The Fellowship
What the Next Generation India Fellowship Is
The Next Generation India Fellowship is a two-year programme by the United Nations Foundation and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), designed to equip young Indian leaders to shape policy at local, regional, and international levels. Launched alongside India's G20 Presidency, it positions young people at the forefront of solving the world's most pressing challenges — from climate to AI to urbanisation.
I was selected as one of ten fellows from a competitive pool of thousands of applicants — and the youngest in the cohort. Each fellow leads a thematic track. Mine was New Technology & AI: the ethics, governance, and deployment of artificial intelligence, data privacy, digital inclusivity, and the future of technology in India and the Global South.
Over two years, the fellowship involved 200+ hours of expert-led training, intergenerational mentorship from senior bureaucrats, diplomats, civil society leaders, and industry pioneers, and direct engagement with global institutions including the United Nations. The work wasn't theoretical — we organised national consultations, published policy frameworks, represented India at international forums, and co-authored a blueprint for India's centennial.
AT A GLANCE
1 of 10 fellows · Lead, AI & New Technology Track · UN Foundation & CEEW
Fellows in cohort
10
Consultation participants
2,000+
National dialogues
19 + 4 diaspora
Fellowship Themes
Five Global Disruptors Shaping India’s Future
01
Demographic Trends
734M Indians under 30
More than the combined population of the EU and Oceania. The youth bulge is a dividend or a burden — depending on whether India invests in jobs, voice, and dignity now.
02
Rapid Urbanisation
68% in cities by 2050
Indian cities are already strained by pollution, housing, and water crises. The question: will India build megacities of inequality or participatory cities that work for everyone?
03
Artificial Intelligence
$15.7T added by 2030
AI could transform the global economy but threatens 300 million jobs. The challenge: harness AI for innovation while protecting India's workforce as the largest generation of young Indians enters the job market.
04
Climate Change
399 climate disasters in 2023
Rising seas and extreme weather could displace tens of millions of Indians by 2050. For the Global South, climate change is an existential threat reshaping lives and livelihoods.
05
Geopolitical Shifts
India: G20 leader, largest democracy
Global power dynamics are in flux. The challenge: ensuring young Indians have a voice in international policy and a reformed multilateral order.
The AI Track
The AI & New Technology Track
My track focused on three pillars: AI governance and responsible deployment, global data protection standards, and the intersection of technology, policy, and human rights.
The goal was to ensure that as India races to adopt AI, the frameworks governing its use are built with young people, not imposed on them.
The Work
Two Years of Building, Organising, and Speaking
Fellowship Begins
Selected as one of 10 fellows — and the youngest — from thousands of applicants. Assigned the New Technology & AI track. Began 200+ hours of expert-led training with senior bureaucrats, diplomats, and industry pioneers.
Fellowship Begins
Selected as one of 10 fellows — and the youngest — from thousands of applicants. Assigned the New Technology & AI track. Began 200+ hours of expert-led training with senior bureaucrats, diplomats, and industry pioneers.
Youth Sabha 2047
Organised the inaugural Youth Sabha 2047 — a national townhall bringing together 200+ young leaders alongside high-level speakers from government, the UN, and industry. A platform for India's centennial future, centred on youth inclusion. Unveiled the 'India in Future Tense' dictionary alongside a visionary art installation.
Youth Sabha 2047
Organised the inaugural Youth Sabha 2047 — a national townhall bringing together 200+ young leaders alongside high-level speakers from government, the UN, and industry. A platform for India's centennial future, centred on youth inclusion. Unveiled the 'India in Future Tense' dictionary alongside a visionary art installation.
India in Future Tense: 47 Words for 2047
Co-authored a youth-led dictionary anticipating the vocabulary of India's centennial. 47 words spanning food, ocean, energy, health, technology, workforce, and climate — from 'Yottabyte Era' to 'Digital Public Infrastructure' to 'pharmacogenomics.' Supported by Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty.
India in Future Tense: 47 Words for 2047
Co-authored a youth-led dictionary anticipating the vocabulary of India's centennial. 47 words spanning food, ocean, energy, health, technology, workforce, and climate — from 'Yottabyte Era' to 'Digital Public Infrastructure' to 'pharmacogenomics.' Supported by Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty.
Youth Consultations Across India
Organised and moderated consultations with 600+ young Indians across 7 Indian cities and 4 global diaspora hubs (North America, Europe, MENA, Asia Pacific). These consultations, combined with 1,200+ survey responses and 63 expert interviews, formed the evidence base for the Our Future India report.
Youth Consultations Across India
Organised and moderated consultations with 600+ young Indians across 7 Indian cities and 4 global diaspora hubs (North America, Europe, MENA, Asia Pacific). These consultations, combined with 1,200+ survey responses and 63 expert interviews, formed the evidence base for the Our Future India report.
AIESEC International Congress, Sri Lanka
Represented the United Nations Foundation on a panel speaking to 400+ young leaders from 105+ countries. Spoke on the future of work in the age of AI — skills gaps, digital inequality, care work, and inclusion-by-design in global workforce systems.
AIESEC International Congress, Sri Lanka
Represented the United Nations Foundation on a panel speaking to 400+ young leaders from 105+ countries. Spoke on the future of work in the age of AI — skills gaps, digital inequality, care work, and inclusion-by-design in global workforce systems.
Our Future India Report
Co-authored the flagship output of the fellowship — a youth-led blueprint for Viksit Bharat 2047. Translated five global disruptions into actionable policy directions with Quick Wins and Moonshots for each. Built on 1,200+ surveys, 19 national dialogues, 4 diaspora hubs, and 63 expert interviews.
Our Future India Report
Co-authored the flagship output of the fellowship — a youth-led blueprint for Viksit Bharat 2047. Translated five global disruptions into actionable policy directions with Quick Wins and Moonshots for each. Built on 1,200+ surveys, 19 national dialogues, 4 diaspora hubs, and 63 expert interviews.
Global Convenings & Diplomacy
Addressed key global conferences including the ECOSOC Youth Forum, Commission on the Status of Women, Summit of the Future, and Financing for Development Conference. Carried India's vision to regional forums in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Brazil through UN Foundation Town Halls and AIESEC convenings.
Global Convenings & Diplomacy
Addressed key global conferences including the ECOSOC Youth Forum, Commission on the Status of Women, Summit of the Future, and Financing for Development Conference. Carried India's vision to regional forums in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Brazil through UN Foundation Town Halls and AIESEC convenings.
By the Numbers
Survey Responses
0+
Consultation Participants
0+
National Dialogues
0
Expert Interviews
0
Countries at AIESEC
0+
Publications Co-authored
0
Cities Consulted
0
Diaspora Hubs
0
Policy Made Visible
Using short-form content to close the gap between policy rooms and the people they affect
Eight reels documenting the fellowship — the research, the consultations, the launch events, and the real people at the centre of it all.
Published Outputs
Publications
Two Years in Pictures
Reflection
“Leading the AI track for a UN Foundation fellowship taught me that technology policy isn't made in conference rooms — it's made in conversations with a 19-year-old in Silchar who wants to use open data to fix his city's traffic, or a gig worker in Bangalore who doesn't know what rights she has. The gap between how AI is discussed in policy circles and how it's experienced by young Indians is vast. Closing that gap — through research, consultation, and action — is the work that matters most.”