As part of the sixth edition of the joint initiative by The Financial Express and Yuva Unstoppable, former Chief Justice of India Dr DY Chandrachud inaugurated the 10,000th government school transformed by Yuva Unstoppable.
The event, held at Aryan Education Society High School, a municipal school in Mumbai, brought together author Amish Tripathi, Indian Express Executive Director Anant Goenka and senior leaders from across corporate India.
The event included participation by HDFC Bank, Nuvama, Tata Capital, Tata Communications, IBM, Appasamy Associates, Kenvue, Bangalore International Airport, Ganesh Housing, HDFC ERGO General Insurance, ICICI Bank, Chambers of Kartik Seth, DP World, The Blended Finance, Reckitt Benckiser, Stockify Fintech, Evonik Industries, Equinix India, Teleperformance and SMBC, alongside more than 100 students and teachers, for whom the work was done in the first place.
From Wall Street to the streets of India
Yuva Unstoppable ranks among India’s top 10 NGOs, with a track record of impacting over 10 million beneficiaries across education, environment, healthcare and livelihoods, supported by more than 100 corporate partners through CSR and philanthropic initiatives. Over the years, its work has been backed by leaders including Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India; Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha; Sister Shivani, spiritual teacher and motivational speaker; and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founder and Executive Chairperson of Biocon Group. Most recently, one of its schools was inaugurated by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan.
The even marked the culmination of a journey that began with a single school in 2005 for Amitabh Shah, Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Yuva Unstoppable. Over twenty years back, he had turned down a Wall Street offer from JP Morgan after his MBA at Yale to work on the real streets of India.
Recalling the journey with gratitude, Shah said, “Ten thousand schools is a milestone that fills my heart with gratitude — for every partner who trusted us, every volunteer who gave their time, and every child who reminded us why we began. But if anything, it has only deepened our responsibility. India’s children deserve nothing less than our very best, and we are just getting started.”
Author Amish Tripathi captured the spirit of the evening, observing that while the world is often preoccupied with chasing wealth, true success follows when we pursue knowledge and excellence first, a lesson, he noted, embodied by Amitabh and Yuva Unstoppable’s commitment to creating opportunities for children across India to learn and thrive.
Experiencing grassroots transformation
In the morning guests were welcomed with warmth as they walked through the newly transformed school to witness the impact firsthand – its washroom block, smart classroom and STEM laboratory- before arriving at an auditorium where students were already deep in conversation about their STEM projects.
In a powerful segment that brought the room to stillness, beneficiaries from across Yuva Unstoppable’s work, children, farmers, mothers, anganwadi workers and a janitor took to the stage to share how their lives had changed. Their stories grounded the celebration in the reality it was always meant to serve.
Anil Deshmukh, Principal at Kalawati Chavan Prathmik Vidyamandir, Shivajinagar, said, “Due to limited facilities, admissions in our school were declining continuously. After the introduction of digital classrooms and STEM labs, we have witnessed a remarkable change. After a decade, our school is fully occupied, and we proudly have to put up a ‘Housefull’ board outside. These interventions have transformed not just our school, but the future of countless children.”
The role of STEM and AI in future education
The event also featured a panel discussion on the role of AI and STEM in shaping India’s next generation, moderated by Samiksha, a Yuva Scholar, and animated by questions from the more than 100 students present. Senior leaders from Appasamy Associates, HDFC ERGO, Nuvama and DP World brought their perspectives to a conversation that refused to remain theoretical, precisely because the students in the room would not let it.
“AI is transforming the world. My only advice is to be curious, continue to adapt, and use this technology ethically. Values and character are very important,” Vaidheesh remarked.
Charkha of Change Awards
On the occasion, corporate leaders were felicitated with the Charkha of Change Award 2026-27, jointly conferred by Justice Chandrachud and Anant Goenka. The charkha, Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring symbol of patient, dignified labour, was a fitting choice for an organisation that has always believed transformation is earned quietly, one school at a time.
The road to Viksit Bharat: reimagining education and philanthropy
In a moving fireside chat that gave the afternoon its emotional depth, Anant Goenka and Justice Chandrachud reflected openly on the meaning of philanthropy and India’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047. The conversation moved between the personal and the expansive, and Justice Chandrachud closed with words addressed directly to the children seated in the room.
Building on the value of a selfless attitude towards society, Justice Chandrachud said: “When you talk of giving, give your time and attention more than anything else. Mentorship is going to be even more critical for our children and future generations. My mother always told us, ‘Don’t be unfair. Don’t be untruthful to yourself. You have to answer to your conscience.’ True transformation lies in diluting your own sense of importance and focusing on others.”
In a spirited rapid-fire exchange that followed, corporate leaders put their questions directly to Justice Chandrachud, lending the occasion the energy of genuine dialogue rather than ceremonial formality — a fitting close to a morning that had, from the first moment, insisted on keeping the conversation real.
Yuva Unstoppable was built on the belief that transforming a school is also transforming a community. Ten thousand schools later, the intent remains the same. The 10,000th school is not a finish line.