CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Inspirational speakers from leadership, sports, technology, social concerns and creative fields shared their thoughts at TEDx Shahpura Lake 2026 on the theme “After the Beginning”, focusing on the challenges, possibilities and courage to keep moving forward after a new beginning. AISECT India is the main collaborator of TEDx Shahpura Lake 2026, Scope Global Skills University (SGSU) is the university partner and Rabindranath Tagore University (RNTU) is the academic partner.
At the programme, speakers reflected on how courage, patience, a willingness to learn and continuous effort can turn a beginning into a meaningful journey while facing the challenges that follow any new start.
Isha Chitnis spoke about five enemies that come in the way of a new beginning – self-doubt, beginner’s hesitation, comparison, all-or-nothing thinking and not waiting long enough for results. She conveyed the message of valuing experimentation, patience and continuous progress over perfection.
Bhavna Jaiswal shared her journey from a middle-class family to making her mark in the world of professional sports. Leaving behind questions raised about her abilities, she represented her school at the CBSE state level. She said sports taught her discipline, self-reliance and how to recover from failures. She encouraged young people not to remain confined to one field and to explore their different talents.
Young innovator Lakshveer spoke about his experiments in electronics, robotics and AI, and the challenges he faced because of his age.
His message was that being young is not proof of inability. He appealed to parents to give children opportunities, time and support according to their interests, and said they should not only ask children what they want to become in the future, but also ask, “What do you want to create today?”
Himanshu Rai, Director, Indore, stressed the need to understand the difference between needs and desires and the importance of conscious consumption. He spoke about adopting “refuse” as the fourth step along with reduce, reuse and recycle. Through his career transition and the example of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, he conveyed the message of moving beyond fear and other people’s opinions and having the courage to choose a different path for oneself.
Neha Saxena questioned social expectations linked to women, especially mothers and caregivers. She stressed the need for a system where care, ambition and personal identity can move forward together. Anil Gulati of UNICEF shared his experience of a diverse professional journey without a fixed roadmap and of finding his purpose in the social sector. Through the inspiring story of Goranchi, he explained that the right opportunity, trust and support can turn any perceived limitation into a strength.
Jayant Mudra challenged traditional definitions of success and shared the story of different phases of his career. His journey, which began with IIT and engineering, moved into writing, public speaking, data analytics, consulting and startups. He conveyed the message of prioritising learning, experience and long-term growth over immediate financial gain.
Siddharth Chaturvedi, Executive Vice-President, AISECT India, and Chancellor, Scope Global Skills University, said, “It is a strong platform for bringing forward ideas that challenge our traditional thinking and inspire us to look at possibilities from a new perspective. ‘After the Beginning’ reminds us that starting any work is only the first step. Real change comes through continuous effort, learning and the courage to move ahead. Such platforms inspire young people to ask questions, experiment and create their own path.”
Aditi Chaturvedi, Pro-Chancellor, Rabindranath Tagore University, said, “The diverse experiences and ideas shared at TEDx Shahpura Lake show how ideas can become an inspiration for positive change. Young people need such platforms where they can learn from different perspectives and life experiences and develop the confidence to fulfil their aspirations. ‘After the Beginning’ beautifully expresses the journey of growth that follows every new beginning.”
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