not only carries unique health benefits but also forges a connection with nature, offering potential solutions to pressing environmental concerns. After wrapping up the series she is working on a ‘Thillana Series’ with the aim to revitalise the energies of listeners. In a harmonious convergence of culture and technology, the International Carnatic Musicians and Dancers Association (ICMDA) headed by Padma Shri A. Kanyakumari conducted an international mega event this year. Ten different world records were attempted at the event, which saw the participation of nearly 10,000 musicians and dancers from across the world. They performed the iconic ‘Aigiri Nandini’ at the same time both online and offline in live centers in different countries. [caption id="attachment_33767" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Prakrithi Suresh with ICMDA certificates and

different countries.

[caption id="attachment_33767" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Prakrithi Suresh with ICMDA certificates and medal[/caption]

While musicians and dancers from different corners of the globe united in a symphony of devotion, to ensure the accuracy the event's live videos and performances underwent meticulous scrutiny by the organising body. “Only two people received their certificates from the UAE and I was one of them,” Prakrithi tells Global Indian.

This festive season, Prakrithi has been actively engaging and captivating Carnatic music enthusiasts and the spiritually-inclined alike with her mesmerising performances.

Music in blood

When Prakrithi was barely two years old, her parents were overjoyed to hear her humming the Carnatic song she had heard her father practice. Carnatic music had been in her family for generations, starting with her paternal grandfather. They were trained vocalists although none had pursued it as a career. Prakrithi’s hereditary inclinations were celebrated and encouraged by her parents and when she was three-and-a-half years old, she began her training.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MANoFb__70Q

Not only is she a gifted singer, she is also a talented Bharatanatyam dancer who has been training under the best gurus in UAE since she was four. While there are invitations for conferences and participation in music fests round the year, Prakrithi connects her gift of singing and dancing with spirituality. “I sing and dance just for the spiritual connection. My sole goal is to spread divinity, and to make everybody realise that it’s the ultimate supreme that all of us has to surrender to,” the young artist remarks.

“My parents have been very supportive and have never pressurised me about academics,” remarks Prakrithi, crediting them for her achievements so far.

Making a name

At the UAE’s national Margazhi fest 2019, Prakrithi bagged the overall champion award for excelling in all six categories of Carnatic vocal competitions. In 2020 she came second in an International Carnatic dance and music competition, which saw participation from around the world.

[caption id="attachment_27735" align="aligncenter" width="623"] Prakrithi Suresh with childrens’ book author Elisabetta Dami[/caption]

She has also received the Geronimo Stilton Foundation’s medallion from its founder, the childrens’ book author Elisabetta Dami, at the Sharjah International Book Fair, for upholding the legacy of Indian traditional art forms even while living abroad.

The musical journey

Having begun her Carnatic vocal training as a toddler, the teenager is grateful to have trained under some of the best gurus in India and the UAE. She started learning formally from her guru, Palakkad Rajesh Kesav, and went on to learn from Dr Amruta Sankaranarayanan, who is the daughter and disciple of Padma Bhusan, Sangeetha Kalanithi T V Sankaranarayanan.

The sixteen-year-old is now receiving advanced training from Dr Maithili Krishnan, professor of music, SRC College Trichy. As they are in different countries, the guru and shishya connect with each other online.

The talented disciple is also a teacher to two four-year-old pupils who have started learning Carnatic vocals from her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFJc8fhVYJw

The teen vocalist’s portfolio comprises an impressive collection of music videos on her YouTube channel. The aesthetically-shot videos have been shot by her musically-inclined engineer father.

“I do not have any motive of earning money from my performances, nor do I want to spend money on creating music videos and that’s why my father films them,” she says. Her innocent smile hides great maturity.

Prakrithi’s mother, who worked as a scientist before her daughter was born, has played a great role in evoking the sense of divinity in Carnatic vocal and Bharatanatyam for the teenager. “I am spiritually inclined and do not perform for fame,” she says, adding, “It’s my mother who tells me how I can do better if I am spiritually connected to my art.”

