The Forum of Young Global Leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) is a platform where young minds between the ages of 30 and 40 years get together to discuss solutions to global challenges through new models of public-private cooperation. It was founded by Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF, in 2005.

Every year, 110 young leaders are selected by the forum from diverse backgrounds, different nationalities, and different areas of work, including green energy, health equity, refugee rights, and education reform, among others.

Sessions of these leaders will be closely watched

Jaideep Bansal: Chief Executive Officer, Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE), India

Bansal heads the award-winning social enterprise GHE, which combines technology with tourism. Under Bansal’s leadership, GHE has worked for solar electrification of villages, schools, and health centres across India. Sustainable rural development is his focus area. In fact, he is an adviser to the Government of India on sustainable rural development in the country.

Raghav Chadha: Member of Parliament - Rajya Sabha

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was honoured as a ‘young global leader’ for 2022 by World Economic Forum (WEF) in April. Trained as a chartered accountant, Chadha began his political journey during the popular anti-corruption movement in Delhi. He soon became a full-time party worker. Eventually, he won the election and reached the Delhi Assembly. Holding the water department in the Delhi government, he made cleaning the river Yamuna one of his top priorities.

Radhika Gupta: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Edelweiss Mutual Fund, India

Gupta manages assets worth around Rs 65,000 crore. She is the only woman CEO to head a mutual fund house despite the presence of more than 40 such establishments in India. Known as the ‘girl with a broken neck’, Gupta is an inspiration to many. She has also penned a book "Limitless: The Power of Unlocking Your True Potential".

Manasi Joshi: Athlete, Sports Authority of India, India

Para-badminton champion Manasi Joshi was listed as the Next Generation Leader 2020 by TIME Magazine. In 2011, her leg had to be amputated after a road accident. Since then, she has been an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. In 2020, she was ranked world no. 2 in women’s singles in the SL3 category.

Ritesh Malik: Founder, Innov8 Coworking, India

He is a medical professional-turned-serial entrepreneur and angel investor. In 2012, he quit his medical practice to become an entrepreneur. A year later, he developed and sold his start-up Alive App to the Bennett and Coleman Group (The Times of India). Today, his company Innov8 Coworking is one of the largest shared office providers in India.

Sara Saeed Khurram: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Sehat Kahani, Pakistan

Through her work, she is solving the problems of healthcare access in Pakistan through technology. She won the UNICEF-Global Goal Campaigner Award in 2016, and the Arpatech Young Entrepreneurs Award in 2017. Her company is working towards creating quality, cost-effective, ICT-enabled health care solutions for people.

Suhail Sameer: Chief Executive Officer, Resilient Innovation Private Limited (BharatPe), India

He has worked for companies in the consumer (FMCG, Retail), energy (utilities, cleantech), and financial services sectors. Sameer successfully led McKinsey’s clean-tech practice for South Asia and the Power practice for India. He has also worked with institutional investors and was an early-stage investor in consumer, consumer tech, fintech, and SaaS companies.

Saad Hayat Tamman: Member – Strategic Reforms and Implementation Unit, Office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pakistan

As part of his job, he works in crucial areas, including civil services reform, climate change, agriculture, and Digital Pakistan. He has also worked for several public sector reforms and transformation projects during his stint at McKinsey & Company. He was also the Project Management Officer for the National Bank of Pakistan's digitization programme.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

First Published:May 21, 2022 11:21 AM IST