New Delhi, September 9: Eight young Indians have been recognised among The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT) 100 Young Leaders Awardees 2026 for their work in education, employability, environment, food and agriculture, health and inclusion.
The prestigious awards were presented by British Deputy High Commissioner to India Ben Mellor at a recognition event in New Delhi on September 9, celebrating young leaders whose initiatives are transforming communities and addressing challenges across the Commonwealth.
The Indian awardees are Aashraya Seth, Founder of Impact91 and Happy Periods; Abhishek Gupta, Partner and Acting CEO of NavGurukul; Girish Mehta, Founder of Care Leavers’ Inner Circle (CLiC); Isha Jauhar, Co-Founder of Project Jazba; Pallavi Kejriwal, Founder of The Right Pitch; Samit Sakib Gore, Co-founder of Vision Friend Eyewear and the VCU Series; Shakti Balasubramanian Yadav, Founder of Buy Food with Plastic India; and Kavya Jain, Founder of Sensei.
The awardees were selected through a competitive process from thousands of applications, with India recording the highest number of awardees.
Isha Jauhar, Co-Founder of Project Jazba, has been recognised for developing community-led programmes in gender, education and livelihoods across Jammu & Kashmir. A development practitioner and gender fellow, she has incubated more than 200 women and youth entrepreneurs.
Aashraya Seth has been recognised for advancing menstrual equity and STEM education through Impact91 and Happy Periods. His work includes developing an affordable sanitary pad vending machine and reaching nearly one million underserved women and girls with products and education.
Abhishek Gupta, Partner and Acting CEO of NavGurukul, has trained more than 300 marginalised women in software engineering, with 70 per cent becoming alumni leaders. His student-led campuses serve tribal, conflict-affected and trauma-survivor communities.
Girish Mehta, Founder of Care Leavers’ Inner Circle, has connected more than 3,000 young people leaving institutional care to education, employment, housing, legal aid and entitlements through a 24/7 helpline and technology-enabled platform.
Pallavi Kejriwal, Founder of The Right Pitch, uses sport, arts and co-curricular learning to develop 21st-century skills among underserved children. Her programmes have reached hundreds of thousands of students.
Samit Sakib Gore, Co-founder of Vision Friend Eyewear and the VCU Series, works to expand access to affordable eye care. His initiatives have delivered 2.7 million free eye tests, 1.6 million spectacles and more than 63,000 cataract surgeries.
Shakti Balasubramanian Yadav, Founder of Buy Food with Plastic India, provides meals to vulnerable communities in exchange for plastic waste. The initiative has diverted more than 100,000 plastic bottles from landfills and produces recycled materials for export.
Kavya Jain, Founder of Sensei, is working on tactile wayfinding systems for visually impaired and neurodiverse learners. The UK-based social enterprise promotes independence and inclusive design in public spaces.
Congratulating the Indian awardees, Ben Mellor said their work reflected the “energy, ingenuity and commitment” of young people across India who are driving positive change in their communities and beyond.
He said the award was also a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s belief in the power of young people to shape a better future.
Stephen Ball, Chair of The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust, said the 100 Young Leaders represented the best of the Commonwealth and were helping shape a more inclusive and hopeful future, with empowered young people at its heart.
The QECT 100 Young Leaders Awards 2026 recognise 100 young changemakers from across the Commonwealth. The initiative commemorates what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday this year and highlights her longstanding commitment to young people, service and community development.
The awardees will participate in curated engagements, capacity-building opportunities and global networking activities aimed at strengthening and expanding their work. They will also have an opportunity to apply for a microgrant to scale their projects or organisations.
Some of the Indian awardees are expected to travel to London in October for an official presentation ceremony.
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