[caption id="attachment_33768" align="aligncenter" width="954"] Prakrithi Suresh during one of her stage performances[/caption]

The path of Bharatanatyam

Whether it is Carnatic music or Bharatanatyam, Prakrithi finds tranquillity and peace in both. While Carnatic music is a way of seeking enlightenment, Bharatanatyam is sadhana for her.

“Bharatanatyam is like uniting the soul with the absolute soul,” she says, adding, “Coming from a spiritual country like India, where the realisation of consciousness or spirit has been the supreme goal of life, it is no wonder that the oldest dance form of the country, Bharatanatyam is nothing but a form of Sadhana.”

Prakrithi had started basic training of the dance form in 2013 under her guru Sahadevan of Kalakshetra, Sharjah who is the discipline of Rukmini Devi Arundale. Currently she is honing her skills under guru Girish Kumar, the disciple of Kalamandalam Chandrika who is the disciple of the veteran actress Vaijayanthimala.

[caption id="attachment_27736" align="aligncenter" width="856"] Prakrithi Suresh[/caption]

Apart from performing in various events in UAE and in functions organised by the Indian consulate of Dubai and Indian Association Sharjah; the youngster has performed in two Natyanjali’s in India as well.

On a different note…

A student of Sharjah’s Amity Private School, when Prakrithi is not busy studying or practicing, she can be found playing musical notes on her guitar or keyboard. “I have taught myself to sing English songs and play western instruments,” she shares.

The artistic teenager has already decided her professional path. “I want to become a veterinary doctor, quite opposite to what people would think,” she smiles.

Follow Prakrithi Suresh on YouTube and Facebook

Reading Time: 5 mins

The strong Indian presence at Sweden’s Children’s Climate Prize

(January 10, 2023) Indian-origin youngsters have set a benchmark in global Spelling Bees and have, over the last few years, begun to make their mark in environmental activism too, surging past their peers from around the globe to bag the International Children’s Climate Prize. For the last four years, Indian-origin innovators have won the SEK 100,000 awarded by Swedish company Telge Energi as part of the prestigious prize. The winners of the prize also receive a diploma and medal along with the cash award to continue developing their projects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-glFd5QsUoc Telge Energi is a frontrunner in renewable energy and deals with solar, wind, and hydro power. To support young people's actions to bring sustainable solutions for the planet earth, it set up the Children’s Climate Foundation. The initiative is an integral part of the organisation’s ongoing work for sustainable development and production of renewable energy for improved climate and environment. Global Indian celebrates the Indian-origin winners of the International Children's Climate Prize. Sparsh Nirav, winner 2022 Resident of Patna, India Solution: The Thermal Floater Coming from the rural side of Patna, Sparsh Nirav understands well the pain of frequent power cuts. As a solution, he designed a thermal floater, a

s an integral part of the organisation’s ongoing work for sustainable development and production of renewable energy for improved climate and environment.

Global Indian celebrates the Indian-origin winners of the International Children's Climate Prize.

Sparsh Nirav, winner 2022

Resident of Patna, India
Solution: The Thermal Floater

Coming from the rural side of Patna, Sparsh Nirav understands well the pain of frequent power cuts. As a solution, he designed a thermal floater, a device that converts thermal energy from the sun into electrical energy. Sparsh's floating device can easily be installed on inland or stagnant water bodies. The device is small – a mere 15 cm x 15 cm – and can be connected to several units to generate increased amounts of energy. The jury was impressed to learn that his solution is three times more efficient than a typical solar panel of the same size. Apart from converting thermal energy, the device provides a range of environmental benefits, including the reduction of evaporation (increasing water availability for other uses) and the reduction of algal bloom in freshwater. 

[caption id="attachment_26347" align="aligncenter" width="610"] Sparsh Nirav[/caption]

 Since it makes use of water surfaces, such as dam reservoirs, wastewater treatment ponds or drinking water reservoirs, it reduces pressure on land resources. The jury of Children's Climate Prize found the idea innovative, easy to implement and accessible enough in countries where land resources are scarce, “This solution creates a huge potential globally,” remarked the climate prize jury.

