A Young Trailblazer Driven by Dreams of Innovation and Change.

Jeya Malhotra, a 17-year-old trailblazer from Bengaluru and a student at National Public School, NORTH, recently made waves by presenting her research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. As one of the youngest voices among esteemed professors and researchers, she delved into how early-stage deep-tech innovations can be systematically and thoughtfully evaluated, validated, and guided toward making a tangible difference in the world. Her research, ‘Designing a Multi-Stage Validation Framework for Deep Tech Incubators’, was recognised for the innovative approach.

She is also a Research Fellow and India Coordinator at the Neurodiversity Foundation, Netherlands, where she contributes to research and advocacy initiatives. She also took the TEDx stage with her talk, ‘The Making of a Changemaker’, inspiring audiences by recounting her journey of sparking social change from an early age.

Jeya is a recipient of the prestigious Diana Award and the National Youth Award and has been recognised for her work in innovation, inclusion, and youth leadership.