Akhu Chingangbam
Member of Imphal Talkies
Akhu Chingangbam is the face of Imphal Talkies, an alternative folk-rock band that was formed in 2008. Since then, he has been performing all over the country, putting him and his band in an increasingly more prominent space in the music scene.
What makes his music special is that they are broadly ‘protest songs’, which focus on his reflections of the injustice faced by his people in Imphal and in Manipur, especially because of the arbitrary nature of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. With a mix of nostalgia, memory and a deep attachment to cultural roots, his lyrical songs create a nexus between exposing violence and maintaining hope for a better future.
Madhukeshwar Desai
Politician and Advocate
Madhukeshwar Desai is an advocate and politician. His dream is to further India's standing as a global economic, cultural and social leader, by finding solutions for the issues faced at the grassroots level.
In May 2013, he was appointed the National Vice President of BJYM (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha), becoming the youngest in the party’s history. He currently works on various law and policy related issues for the Chief Minister's office in Maharashtra.
He represents the idea of change and a new direction for the youth of India.
Shivani Mishra
Founder of 'I Suffer' campaign
Shivani Mishra is a recipient of two national awards: Winner of Nepal’s Top Seven Debaters and Nepal’s Top Seven Young Poets. Shivani is also the founder of a successful social venture called the ‘’I Suffer’’ campaign. This campaign works for children affected by AIDS and runs on a single philosophy of sharing time, optimism and dreams over money and toys. Her venture motivates hundreds of students across three nations to embrace the suffering of these children and uplift their souls.
Varsha Varghese
Co-founder of The Wordsworth Project
Varsha Varghese, a Young India Fellow and Economics graduate from St Stephens College, is the co-founder Wordsworth Project. The project is an initiative which acknowledges the debt we have to language and reading, and seeks to give back. Varsha owes her time as an English language teacher in a shelter home and a time spent reading books at home and between conversations, for the creation of the WordsWorth Project.
Yashash Agarwal
Co-founder of GameZop
Yashash Agarwal is a final year student at Shri Ram College of Commerce, in Delhi. Along with his elder brother Gaurav, he's co-founded Gamezop, a startup that aims to change the way people discover, play and share mobile games.