Reshma Kosaraju, winner 2021

Resident of Saratoga, USA
Solution: AI against forest fires

US-resident Reshma is well aware of forest fires and the damage they can cause. The problem exists on a global scale, causing thousands of premature deaths and posing a threat to animals and nature, making Reshma’s project stand out in the eyes of the jury.

[caption id="attachment_26348" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Reshma Kosharaju[/caption]

Her AI based solution claims to predict forest fires with almost ninety percent accuracy. Reshma’s solution makes use of open data like temperature, humidity, wind speed, soil moisture and human behavior, along with artificial intelligence, to calculate the probability of the forest fire and its extent. “A clear and scalable business concept, with a global approach to accessibility,” is what the jury felt about Reshma’s solution.

Vinisha Umashankar, winner 2020

Resident of Tiruvannamalai, India
Solution: The Solar Ironing Cart

Vinisha has seen numerous ironing carts on Indian streets, all using charcoal to heat the device. ‘There are millions of ironing carts in India and together they must be using tons of charcoal every day’, she thought. Realising that the coal consumes large amounts of wood, pollutes the air and contributes to climate change, Vinisha created a solar powered ironing cart to find a sustainable alternative.

[caption id="attachment_26353" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Vinisha Umashankar[/caption]

My generation and I would live to see the consequences of our action today. I am not just a girl from India, I am a girl of the earth and I am proud to be so. We need to stop talking about old debates but a new vision for new future,” remarked Vinisha at the COP26summit.

Aadya Joshi, winner, 2020

Resident of Mumbai, India
Solution: The Right Green

Deforestation is the second-leading cause of climate change and an issue that Aadya Joshi wanted to address. She founded The Right Green, a BioPower Index, which is a database carrying information about more than 15,000 plant-insect feeding relationships from different eco-regions of India. The Index enables gardeners, landscapers and civic authorities to plant the best biodiversity supporting plants as per the characteristics of the region they are based in.

[caption id="attachment_26350" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Aadya Joshi[/caption]

Aadya has also conducted educational and outreach workshops enabling and empowering communities to restore healthy ecosystems, which are rich in biodiversity, to address climate change. “As the winner of the Children’s Climate Prize, I was given the chance to talk at the India International Science Fair and it was a very big moment for me. India’s Prime Minister was there as well as all the heads of the scientific departments in the government,” she said in an interview.

Shreya Ramachandran, winner, 2019

Resident of Fremont, USA
Solution: The Grey Water Project

Shreya witnessed the wastage of water in households and came up with a solution to address this. Realising that almost fifty percent of water used annually in a household can be reused for activities like watering the plants in the garden, she developed the Grey Water Project.

[caption id="attachment_26351" align="aligncenter" width="613"] Shreya Ramachandran[/caption]

She built a grey water cleaning system with soap nuts that make grey water reusable. Shreya has been teaching people how to install their own grey water systems with regular workshops on water reuse and conservation. “Shreya is working to save the source of life,” remarked the jury of children’s climate prize.

Vihaan and Nav Agarwal, winners, 2019

Residents of New Delhi, India
Solution: One Step Greener

Siblings Nav and Vihaan Agarwal founded an NGO, One Step Greener, to fight the deadly air pollution of the Northern India, especially the NCR region. Their organisation strives for a zero-waste future with the goal to reduce air pollution and improve the health and wellbeing of people.

[caption id="attachment_26354" align="aligncenter" width="719"] Vihaan and Nav Agarwal[/caption]

Since they live in New Delhi, which is one of the worst cities in terms of air quality, they have been educating people about the importance of recycling waste at source and offering door-to-door dry waste pick-ups, to counteract the garbage that is burned on large dumps. “We realised that trash and air-pollution are heavily interrelated, and we wanted to do something to change this. This situation can be avoided by taking simple steps,” said Vihan Agarwal in a video to promote good garbage dumping practices.

