TEDxTheNewtownSchool

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Khwaish Sharma

  National Level Rifle Shooter

  Khwaish is a national-level rifle shooter specialising in the 50m rifle and 10m air rifle events. Currently ranked among the top 10 junior shooters nationwide in the 50m category, Khwaish trains as part of the Junior Indian Shooting Team camp and competes in prestigious national competitions across India. With a strong focus on precision, consistency, and discipline, Khwaish continues to sharpen his skills while competing against some of the best young shooters in the country.

• Mohul Podder

  Amateur high powered rocketry enthusiast

  Mohul Podder is a young aerospace enthusiast whose journey blends curiosity, creativity, and resilience. He led the development of Vrishabha, a student-built rocket payload that won 2nd place at the Spaceport America Cup SDL Payload Challenge, IREC 2025, demonstrating how determined teams can achieve global recognition. His work explores innovation under constraints, showing that even limited resources can give rise to groundbreaking ideas in rocketry, artificial intelligence, and beyond. Alongside research, Mohul is passionate about inspiring students to dream big, embrace challenges, and see setbacks as stepping stones. His story reflects the belief that innovation isn’t about having everything — it’s about daring to imagine, building with what you have, and reaching for the skies.

• Rachit Kulshrestha

  Motivational Speaker | Adventure Enthusiast

  Rachit Kulshrestha is a Motivational Speaker, Amputee, and Two-Time Cancer Survivor from Pune. An avid adventure enthusiast, he has cycled from Manali to Khardung La, toured the Nilgiris, and completed 200 km and 300 km BRMs. He has been honored with the CavinKare Ability Award for Mastery (2023) and the Victor Award (2021), and has spoken at leading platforms including the Indian Inclusion Summit, Vividh Diversity Job Fair, and multiple colleges and corporates across India. Rachit’s inspiring journey has been featured in Humans of Bombay, The Better India, and East Mojo. Beyond speaking, he has worked in film and VFX projects such as Black Panther, The Avengers, and Candy Flip on Netflix, and even featured in the music video Udaan.

• Saji Varghese

  Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, Brown Reed Agri-Waste Innovations | Associate Professor, Christ University, Bangalore

  Saji, a Doctorate in English, has been teaching for over 25 years across Nagpur and Bangalore and currently offers courses in Design Thinking, Innovation, and Social Entrepreneurship at Christ University. Inspired by the struggles of underprivileged children, he turned to innovation as a tool for empowerment, developing practical solutions and social enterprises. He is the founder of Brown Reed Agri-Waste Innovations Pvt. Ltd., which produces eco-friendly straws from fallen coconut leaves under the brand Sunbird. Today, the venture employs over 100 rural women, exports globally, and has won prestigious awards including the Climate Launchpad Award in Scotland and the Swiss Re Shine Entrepreneur Award. Passionate about creating sustainable livelihoods, his vision is to make Sunbird a global brand of rural India and provide income opportunities to 1,000 women in the coming years. Beyond work, he is also a writer and innovator, known for blending creativity—even juggling—into his teaching.

• Samaira Hullur

  Commercial Pilot

  Samaira Hullur is one of India’s youngest commercial pilots, earning her license at 18. Hailing from Vijayapura, Karnataka, she developed a passion for aviation early on, inspired by the allure of uniforms and the thrill of flying. Determined to pursue her dreams against all odds, she trained rigorously to achieve her goal. Now, she strives to inspire young people, especially girls from smaller towns, to dream big, break barriers, and reach for the skies.

• Vineet Patawari

  CEO, StockEdge | Co-Founder, ELearnMarkets

  Vineet Patawari, an alumnus of IIM Indore and St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, is the co-founder of Elearnmarkets and StockEdge, platforms dedicated to financial market education and analytics. An entrepreneur with a passion for finance, financial literacy, and digital marketing, he began his journey in 2008 with Fireup.co.in, an e-learning portal for management exam aspirants. He has also served as a Director at Kredent Academy and has been a visiting faculty at premier institutions including St. Xavier’s, IISWBM, ISBM, Bhawanipur College, and IMI Kolkata. Vineet’s mission is to make financial education accessible to all, while his interests in Vedic Maths and digital innovation fuel his work in building impactful learning experiences.