Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recently shared a memorable interaction aboard a Vande Bharat train, describing an encounter that left him both impressed and hopeful about India’s technological future. In a post on X, Tharoor recounted meeting a 16-year-old student whose work in artificial intelligence caught his attention during the journey.
“Encounters on the Vande Bharat are often pleasant, but rarely this illuminating!” Tharoor wrote, before introducing the young innovator. “I had the pleasure of meeting Raul John Aju, a 16-year-old tech whiz who is doing incredible work in the field of Artificial Intelligence.”
Focus on AI that speaks Indian languages
Tharoor said the conversation went beyond casual introductions and touched upon a key challenge in India’s digital journey — making technology accessible across linguistic boundaries. “We spoke about the necessity for AI to transcend borders and, crucially, to speak the vernacular of our diverse land,” he noted.
What stood out, Tharoor added, was the practical progress already being made by the teenager and his peers. “It was heartening to learn that Raul and his team (including a friend named Ishaan—a name that certainly rings a bell in my household!) are already building systems capable of voice processing in Malayalam, Hindi, and Urdu.”
Social media reacts to ‘hopeful’ moment
The post quickly drew reactions from users, many of whom praised both the young innovator and the importance of developing AI rooted in local realities. One user commented, “The confidence of the boy is on the next level. Great to see young talent doing great stuff.”
Another wrote, “What a lovely moment to stumble upon. Meeting a 16 year old building AI for Indian languages feels inspiring. Young minds like Raul show technology can serve real people. Our future looks bright ahead.”
Several users highlighted the broader significance of such work. “This is encouraging to see.
Building AI that understands local languages is where real impact lies.
Talent this young working on practical problems is a strong signal for what comes next,” one response said.
Others focused on the value of encouragement from senior leaders. “Great to see the interaction between you two. It is very important and insightful for the younger generation as well to know the mind and get encouragement from Senior politicians,” a user noted.
Another summed up the moment poetically, writing, “It’s actually poetic that on a train built to connect cities, you found a kid building tech to connect languages. It gives so much hope seeing the next generation ensures that AI speaks to us—making sure the future belongs to everyone, not just the English-speaking elite.”
Concluding his post, Tharoor said the interaction reinforced his optimism about India’s next generation. “Witnessing such ingenuity and drive in our youth gives me immense hope for India’s technological future. Wishing Raul and his team every success. It is young minds like his that will define India’s 21st-century growth story.”