Follow Children's Climate Prize on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

Jash Kalyani: A Change Agent in Promoting Culture, Community, and Inclusivity

(July 17, 2023) How many 22-year-olds can claim to have helped implement policy changes in their universities and local communities? For Aurangabad-born Jash Kalyani this is a reality that he embraced early in university career. Now a senior analyst in the product management division at Royal Bank of Canada, Jash continues to further his dream that was born out of a passion for promoting culture, community and a sense of inclusivity. From helping his Canadian alma maters Huron University and Ivey Business School institute policy changes to encourage EDI on campus, to collaborating with the city council for the City of London as a community connector, and publishing case studies on the subject, Jash is intent on being a change agent. Born in Aurangabad, Jash, an only child, lost his father when he was 9. Raised by his mother and grandparents, the lad found himself wanting to achieve something from an early age. “I was never given a path as such, but my mother and grandparents were confident in my abilities. My mother was convinced that I’d do well in whatever I chose. That worked well in my favour as it boosted my confidence levels,” says Jash, who moved to Dubai

, who moved to Dubai after his class X to join his mother. “She was already working in Dubai at the time and I decided to pursue my A levels there.”

[caption id="attachment_31955" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Jash Kalyani with his family at his graduation.[/caption]

By age 17 Jash moved to Canada to pursue his graduation from Huron University College where he studied political science in years 1 and 2. “I’d say Canada shaped my adulthood while India shaped my childhood. Canada is where I got my driver’s licence, got my first car and many other firsts,” he says, adding, “I got a job on my first day of college as a line cook in the university cafeteria. I wanted to build work into my schedule from day 1 and not after I graduate.”

During his time at Huron Jash also founded the Huron Indian Cultural Association (HICA) in 2018. The Association continues to thrive today and is a means for students to celebrate and share Indian culture with the Huron community. Over the last five years, the association has grown to become one of the largest student clubs on campus and at roadshows is the first to be showcased by the university. “I wanted to build a sense of community on campus and that’s how the club came about. Huron is a traditionally Anglican school and with HICA we celebrate Diwali in the chapel and Holi on the campus. The aim is to help students find a community outside of home and has now become one of the first things an Indian student coming here looks for.”

[caption id="attachment_31957" align="aligncenter" width="507"] Jash Kalyani during his city council work[/caption]

In the meanwhile, Jash also began working as a community connector with the municipal committee for City of London. “Here I worked with young and marginalised people. It involved a lot of grassroot work and over the course of three years I’d spoken with as many as 1,500 people,” says Jash. By the time he got to year 3 Jash began to get more involved in the aspects of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). It was also around the time the George Floyd incident occurred. “I was able to hone into EDI around this time and turned my focus towards it. For the first time, I also realised what it really meant to be a South Asian in Canada.”

The youngster also faced racism and used that as a learning experience to pivot his work. “I was sitting at a cafe and eating when a white guy called the cops on me for not wearing a mask. There were plenty of others there without a mask because we were all eating. But he targeted me as a ‘brown person’,” says Jash, adding, “It was scarring.”

The incident prompted Jash to speak to his university about what it was doing to make people feel safer and if it was systemically addressing racism. “That led to me doing an internal review for the school and a case study on Huron in which I got students to participate and suggest strategies.”

[caption id="attachment_31958" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Jash Kalyani at his graduation.[/caption]

As he moved to Ivey Business School, Jash wanted to continue his work in EDI and be a change agent. “I wanted to use educational platforms to talk about EDI and tied up with Ivey to build something into their curriculum. That’s how I ended up publishing an EDI onboarding module for the school with other students. The idea was to make EDI part of the student experience,” he says. He went on to intern with the Royal Bank of Canada, and was eventually hired by them.

Jash Wins Ontario Remembrance Award

In recognition of his contributions Jash was awarded the Ontario Remembrance Scholarship by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and Western University in 2021. Jash was one of the four students to receive the award which was instituted in the memory of the four Iranian students who lost their lives on board Flight 752.

“Over the years I find myself becoming more interested in pedagogy and how EDI can be built into the curriculum. To this end, I have published two other case studies and also worked with the City of London on what it can do from a civic engagement perspective for people with marginalised identities,” he says. The school also funded him to go to Kenya and teach an entrepreneurship elective at MOI university.

