"When I met Triptii Dimri in Bulbuul, something happened. Her performance there made me feel wow," says Avinash Tiwary

"Come here because you really want to. Come here because you like performing and are passionate about it. What the audience, industry and trade would reward is beyond our control," says Avinash Tiwary

"Laila Majnu was taken off on 3rd day, it took me 15 years to get to that point and you have put in all that effort. You feel maybe it's not for you, after that film I felt it even more," says Avinash Tiwary

"It was very clear to me that this industry is dependent on the response of the audience. Who is giving you another opportunity? That is one problem of being an outsider, your one failure and you are gone. But if you are talented and you put in the work, there will be results available. I had stopped believing it. That has changed now," says Avinash Tiwary

"I don't know why our generation prioritise social media so much. Sports is something you should take up, and try to represent your country," says Sujeet Kalkal, in a message to the youth.

"In my weight category, I'm on the same level as 3-4 other wrestlers. Overall, there's a slight difference against wrestlers from other countries. My next target is preparing for the Asian Games," Sujeet Kalkal says.

"My father is an international wrestler. His dream was to represent India in the Olympics. Without him, I wouldn't have learnt so much," says Sujeet Kalkal.

Indian freestyle wrestler Sujeet Kalkal is going to be our next speaker at the NDTV Yuva Conclave 2026. He is the World No. 1 in UWW Men's Freestyle 65kg and also a gold medalist at the Asian Wrestling Championship.

Arundhati Choudhary and Priya Ghanghas say their next target is to shine in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, which will be held later this year.

A fun segment here - Arundhati Choudhary has a mini-sparring session with NDTV's Preeti Dahiya on stage.

Arundhati Choudhary speaks on fighting past obstacles and being a trailblazer for change.

"The hard thing for me was that I'm the first sportsperson in my family. My performances have brought changes not only within my family, but also across my state (Rajasthan). My father gets calls saying, 'I want to be like Arundhati Choudhary'."

"The time when the Indian flag goes up, I remember all my sacrifices. It fills me with a lot of pride to see my flag above the first position," Aditi Choudhary says.

"When I get on the podium, I remember my parents, who played a big role in my career," adds Priya Ghanghas.

"When Vijender Singh won the Olympic medal in 2008, I was only 7 or 8 years old. It inspired me to do something similar," says Priya Ghanghas, on her inspiration behind boxing.

"Boxing is both a physical and mental sport. You face so many injuries while playing sport, so you have to be mentally strong to bounce back," says Arundhati Choudhary.

Priya Ghanghas and Arundhati Choudhary, who won gold medals for India at the Asian Boxing Championship, are speaking next on NDTV Yuva 2026.

"I will not tell her anything. I am so proud of my 2016 self and my past self. No worries, make mistakes. I'll tell myself you have come a long way, learning from those mistakes. I would be snatching an opportunity away if I advice otherwise and say don't do this or that," says Sanya Malhotra

"I love Diljit Dosanjh's music and dancing to it. I make a reel every time his song is out and put it up. Never thought an opportunity would come to work with him. Loved it," says Sanya Malhotra

The hard work students do to achieve their goal, is the key to success, Nitin Vijay pointed out at NDTV Yuva.

"There can be times when I do something and it is not liked. Will it stop me from taking risks, never. I am not afraid of failure and something new," says Sanya Malhotra

According to Nitin Vijay, preparation for competitive examinations in Kota, rigorous study hours, hard work, and perseverance, make students successful in life.

Teachers should teach students based on child's vocabulary for easy learning of concepts, Nitin Vijay highlighted. 

"I am preparing for the Asian Games now. I will win an Asian Games gold and an Olympic gold for India," says Payal Nag!

"Payal and Sheetal can do it, lift a 5kg bow with their feet. My message to parents across India is to never give up, and to never pressurize their children about studies," says Kuldeep Vedwan.

"Look at me, I have none of my four limbs. So why can't you do it?" says Payal Nag

Kuldeep Vedwan, Payal Nag's coach, now reveals how he turned her into an archer. He is also the coach of India's Olympic medal-winning armless archer Sheetal Devi.

"When I saw Payal for the first time, an idea was born inside me - how to turn someone into an archer who has no limbs. My dream was an Olympic medal."

"I started writing and drawing using my mouth. Then I went to drawing competitions and then won prizes. I was later taken to an orphanage, where I got a lot of help and motivation," says Payal Nag.

"One of my drawings went viral on social media, and that's how Kuldeep sir (coach Kuldeep Vedwan) found me and got me into archery," Payal reveals further.

Payal Nag reveals that she suffered an electricution accident at the age of 8, and doctors revealed that they would have to cut all limbs to prevent the infection from spreading. 

