The prestigious Commonwealth Youth Awards have shortlisted four young Indian leaders among 50 social entrepreneurs, environmental champions, innovators, and human rights activists from across the Commonwealth. These dynamic individuals, aged between 15 and 29, have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Indian finalists and their respective SDGs are as follows: Akshay Makar for SDG13 Climate Action, Soumya Dabriwal for SDG 5 Gender Equality, Kaushal Shetty for SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Shrutika Silswal for SDG 4 Quality Education.
Baroness Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General, expressed her admiration for the transformative work undertaken by these young leaders, stating, “I am particularly proud that 50 young leaders are being honoured in this Commonwealth Year of the Youth. I have always been of the view that development should be youth-led. Those who have been shortlisted prove that young people are not just passive bystanders, waiting to see what the future will bring. Instead, they are actively shaping it.”
Akshay Makar, the CEO of Climatenza Solar, is leading a mission-focused company working to decarbonise the industrial sector. Collaborating with global giants like Coca-Cola, Tata Group, and Unilever, the company is implementing 23MW to cut 37,430 tons of carbon emissions. Makar aims to manufacture 273 MW capacity over the next five years, saving over 650,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Kaushal Shetty, the Co-Founder and CEO of Nostos Homes, heads a non-profit organization that constructs sustainable emergency shelters for people displaced by natural disasters. These homes serve as a scalable, data-driven, low-cost, and rapid deployment solution for disaster-stricken areas. His impactful work has been recognized by Forbes, World Bank, Mastercard, the Diana Award, and has already provided over 481,000 nights of shelter in India and Africa.
Shrutika Silswal, a Dalai Lama Fellow and Head of Programmes at the Simple Education Foundation in Uttarakhand, is dedicated to supporting more than 200 government school children across five schools through contextual and sustainable school transformation programs. She is currently designing another program that will impact over 100 government schools in Uttarakhand, ensuring children in the region have age-appropriate academic and social-emotional skills.
Out of the 50 shortlisted candidates, twenty will be selected as finalists, and the overall winners will be honored at the awards ceremony in London on September 14. Each finalist will receive a trophy, certificate, and GBP 1,000 to expand the impact of their work. The top finalist from each region will be recognized as the regional winner and awarded GBP 3,000. One of the five regional winners will be crowned the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2023 and receive GBP 5,000.
The Commonwealth Youth Awards received close to 1,000 entries from 39 Commonwealth countries, making the recognition even more remarkable. The judging panel, comprising high commissioners, development experts, and youth leaders, meticulously selected the shortlisted candidates from each of the award’s five regional categories – Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Canada, and the Pacific. This year’s shortlist of 50 marks a significant milestone as it celebrates the 50 years of the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
