Young Indians, Kolkata, Yuva Conclave 2020

2020 has been a challenging year, changing overnight and dawning in a new normal. Every intimation of an event getting postponed or moving online raised the question – will one at all have in-person meetings until 2021? The team at Young Indians (Yi) chose to battle this dilemma by stretching the limits of their restraints and diving straight into the opportunities that lay buried in this virtual world.
Yi is the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) equipped with a motto to contribute towards nation building. Lead by this vision, the Yuva vertical of Yi whose motto is ‘Learning Beyond Education’ decided to host, Yi Yuva Conclave - ACT, A Changing Theory. Soon after, the dream took seed and flourished into a four day national conclave.
The theme of the conclave - ACT, stemmed from the fact that A Changing Theory was perhaps needed to adapt to the new normal. Based on this theme, a diverse curriculum was formatted for the conclave. Stalwarts from across the globe, from the worlds of academia, music, sports, social media, filmmaking, theater, writing, design and business infused value and momentum to this program by sharing their perspectives from their unique vantage points and experience.
With 5000 plus students attending this conclave from 85 plus Indian colleges and universities, the team landed themselves a golden chance in creating energetic leaders for the society. The conclave had an inspirational opening where Mr. Mehul Mohanka (MD & CEO of the Tega Group of Companies and Chairman CII) and Mr. Peeyush Gupta (VP, Tata Steels – Marketing and Sales) plucked on the soft nodes of nostalgia and reiterated that they would love to be a student in today’s time and age! Masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions, competitions and motivational talks by industry leaders were all part of the pie. A candid workshop on 'how to monetize your passion' delivered by Bollywood star, Roshan Abbas garnered a huge fan following. A session on graphic design by Design Communication expert, Aditi Jhunjhunwala and a masterclass on Design Thinking by Anurodh Upadhyay, Design Head of Tinker Labs was another tempting slice of the pie for both, design enthusiasts and budding entrepreneurs.
A panel discussion titled 'The Changing Landscape of Higher Education' propelled myriad journeys and perspectives that offered deeper insights to the audience. This eminent panel included speakers like Mr. Meghdut Roy Chowdhary (winner of Times Knowledge Icon 2018), Mr. Pradip Chopra (Chairman of iLEAD and MD of PS Groups), Dr. Ajay Pathak (Vice Chancellor of ICFAI University, Mr. Bodhisattva Banerjee (Vice Chairman of GMIT and MD of Bassetti India) and moderator Mr. Vikash Goel (CA, CFA, MFin and MBA) who steered the conversation tactfully by asking a set of relevant and awaited questions.
A session by Austin Belcak, Founder of Cultivated Culture and top LinkedIn influencer from New York, witnessed unconventional ways to grab a dream job. There was also a wild angle to the conclave rendered by Green Oscar winner Ashwika Kapur who spoke about wildlife filmmaking and the ups and downs of making your passion your career. Speakers like Dr. Parimal Merchant (Director of S P Jain School of Global Management) threw light on the secrets of being part of a successful family business.

Motivational talks by hallmarks like Actors, Varun Badola, Sooraj Thapar, Rohit Roy and Romma Navani; sports celebrities like Arjun Awardee and World Billiards Champion, Sourav Kothari, Olympic Shooter Mehuli Ghosh and International Tennis player Shivika Burman; singing sensation Usha Uthup; authors like Harsh Madhusudan and Rajeev Mantri and Friends FM Head, Jimmy Tangree set the ball rolling for a conclave of sorts. A drizzle of entertainment on this pie was greatly savored by the students. A live band – Moksh Kolkata, a Zumba session by instructor Natalie Pote and a dance therapy workshop by Angira Chakravorty Dasgupta harnessed a place in the young hearts of the audience. Lastly, there was a DJ to wrap the session.

An awards ceremony was held to felicitate the Yuva Leaders and winners of the three competitions held, namely, the B - Plan competition, The Innovative Marketing Challenge and The Improv Theater Workshop that hosted a celebrity judge, Actor and Director, Ramanjit Kaur. Student Yuva Leaders were also felicitated and that saw a boost in student leadership spirit! These exceptional performances, make one reminisce the words of Smita Agarwal (National Vice Chairperson, Yi) present at the conclave. Giving the word YUVA a new angle, she said, “YUVA – Young Underestimated Valuable Assets of the country are the harbingers of change who are not only the flag bearers but also the fuel that steams India.”
A set of ‘Conclave College Chronicles’ underlined some game changing takeaways from the conclave. One of them quoted Mr. Kartik Shah (National Chair, Yi) who said, “It’s ok to fail but it’s not ok to not try! Your time is now so make the most of it!” Another chronicle echoed the words of Mr. Roshan Abbas that said, “If you are ever extended an invitation of a tea or coffee, never refuse it! It might change your career!” E-Certificates were sent to all students who attended the conclave. The conclave was a perfect spectacle that gathered four days of learning from the best in a virtual world! That definitely takes one to the last extract of the conclave, in the words of International Tennis Player, Shivika Burman, “Circumstances keep changing but our will to chase our dream should be backed by 100% dedication!” On that note, let’s just say that Team Yi delivered with utmost dedication in its zeal to meet its motto of developing a better India.