8 youth from India have got a place in the QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards for 2026. These youth have been recognized for the work they are doing in different fields. These include youth working for education, employment, environment, health, agriculture and different sections of the society. This year, among the 100 youth selected from Commonwealth countries, maximum 8 youth from India are included.
According to the British High Commission, these awards were announced at a program organized in New Delhi on 9 September. Every year, the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT) selects young people who are trying to bring about change in the society through their work. This award is given to youth between 18 to 35 years of age.
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Who are these 8 youth of India?
Ashraya Seth: Aashraya Seth is the founder of Impact91 and Happy Periods. She works to make information and facilities related to periods easier. He has created a machine to provide sanitary pads at low cost. Her work has helped nearly 10 lakh women and girls who needed these facilities. She also works for girls' education and technology related information.
Abhishek Gupta: Abhishek Gupta is Partner and Acting CEO of NavGurukul. Their work is to provide software engineering training especially to those women who get less employment opportunities. More than 300 women have received training from their program. About 70 percent of these women later became leaders of their organizations. The purpose of this work is to provide employment and economic strength to women.
Girish Mehta: Girish Mehta is the founder of Care Leavers' Inner Circle (CLiC). This organization helps those youth who start their new life after coming out of the child care center. Work is done to connect them with education, job, house, legal help and government facilities. So far, more than 3,000 youth have got help from this. For this, a 24-hour helpline and online platform is also run.
Isha Johar: Isha Johar is the co-founder of Project Jazba. She helps women and youth in Jammu and Kashmir to get education, job and start their own business. Through his project, more than 200 women and youth have been helped to start their own business. His focus is on putting people on their feet.
Pallavi Kejriwal: Pallavi Kejriwal is the founder of The Right Pitch. She works for such children who do not get many opportunities for education and other facilities. In their project, along with studies, activities like sports and art are also conducted. This helps in increasing the self-confidence of children and helps them move forward. A large number of children have benefited from his work.
Samit Saqib Gore: Samit Saqib Gore is the co-founder of Vision Friend Eyewear and VCU Series. He works to provide eye examination and treatment facilities at low cost. So far, more than 27 lakh people have been given free eye check-up through his project. More than 16 lakh people have been given spectacles and more than 63 thousand people have undergone cataract surgery.
Shakti Balasubramaniam Yadav: Shakti Balasubramaniam Yadav is the founder of Buy Food with Plastic India. His project works to provide food to people in exchange for collecting plastic waste. This provides food to needy people and also helps in reducing plastic waste. Through their work, more than 1 lakh plastic bottles have been prevented from ending up in landfills.
Kavya Jain: Kavya is the founder of Jain Sensei. It is a UK social enterprise that works to create easy-to-understand pathways and signage for blind and neurodivergent people. Through this, an effort is made to make it easier for people to visit public places.
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Some youth may go to London in October
The youth selected through this award will be given training and other help to carry forward their work. They will also get a chance to connect with the youth of other countries. Apart from this, they can apply for microgrant to take their project forward. However, it is not necessary for every awardee to receive funds.
Some of the Indian youth selected in the QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards are expected to attend the awards ceremony to be held in London in October. During this time, they will get a chance to advance their work and meet the youth of other countries. The purpose of this award is to bring together such youth from Commonwealth countries who are working in different fields for the society.
In the year 2026, this program is also associated with the 100th birth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II. This year 8 youth have been selected from India. All these youth are working in different fields and helping people through their work.