What happens when school students are given the opportunity to listen to people who are already changing the world around them? At Neerja Modi School, the answer has been unfolding for more than a decade through TEDxNMS Youth.
The annual event once again brought students into a room with scientists, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, heritage professionals, social workers and creators. Rather than focusing only on achievement or success stories, this year’s edition encouraged students to think about the choices they make and the kind of future they want to build.
The theme for this year’s event, “Roots and Wings” explored the relationship between identity and ambition — staying connected to one’s origins while having the courage to explore something new.
Among the speakers was Subhajit Mukherjee, popularly known as the “Green Man of Mumbai.” Having planted more than 82,000 trees, Mukherjee spoke about his work on Micro Sponge Gardens and how simple, community-driven interventions can address urban flooding, groundwater depletion and biodiversity loss.
Science communicator Somdatta Karak, who heads Science Communication and Public Outreach at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, brought the conversation into the world of antimicrobial resistance. Her message was particularly relevant for students: meaningful change does not always have to begin at a national level. It can start within one’s own family, community or city.
Heritage became another important thread through the talks. Hospitality entrepreneur Tarun Kumar Bansal spoke about preserving India’s history through tourism, while archaeologist and heritage educator Pranshu Soni encouraged students to look at the past with curiosity rather than simply treating it as something found in textbooks.
Social impact leader Anastassiya Savchenko, founder of Indian Women Impact and co-founder of the Back To School initiative, spoke about compassion from a different perspective. Her message focused on the importance of helping others without exhausting oneself in the process.
Entrepreneur and content creator Seema Wadhwa shared her own unconventional career journey, moving from journalism to entrepreneurship and eventually content creation. Instead of asking young people to have their entire future figured out, she encouraged them to follow their curiosity and remain open to what comes next.
The youngest speaker was Grade 12 student Arham Jain, a Regeneron ISEF 2026 finalist and Gold Medallist at the IRIS National Science Fair. His research on the effect of dust on photosynthesis in urban plants offered a reminder that even familiar environmental problems can be approached through scientific curiosity.
A Platform Built Over Eleven Years
The current edition is part of a TEDxNMS Youth journey that has continued for eleven years.
Over the years, the stage has featured journalists, activists, entrepreneurs, technologists and social changemakers. Speakers including Bahar Dutt, Ranjana Kumari, Abhishek Gupta, Aradhana Rai Gupta, Rajat Arya, Rishabh Suri and Sanjeeva Shivesh have brought conversations around environment, equality, technology, entrepreneurship and resilience into the school environment.
The significance of the platform lies in its proximity to students. These are not ideas being discussed from a distance. Young people get to hear directly from individuals who have worked on these issues themselves.
For Neerja Modi School, TEDxYouth@NMS is therefore more than an annual event. It is part of a larger approach to education — one where learning also happens through conversations, exposure and encounters with people working outside the classroom.
This year’s theme perhaps captured that idea best: knowing where you come from, while remaining willing to discover where you can go.