[caption id="attachment_31956" align="aligncenter" width="501"] Jash Kalyani in Kenya.[/caption]

When he graduated business school in 2022, Jash took up his first job with Mondelez which proved to be a great learning experience. He later took up a role as senior analyst with RBC where he works in product management and credit card strategy. “That apart I’m also involved with several non-profits. I continue to publish case studies for the school and am currently designing a digital capstone experience with insendi, a British Educational Consulting Company, meant for students at Ivey for next year,” says the youngster. “I’m also working for a boutique consulting company that works in the EDI space and am going to flying school to become a recreational pilot,” he smiles.

Follow Jash on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Zain Samdani: The innovator’s robotic glove is helping patients with paralysed hands

(June 10, 2022) As a 15-year-old visiting India from Saudi Arabia, Zain Samdani had no idea that this family vacation was set to change the course of his life. A meeting with his partially paralysed distant maternal uncle left him "shocked." In the era of technology, seeing his uncle dependent on others for every small thing was nothing short of a horror. That encounter nudged this robotics enthusiast and innovator to develop Neuro-ExoHeal, an exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilises neuroplasticity and Azure technology to help patients with neurological damage recover faster at an affordable price. The innovation not only left Google CEO Sundar Pichai impressed but also made the 21-year-old win Microsoft 2022 Imagine Cup World Championship, which is considered as the 'Olympics of Technology' with more than 10,000 participants from 160 countries. "Having been interested in robotics from a very young age, I started working with prosthetic designs in 2013. But I realised that cosmetic prosthetic hand could cost between ₹1-₹2 lakh while a robotic prosthetic hand was available anywhere between ₹40-₹50 lakh. I knew that affordability was the key. But the meeting with my uncle only strengthened my passion to find an affordable solution," Zain tells Global Indian.

ells Global Indian.

A robotics enthusiast in the making

The Hyderabad-born moved to Saudi Arabia at a very young age with his project manager father and homemaker mother. When he noticed that his mom was always busy with household chores and raising kids, the then five-year-old Zain promised to make her a robot that would ease her burden. "It was that early that my love for robotics began," laughs Zain who is currently in India after wrapping up his first-year exams at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany.

For the Ashoka Young Changemaker 2021, it all started with that one idea and later progressed into in-depth research on the subject. However, things started to move when he began programming at age 12 and within a year, was into prosthetic designs. "For me it's a two-step process. I visualise the product in my head first, and then make it with a cardboard. Back then 3D printing was booming but was also expensive. To cut the cost, I reached out to Make India, a 3D printing company in Saudi Arabia who sent the code free of cost after hearing about the purpose behind it," says the innovator whose biggest takeaway from the incident was "to never stop asking."

How passion turned into a mission

The passion turned into a mission after the chance encounter with his paralysed uncle which led him to create ExoHeal. "It was upsetting to see that despite technological advancement in the world, nothing was done to help him move around." This nudged Zain to build a device based on the concept of neuroplasticity. Divided into a sensory glove for the functional hand and an exoskeletal robotic hand for the paralysed hand, the first prototype came into existence post extensive research and innumerable meetings with neuroscientists and physiotherapists.

[caption id="attachment_17917" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Zain Samdani[/caption]

During his research, the Global Teen Leader 2019 found that "the patients were frustrated with the system and had given up hope." This made Zain even more determined to give them a "sense of independence" and do things on their own, and led to the creation of Neuro-ExoHeal which helps a paralysed hand replicate a movement made by the functional hand. "The mirroring allows the neuron to trick the brain into believing that the paralysed hand is working perfectly, thus forming new neural connections."

The earliest prototype made him one of the 16 global finalists at the Google Science Fair in 2016, and later the advanced version recreated the magic in 2019. "My uncle could feel the sensation on the very first day of using Neuro-ExoHeal. It’s something that otherwise takes weeks or months to achieve," Zain beams with pride as his creation is on its way to a proper clinical trial in the next few months. "Pandemic in 2020 pushed the plans but now we are back on track," says the innovator who is happy with the initial response from many patients. "Seeing it work, many have been enquiring as to when it will be launched in the market."

