Himanshu Nitnaware

Right after graduation, as his peers went to look for career opportunities in Tier-1 cities, or sat for competitive exams, Sandeep Kannan turned to hydroponics farming, a relatively new concept in his hometown, Tirupati. Here's how he's reaping success through his startup, Vyavasayi Bhoomi.

Manjamma Jogati is a folk artist from Karnataka who is the first transperson to preside over the prestigious Karnataka Janapada Academy. She has mastered several art forms such as the Jogati Nritya, and has won the Padma Shri for her exemplary work in the field of folk dance

R Gurusamy, a farmer from Tamil Nadu, gave up most of his ancestral land to care for a few wandering deer in the vicinity. Today, even amid water and food shortage in the nearby forest, his land is a safe haven for over 1,800 deer

Haryana-based Pooja Sharma started Kshitiz, a self-help group, that makes homemade cookies and food items, which sell like hotcakes in five-star hotels and employ 130 women

Dr Raghavendra R, a programme coordinator for National Service Scheme (NSS) at Seshadripuram Degree College in Mysuru and his students have received four lakes, ten water ponds and eight temples as a part of community service

Through its innovative technology, Pune-based DSM Engineering Materials recycles 2,000 tonnes of abandoned fishing nets every year, and turns them into world-class surfboards

Ramveer Singh from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, converted his house into a hydroponics farm that grows strawberries, cauliflower, okra, bottle gourd and other plants through the soilless, hydroponics method

Dr Sunil Kumar, an oncologist at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), started Chandrakanti Devi Cancer Foundation in Bihar to help patients diagnose cancer at early stages and seek much-needed treatment

Hoping to do his own bit to fight climate change, Varun Ravindra roped in 40 like-minded people to convert 100 acres of barren land into a green community forest named Vanantara

Bittu John from Kolenchery, Kerala, launched Greenstore that offers plastic-free packaging. They use paper and cloth bags instead