Young talents in Gurugram redefine success with innovation, talent and passion

As we celebrate Children’s Day today, a HT team spoke to a few young achievers who shared their journeys.

Be it in sports, academics, music, literature or technology, children these days are achieving extraordinary feats across diverse fields at young ages. As we celebrate Children’s Day today, a HT team spoke to a few young achievers who shared their journeys.

Children these days are achieving extraordinary feats across diverse fields at young ages.

During a school trip last year, to a paralysis care centre in Gurugram, Pranet Khetan, 16, a student of Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram, witnessed firsthand how patients struggled to communicate because of slurred speech. That experience inspired him to develop an AI device called Paraspeaks, which is capable of translating slurred speech into clear speech in real time.

“I spent nearly a year and a half working at the centre to collect data, which became the foundation for building this device,” said Pranet. “The first real test of the device on patients took place in February this year. It was a long process, especially as I had to balance my board exams and studies alongside this project,” he added.

The device is sleek and compact, no bigger than a webcam. It can be worn around the neck. “All it needs is an internet connection to function. It has a strong battery life of over ten hours, it’s built for all-day use,” he explained. Pranet also added that there is a huge waiting list for the device and it will be soon open for the market at a price of ₹2,000 and a monthly subscription of ₹200, for the internet.

According to Pranet, this device is India’s first Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) framework designed for Hindi dysarthria speech. When asked about the plans to expand it, he shared that he wants to include as many languages as possible in the near future.

As part of his research, Pranet also visited various NGOs and care centres in Gurugram and created the first-ever data of Hindi dysarthric speech comprising 42 minutes of recording from almost 28 patients.

“I went to the International Science Exhibition in the US and met with lots of scientists and experts who also guided me. My school, parents and peers always supported me,” he shared.

“My full focus right now is on Paraspeaks, though I am also exploring a few other experiments.”

Aadhya Kaushal, 11, started learning golf at the age of seven, and bagged first prize in the recent US kids Golf Tournament held at ITC Classic Golf Club in Manesar, with an exceptional score of 5 under par in each round.

A student of DPS International School, Gurugram, Aadhya shared that her journey with golf began at her father’s encouragement. “Playing golf fills me with joy and happiness,” she said. “I take a deep breath, focus, and aim for the perfect shot.”

She also earned her qualification for two prestigious international tournaments, the Asian Junior Masters in Thailand and the World Junior Golf Championship in the US, which will be held in the next year.

“I practice in the evenings on weekdays and in the mornings over the weekends,” Aadhya said. “Before the tournament in Manesar, I was really nervous, but I told myself to stay calm and focus on the perfect shot. I dream of becoming a professional golfer when I grow up and making my country proud. My role model is Tiger Woods,” she said.

Samriddhi Pant, a 13-year-oldGrade 9 student of GAV International School, Gurugram, has authored 49 poems in her debut book. She made headlines earlier this month by publishing ‘Shards of My Teenage Soul’. Pant revealed that she has been writing poetry since Grade 6. “My favourite themes to write on are murder, melancholy, and psychology,” she shared.

During moments of writer’s block, she turns to her parents, who she says have been her strongest support. “For me, poetry is about self-expression, conveying emotions, reflecting on society, and putting those thoughts into words,” she explained. “There are times when I feel demotivated or doubt myself, but my parents and friends have always been there as pillars of support, guiding me through.”

“My second book is currently under development. I hope to create another record with it,” she said.