Changemakers

In 1979, Satya Rani Chadha’s pregnant daughter was burnt alive over dowry. Denied justice, she fought 34 years, reshaping India’s laws and giving women a voice.

Bob and Tanya came to Kodaikanal for a trip but stayed 30 years to revive Tamil Nadu’s rare shola forests, proving ordinary people can save ecosystems.

Freedom lives in planting forests, protecting wildlife, educating girls, lighting villages, saving lives — meet 7 Indians shaping a stronger, kinder India.

At 13, Surjeet Lodhi rallied children in Vidisha to fight alcohol abuse and child labour. By 17, he helped restore classrooms and hope across villages.

As student suicides rise in Kota, IAS Ravindra Goswami and ASP Chandrasheel Thakur are bringing empathy, systems reform, and hope—showing students that life matters more than any exam.

In Punjab’s Manak Khana, women gained recognition through a powerful nameplate initiative that is changing the way villages see gender roles.

What was once a garbage dump and hub for illegal activity is now a blooming school campus in Bihar. With no government help, headmaster Baijnath Kumar led a green revolution — one sapling at a time.

Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation — a national stage for India’s quiet changemakers, coming this September.

Since 1994, Dr Tapan Kumar Lahiri has donated all of his salary to the needy. Today, at 70, he lives on his pension money and continues to serve the poor. Here is his story.

Once dismissed as street entertainment, magic just had a breakthrough moment. Suhani Shah’s journey from a 7-year-old school dropout to a world champion is as inspiring as it gets.