8 Indians recognised in QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards 2026

British Deputy High Commissioner to India Ben Mellor presented the prestigious awards at a recognition event in New Delhi on 9 September, celebrating the achievements of these young leaders whose initiatives are transforming communities and addressing some of the Commonwealth’s most pressing challenges.

Selected through a highly competitive process from thousands of applications, the awardees represent impactful work across education and employability, environment, food and agriculture, health, and inclusion. The highest number of awardees hail from India. The awardees are as follows and further details about their work are in the notes to editors:

• Mr Aashraya Seth, Founder, Impact91 and Happy Periods
• Mr Abhishek Gupta, Partner and Acting CEO, NavGurukul
• Mr Girish Mehta, Founder, Care Leavers’ Inner Circle (CLiC)
• Ms Isha Jauhar, Co-Founder, Project Jazba
• Ms Pallavi Kejriwal, Founder of The Right Pitch
• Mr Samit Sakib Gore, Co-founder, Vision Friend Eyewear and the VCU Series
• Mr Shakti Balasubramanian Yadav, Founder, Buy Food with Plastic India
• Ms Kavya Jain, Founder, Sensei

The awards honour young leaders who are strengthening connections between youth-led innovation and the global Commonwealth community. Over the coming months, awardees will participate in curated engagements, capacity-building opportunities, and global networking designed to amplify their work and strengthen their impact. The winners will get a chance to apply for a microgrant to scale their high impact projects or organisations.

Ben Mellor, British Deputy High Commissioner to India said:

My warmest congratulations to the eight inspiring young Indians recognised among The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust 100 Young Leaders for 2026. Their work reflects the energy, ingenuity and commitment of young people across India who are driving positive change in their communities and beyond.

This award is a fitting tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring belief in the power of young people to shape a better future for the world. I look forward to seeing these young leaders continue to scale their impact and further strengthen the deep ties between the UK and India.

Stephen Ball, Chair of The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust said:

As we mark what would have been the 100th birthday of our Founding Patron, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, it is fitting that we celebrate young leaders who embody her lifelong commitment to service, community, and opportunity. These 100 Young Leaders represent the very best of the Commonwealth, and their work is shaping a more inclusive and hopeful future, with empowered young people at its heart.

The QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards 2026 recognise 100 exceptional young changemakers from across the Commonwealth. This special initiative commemorates what would have been Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday this year and celebrates her enduring belief in the power of young people to strengthen communities and shape the future.

Further information

• the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust was established on 21 April 2018 in recognition of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth and her unwavering belief in young people and all they do to make the world a better place
• the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust’s 100 Young Leaders Awards seeks to enhance the global visibility of emerging leaders, enabling them to expand their societal contributions while fostering sustainable development within their respective communities. Applicants aged 18 to 35 years were eligible to apply
• some of the QECT 100 Young Leaders Awardees 2026 from India are expected to travel to London in October to participate in an official presentation ceremony
• the QECT 100 Young Leaders Awardees 2026 from India are:
  • Mr Aashraya Seth: Aashraya is Founder of Impact91 and Happy Periods, India, advancing menstrual equity and STEM education. He built India’s most affordable sanitary pad vending machine and reached nearly one million underserved women and girls with sustainable products and education
  • Mr Abhishek Gupta: Abhishek is Partner and Acting CEO of NavGurukul, India, training over 300 marginalized women in software engineering, with 70% becoming alumni leaders. His student led campuses serve tribal, conflict-affected, and trauma survivor communities, boosting financial independence and gender equality
  • Mr Girish Mehta: Girish is Founder of Care Leavers’ Inner Circle (CLiC), India’s largest care-leaver–led support network. He has connected over 3,000 young people aging out of institutions to education, jobs, housing, legal aid, and entitlements through a 24/7 helpline and tech-enabled platform
  • Ms Isha Jauhar: Isha is Co-Founder of Project Jazba, India, developing community led programs in gender, education, and livelihoods across Jammu and Kashmir. A development practitioner and gender fellow, she has incubated over 200 women and youth entrepreneurs
  • Ms Pallavi Kejriwal: Pallavi is Founder of The Right Pitch, India, integrating sport, arts, and co-curricular learning to build 21st-century skills among underserved children. Her programs have impacted hundreds of thousands of students, advancing inclusion, confidence, and leadership
  • Mr Samit Sakib Gore: Samit is Co-founder of Vision Friend Eyewear and the VCU Series, India, expanding affordable eye care access. Building on a legacy dating to 1992, his initiatives have delivered 2.7 million free eye tests, 1.6 million spectacles, and over 63,000 cataract surgeries
  • Mr Shakti Balasubramanian Yadav: Shakti is Founder of Buy Food with Plastic India, providing meals to vulnerable communities in exchange for plastic waste. His initiative diverts over 100,000 plastic bottles from landfills and produces recycled materials for export
  • Ms Kavya Jain: Kavya is Founder of Sensei, a UK social enterprise creating tactile wayfinding systems for visually impaired and neurodiverse learners. A designer and One Young World ambassador, she promotes independence and inclusive design in public spaces

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