New Delhi, August, 2025.

Youth-powered solutions took center stage at the BRICS CCI Youth Leadership Dialogue 2.0, hosted by the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BRICS CCI) from August 4 to 12, 2025. Organized under the esteemed patronage of Mr. Sameep Shastri, Vice Chairman of BRICS CCI, President of the BRICS CCI Young Leaders Vertical, and grandson of former Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, the seven-day program called for harnessing the ideas, energy and skills of India’s youth to tackle the nation’s development priorities. During the summit, engagement with leaders from politics, diplomacy, governance, entrepreneurship and business equipped participants with insights to shape their future global leadership roles.

Aligned with International Youth Day celebrations, BRICS CCI Young Leaders Dialogue 2.0 further built on the success of its inaugural edition and reaffirmed its commitment to empowering young Indians to drive national growth and global leadership. With India poised to have one of the world’s largest working-age populations over the next two decades, the Dialogue emphasized the need to actively involve young leaders in shaping policy, governance and societal transformation. The summit brought together a carefully selected group of young participants from across the country, providing them with skills, insights and networks to lead with impact.

Mr. Shastri highlighted the event’s transformative purpose, stating, “Empowering young leaders is not just about imparting knowledge, it is about equipping them with the confidence and networks to shape the global narrative.” The summit witnessed the participation of the BRICS CCI Core Committee, including Mr. Harvansh Chawla, Chairman; Dr. BBL Madhukar, Co-Chairman & Director General; Mr. Ashok Kumar Singh, Vice Chairman and Mr. Ruhail Ranjan, Treasurer, BRICS CCI.

Over the course of seven days, participants engaged with a distinguished lineup of speakers and influencers. Among the notable figures were Lt. Gen D.V. Kalra (Retd.), Air Vice Marshal Rajeev Sharma (Retd.), and Rear Admiral A.S. Sethi (Retd.), who shared insights on leadership, discipline, and technological challenges. The diplomatic segment featured Mr. Mikhail Antsiferov, Third Secretary, Russian Embassy; Ms. Leticia Marranghello, Second Secretary, Political Section, Embassy of Brazil; Mr. Peter Mahafha, First Secretary, Political, South African High Commission; Amb. Amarendra Khatua, former High Commissioner of India to Argentina; Mr. Zhang Yefei, First Secretary, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, alongside senior civil servants IPS Parvez Hayat, IPS Shashank Jaiswal, and IRS Sukhad Chaturvedi. The entrepreneurial and corporate leadership sessions included Mr. Bibin Babu, Co-Founder of Paycio; Mr. Prann Sharma, President of Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan Pvt Ltd and BRICS CCI Governing Body Member; Mr. Jitendra Sharma, CEO of Hairoriginals; Mr. Vikas Dua, HR Head India, Weber Shandwick; Mr. Ankit Jhamb, Chief Learning Officer, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP; Mr. Anuj Gautam, Founder of Label-AG among others.

The final day was marked by keynote addresses from Shri Rajesh Nagar, Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Deptt. (Independent charge) and  Minister of State for Printing & Stationery Deptt. ( Independent Charge), Government of Haryana; Dr. Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Special Invitee to the National Executive of the BJP and Former Cabinet Minister of Punjab; Dr. Madhukar Gupta, Commissioner, State Election Commission, Rajasthan; Dr. Dnyaneshwar Manohar Mulay, Former Member, National Human Rights Commission; Mr. K.J. Alphons, IAS (Retd.), Former Union Minister for Tourism, India, and Former MLA; Air Marshal Ravi Kapoor (Retd.), Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command; Mr. Sushil Sharma, CEO and MD, Marwari Catalyst; Mr. Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India and Mr. Nishant Sama, Co-Convener, BRICS CCI Young Leaders. Also featured was a keynote session by Mr. He Meng, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. The Dialogue further saw active participation from diplomatic representatives of Bolivia, Russia, Indonesia, South Africa, Brazil, Egypt, and Iran, among others.

All participants were awarded globally recognized merit certificates in recognition of their active involvement and commitment to global leadership. By engaging with prominent figures from politics, diplomacy, governance, entrepreneurship, and corporate leadership, participants gained invaluable knowledge and perspectives to shape their future roles in global leadership. The summit successfully cultivated a dynamic and diverse cohort of future leaders prepared to drive positive change in India and across the world.