"Poison her and kill her as she has no limbs left," relatives would tell Payal's parents, she reveals.

"We don't need your advice or help. We'll cure her somehow," was how her parents responded, reveals Payal.

2008-born para archer Payal Nag, who faced a life-altering accident that led to the loss of all four limbs, will speak next at NDTV Yuva 2026. She is the world's first and only amputee archer.

Chitrangda Singh says, "Dhurandhar is one of the best films made in India in a very long time. The way the story is told: direction, performance, every single detail, is top notch."

"People said a lot of stuff about Salman: like schedules would be stretched and he might not be on time. People used to say he is unprofessional, but he is amazing. He treats everyone with love, looks after others, and has concern even for crew members. He was very approachable. People said he wouldn't come early, but he came early because I was shooting early, Chitrangda Singh said.

"Everything is not in your hands. In my very first film, people thought I could do instant grey characters very well, so I was approached like that, and I was enjoying it. You also discover yourself as an actor slowly with every role you play. The difficulty is balancing that. I really found a lot of myself through the films. And then they also came to me for item songs. I got the best possible role in my first film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi," Chitrangda Singh said.

"I never thought of being an actor. Never knew somebody so unambitious as me," says Chitrangda Singh.

On the question of whether skills are more important than marks, Anil Somani, Founder and Executive Chairman of FOSTIIMA Business School, New Delhi, said that all three, skills, marks, and education, are important, but their relevance changes at different stages of the education system.

He noted that India's education system is largely outcome-driven, where parents focus on securing assured results and minimising risks through education. "At the school level, marks become very, very important. At the undergraduate level, career prospects and employability take precedence. At the postgraduate level, especially in B-schools, factors such as MBA outcomes, return on investment, institute reputation, and placement opportunities become more significant than education alone," he said.

He further explained that at each stage, the nature of "outcome" and "risk mitigation" differs, but all three, skills, marks, and educationm remain equally important in shaping a student's journey.

Dr Raj Kumar Hota said that upskilling is the need of the hour in today's education and job landscape. He emphasised that students must focus on developing relevant skills, as merely securing admission to a university is not enough to ensure career success. According to him, practical skills and continuous learning are essential for students to remain competitive in the evolving job market.

Arpit Kabra highlighted three key parameters, power, performance, and people, as playing a significant role in the education system.

He said that governance in the education system is very poor and needs to be addressed at the earliest. He also emphasised that stronger synergy among top education bodies is essential.

He added, "I believe that just as judges are given privileges, teachers should also be given similar recognition and privileges."

Arpit Kabra, Central Council Member and Chairman of Career Counselling Committee and Campus Placement Directorate, of ICAI, Anil Somani, Founder and Executive Chairman of FOSTIIMA Business School, New Delhi, and Raj Kumar Hota, Dean and Professor at SOA Deemed to be University, discuss the relevance of traditional degrees versus skill-based learning and the future of employability at NDTV Yuva 2026.

“We’re living in the age of social media, where everything is transparent. Nobody wants a cooked‑up story,” Param Sahib said.

He further added that brands need to solve basic problems. “Indian female bodies are so unique. We have our own body types and our own measurements,” he noted, adding that if brands focus on catering to Indian consumers and customising products, they can be as original as it gets.

“Indian crafts are so profound, and it’s okay for the West to borrow,” Mariyam Khatri said, adding that crediting artisans should not be overlooked. She emphasised that Ralph Lauren should have mentioned that its Bandhani skirt was inspired by Indian craft.

“It has everything to do with how you feel,” Ankita Jain said, adding that she loves dressing up women, and that women love wearing her clothes.

Mariyam Khatri, founder and designer at Banana Labs; Ankita Jain, fashion designer; and Param Sahib, maximalist designer, talk about the business of fashion.

“I want to be as big as Ratan Tata,” Parul Gulati said, sharing her dream.

She said she wants to build a vast empire and create products across multiple categories that she can sell. She also revealed that she would like to have her own reality show someday, but for now, she is focused on building more intellectual properties (IPs).

“You get access to the world, and everyone is coming and living there,” Parul Gulati said on why she expanded her business to Dubai.

“I am capturing the Asian market,” she added. She said she has connected not only with Indians but also with Pakistanis, Nepalis, and customers from other Asian ethnicities.

Parul Gulati, an actor and entrepreneur, talks about being a Malkin. She is the CEO and founder of Nish Hair, a hair‑extension brand that is revolutionising the industry.

"Art or painting was a possible career option for me until I got a D in school," says  Rukmini Vasanth.

"I've had the priviledge of working with stars who make room for you to do your own thing, to contribute in whatever capacity they can," says Rukmini Vasanth.