Looking for a silver lining, always

Zain, who began as innovator and later moved to entrepreneurship, calls the journey transformative. "It essentially enabled me to look outward – to see what was going around me and make the right connection," reveals Zain who wants to make a two-fold impact. "I want to enable paralysed patients to regain independence and also want to work in the space of mental health."

The entrepreneur feels that overachievers like him are often under pressure to outdo themselves, and this takes a toll on mental health. It hit him hard in 2018 when was diagnosed with intermittent exotropia, a rare medical condition that doubles your vision every two or three hours. "It happened right before my boards and my studies were affected. My brain would shut down every few minutes due to constant doubling of my vision." Not one to give up, amidst the chaos, Zain decided to find the silver lining. "It gave me time to think about myself and that's when my raw artistic expression came out. I have been a painter but this break gave me time to explore my passions beyond innovation," says the innovator who recovered completely within two years with the help of rehabilitation. A poet and a painter, Zain loves unwinding with board games. For him, life is about knowing yourself but most importantly, making a positive impact that can change people’s lives.

Follow Zain Samdani on Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram

Reading Time: 6 min

Rishabh Seen – The pioneer of sitar-metal

(January 22, 2023) In 2007, the year Rishabh Seen first heard the Foo Fighters and t their frontman, Dave Grohl, he knew his life had changed forever. "It was one of those moments where you just know that you're experiencing something that will change you," he said in an interview later. Until that point, Rishabh Seen, who belonged to an illustrious family of Hindustani musicians, had devoted himself to the classical tradition on the sitar. Steeped in tradition [caption id="attachment_26814" align="aligncenter" width="941"] Rishabh Seen[/caption] Rishabh's childhood in Jalandhar was spent immersed in music. His grandfather, Ustad Lachhman Singh Seen, is an acclaimed tabla maestro and music scholar, with his works preserved in the national archives. Rishabh's father, Manu Kumar Seen, is an accomplished sitarist. Growing up in this environment, Rishabh began vocal training at the age of six and his sitar practice started four years later. Despite the family's deep devotion to classical traditions, his father helped him understand the world of possibilities the sitar afforded him. Still, his knowledge of what lay outside classical music remained limited and Dave Grohl came as an inspiration. "It changed my entire vision about life and music in general," Rishabh said. "I discovered

d him.

Still, his knowledge of what lay outside classical music remained limited and Dave Grohl came as an inspiration. "It changed my entire vision about life and music in general," Rishabh said. "I discovered that progressive metal was based on instrument-driven songs and that is the point where Indian classical and metal meet." His enthusiasm compounded when he realised there wasn't anybody out there who seemed to have had the idea of sitar-metal, or even a band led by any instrument other than a guitar, keyboard or drums.

Dave Grohl and a journey of discovery

Rishabh's own journey of discovery continued, and he went from the Foo Fighters to Slipknot and Nirvana. "It was around 2011, when I just played a metal song on the speakers. My dad, wondering what on earth was happening, came by to check on me. What was surprising was that he really enjoyed what he was listening to," he said in an interview. Technically speaking, too, the two forms of music are very different. Hindustani classical music involves playing one scale or raaga in a 45-minute concert. With metal, a single song can contain several scales.

At first, the young Global Indian's efforts were not well received. Metal was seen as dark and hairy, while the sitar receives reverence. His fortunes turned in 2015 when he released his first cover of Animals As Leaders' 'Tempting Time'. In no time, the song garnered lakhs of views. That was also the year he founded his band, Mute The Saint. They produced covers of artists like Animals as Leaders, Steven Wilson and Meshuggah and were a success. While the two genres might stand as polar opposites, to the trained and untrained year alike, Rishabh saw only common ground, a similarity "in terms of evoking an inner revolution and spreading peace."

In 2016, Mute the Saint released a self-titled album and two years later, the second, which contained a bunch of covers of Coldplay and Foo Fighters. Rishabh has performed with singer Arijit Singh and solo headlines sitar metal shows.

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