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Harmanpreet Kaur, Leander Paes to Mentor Youth at Viksit Bharat 2026 Summit

The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 will convene in New Delhi from January 9-12, featuring over 2,000 youth selected from a massive nationwide competition. Participants will receive mentorship from icons like cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, tennis star Leander Paes, and badminton coach Pullela Gopichand. A key highlight will be an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on National Youth Day, January 12, where select leaders can present their ideas directly. The event aims to channel youth innovation toward the national vision of a developed India by 2047.

Key Points: Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026: Icons to Guide Youth

  • 50 lakh youth in nationwide quiz
  • 2000 selected for national dialogue
  • PM Modi interaction on Jan 12
  • Mentorship from sports & cultural icons
3 min read

Harmanpreet Kaur, Leander Paes, Pullela Gopichand to be part of Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue

Harmanpreet Kaur, Leander Paes, Gopichand join Viksit Bharat 2026. PM Modi to interact with 2000 young leaders on National Youth Day.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the selected young leaders. - VBYLD Release"

New Delhi, December 30

The Department of Youth Affairs is set to host the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026, a flagship initiative aimed at giving India's youth a meaningful role in shaping the vision of a Viksit Bharat. Harmanpreet Kaur, Leander Paes, and Pullela Gopichand, among other icons, will be part of the event, as per the VBYLD release.

According to a VBYLD release, in the 2026 edition, over 50 lakh youth from across the country participated in a nationwide quiz conducted through the MY Bharat and MyGov platforms. Based on their performance in the quiz, around 2.5 lakh youth were shortlisted for the essay round, where they were encouraged to articulate their ideas and solutions for building a Viksit Bharat in any of the 10 tracks of VBYLD.

After a detailed evaluation process, 12,219 young participants advanced to the state-level PPT rounds, presenting solution-oriented ideas before expert panels. So far, 34 States and Union Territories have completed their state championship rounds, ensuring representation from every region of the country. From these rounds, around 2,000 youth have been selected to participate at the national level.

The selected contingents from each State and Union Territory will be formally flagged off to New Delhi by Governors, Chief Ministers and UT Administrators.

The national-level Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue will be held from January 9 to 12, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. During the four-day programme, participants will engage in mentoring sessions, policy discussions, group activities and structured presentations.

Young leaders will interact with a distinguished group of mentors and domain experts, including Maithali Thakur, Shreyasi Singh, Pullela Gopichand, Leander Paes and Anand Kumar, spanning fields such as governance, sports, entrepreneurship, agriculture, sustainability, culture and technology.

They will also draw inspiration from national icons like Sridhar Vembu, Palki Sharma Upadhyay, Jaya Kishori, Shubhanshu Shukla, Prashant Nair and Indian women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

Adding a global dimension to the dialogue, 80 Indian diaspora youth selected under the Know India Programme of the Ministry of External Affairs will also participate in VBYLD 2026.

A key highlight of the programme will be January 12, National Youth Day, observed on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the selected young leaders. The Prime Minister will also visit the PM Gallery, where inspiring youth stories across all 10 themes will be showcased through curated displays.

Additionally, select participants will have the unique opportunity to present their best ideas directly to the Prime Minister, receiving his guidance, feedback, and encouragement on their vision for Viksit Bharat 2047.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Wow, 50 lakh participants in the quiz! That's massive reach. It's good to see the process was so thorough, from quiz to essay to PPT. Selecting 2000 from that pool means only the best ideas will reach the national stage. Excited to see what comes out of this.
R
Rohit P
While the concept is great, I hope this isn't just another talk show. The real test is whether these "solution-oriented ideas" will be implemented or just end up in reports. The government needs to ensure a clear follow-up mechanism.
S
Shreya B
Including the Indian diaspora youth is a smart move. They bring a global perspective which is crucial for Viksit Bharat. Also, holding it on National Youth Day at Bharat Mandapam gives it the right symbolic weight. Jai Hind!
M
Michael C
As someone working in education, I'm impressed by the scale and structure. The mix of sports stars, entrepreneurs, and spiritual speakers like Jaya Kishori is interesting. It shows a holistic view of leadership and nation-building.
K
Kavya N
The chance to present ideas directly to the PM is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these young leaders! Gopichand and Paes mentoring on sports and discipline, and Harmanpreet on leadership... what a lineup! Best of luck to all participants.

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