Sowmya Mani

A hub for education, most of the officers hailing from Madhopatti have high-flying careers across space, atomic research, judicial services and banking.

Smarika Chandrakar quit a thriving corporate career to become a full-time farmer in Chhattisgarh. With 125 people employed in her fields, she hopes to introduce advanced technology to improve productivity.

Semma’s chef brings childhood memories and bold regional flavours to the global stage, earning one of the highest honours in the culinary world.

Srivatsan’s journey from Chennai to Toronto to find acceptance, find his partner Saravanan, and adopt their son Sendhan, highlights their struggles and triumphs as a gay couple.

N Ramakrishnan of Bengaluru has set up horticulture, solar power units, composting systems and rainwater harvesting in his retirement home.

We map India’s history to dig out 10 historic letters -- from Nehru and Gandhi to Freud and Tolstoy -- that drove revolutions, called for the freedom of women, strengthened political relations and diplomatic ties, and kept thousands of love stories alive.

Prashant Sharma quit his job in London to launch a non-profit organisation called ‘Positive Action for Child and Earth Foundation’. Through this, he provides greywater recycling solutions to schools, colleges and other organisations.

Nikhil Taneja, founder of Yuvaa, a youth media company, went through a period of great anxiety when he was doing well in his career. This led him to take a break and look at what success really means, breaking out of the definitions of what it means to be a man, and the roles defined by society.

Ravneet Kaur based in Ludhiana began with the assumption that she did not have a green thumb. She now grows cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, radish and more.

The thingQbator programme — a Cisco and nasscom foundation initiative — nurtures young innovators by providing mentorship, funding, and resources to solve societal issues using technology. Since 2018, it has incubated over 58 startups, addressing challenges in education, agriculture, mental health, and accessibility, empowering students to become job creators and future-ready entrepreneurs.