Rukmini Vasanth says, "I imagined Kantara Chapter 1 to be as big as Dhurandhar. I got to know the story, the plot, the world building was phenomenal."

Gazal Kalra, Co-founder of Nuuk, while speaking at NDTV Yuva said that the youth in India today are not buying 'sabse sasta' (cheapest), but good products.

"It's no longer about price, its about value. The GenZ and millennials are buying experiences, stories, and identities," she said.

Kanika Tekriwal, Founder & CEO, JetSetGo, and Gazal Kalra, Co-Founder, Nuuk, speak about the 'aspirational yuvas' on NDTV Yuva.

Students of Galgotias University on NDTV Yuva. Watch here

Mahanaaryaman Scindia, in a rapid fire section, reveals that his favourite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar. Among players currently active, he picks Virat Kohli as his favourite.

On learnings from cricket and AI, Mahanaaryaman Scindia says, "You learn different lessons about leadership from cricket and AI. From cricket, you learn sportsmanship, how to work as a team, and how to balance your wins with your losses."

"What you learn from business and take into sports is administration - how to bring technology, transparency and profitable models into sports," he adds.

"I want to make India the centre of AI global model training. We have the strongest community of STEM students and engineers, coders and software developers. My objective is to retain them in India. Another goal is to ensure that the talent that has gone abroad come back to India, but they need a mission, cause and sentiment."

"We are building incentivisation programmes for international cricket, but at the same time building leagues like Madhya Pradesh Premier League for T20 cricket. There's always a balance you have to set," he says on improving the health of cricket across different formats.

"Being in the system for 5 years, I've realized that there are 2-3 ways in which I can bring change. First is the use of technology in cricket. What I'm building right now is a very novel ERP that manages administration, compliance and cricket selection in my state," says Mahanaaryaman Scindia

"This will also allow transparency in selection processes. If selectors want to analyse a player, all their analytics will come on the dashboard. It'll be a transparent process thanks to technology."

"It is definitely a privilege to carry that surname (Scindia). It does come with certain expectations, being in the spotlight, and being careful with the decisions you make. The whole of Madhya Pradesh is looking up to you. It keeps you extremely aware of your actions and your surroundings," says Mahanaaryaman Scindia.

Mahanaaryaman Scindia, the son of minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, is up next. Mahanaaryaman Scindia is the President of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association and also the founder of Ethara AI.

"We all must fail. You can make anything achievable, you can reach your goals. You just have to remain focused," syas Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

"It's a misconception (that AI will make the youth redundant). AI is there to support you. Use it, ride the horse. I'm sure AI is not taking away any jobs. Courage, emotion, sensitivity, collaboration - where can AI do that? These are what bring success," he adds.

On Raghav Chadha joining the BJP, Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, while speaking at NDTV Yuva, said "everybody is welcome" to the party.

"If the one who is lost in the morning returns home in the evening then he is not called lost (meaning it is never too late to correct a mistake, apologize, or change for the better), he said.

"I faced a lot of humiliation during my youth, but I used the humiliation as fuel. The day I got tired, that was the day I learned the most. Someone wise gave me a beautiful piece of advice - situations will keep changing in life. Your decisions in those situations will shape your life. I printed those words on an A4 sheet and pasted it all over my house," Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore says.

"It reminded me at every stage - no one is going to come and help. I am in control of my future."

"When we are young, our level of awarenes was quite low. The youth of today have a very high level of awareness. They know about the world, about the nation. Which way the nation goes depends a lot on the youth," says Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

"Congratulates to NDTV for setting up this youth conclave. This is the right time to get the youth to be part of governance," says Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, as he speaks with NDTV's Padmaja Joshi.

Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is set to be the first speaker of the day. Rathore is an Olympic medalist, winning silver in double trap in Athens 2004. Representing India, Rathore won 9 gold medals across various global and Asian shooting events.

Presently, Rathore serves as a cabinet minister at the Industry & Commerce, Youth Affairs & Sports Department in the Government of Rajasthan.

NDTV Yuva is set to begin shortly.

Rajasthan minister Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association President Mahanaaryaman Scindia, actor and founder of Nish Hair Parul Gulati, and Asian boxing championship gold medallist Arundhati Choudhary will address the event, among other speakers.

Watch NDTV Yuva live HERE

NDTV Yuva returns with its much-anticipated Delhi edition today, bringing together India's brightest minds, boldest voices, and most inspiring changemakers to engage, exchange, and empower the next generation.

At the heart of NDTV YUVA lies a simple but powerful idea: youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the changemakers of today.

The event will feature several key speakers who have left their mark in politics, sports, entertainment, and social impact.