For innovation, always turn to young, creative minds. Take the case of India Story, the brainchild of 17-year old Avantika Khanna, a grade 12 student of The Shri Ram School, Aravali Campus, Gurgaon, with a passion for Indian culture, heritage and a strong sense of responsibility for the preservation of the same. Her venture, India Story, is a completely student-run app that through storytelling via carefully curated audio tours of Indian monuments, helps rediscover India’s rich heritage—one story at a time.
This one-of-a-kind app available on Google Play handholds the user through a journey of India’s diverse and alluring past, using interactive audio guides to ensure that all those who travel in India experience its authentic magic. Khanna, who is the founder of this startup, remarks: “As an Indian, I have grown up hearing stories from epics, mythology and folk tales. Storytelling is so integral and deep-rooted in our culture, not only as an instrument to know about the past but also as a framework to shape our values and ideas.”
According to her, India Story is all about the ancient art of storytelling to bring to life the past through new-age interactive audio guides using a tech platform. “It seeks to rekindle pride in the hearts of Indians about our country’s past as well as highlight the necessity of preserving its archaeological symbols,” she says By using technology to preserve India’s cultural heritage, it provides an amalgamation of the modern and the ancient, she informs.
India Story is entirely run by a team of 19 students (photographers, app developers, content writers and city managers) across six cities. The passionate team adds the perspective of youth to make the content relevant for all age groups but in a refreshingly youthful manner.
According to Khanna, India Story is one of the only operating apps in India providing 100% accurate audio guides on places of interest in multiple locations across the country. It uses GPS smart technology and other features to enhance the customer experience.
