Representative Image. / Canva

In an increasingly interconnected world, the identities of young Indian Americans are shaped by a dual awareness of their roots. Navigating between two worlds — India's vibrant heritage and their lived realities in the United States — is their challenge and privilege. The India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) Youth Essay Competition stands out as a transformative platform that invites these young voices to reflect, engage, and connect more deeply with India's development journey.

This writing opportunity offers a refreshing contrast when global headlines are dominated by division, polarization, and disengagement by tapping into the hope that young people represent as present-day thinkers, changemakers, and future leaders. With this powerful annual prompt, IPA sparks curiosity and introspection, inviting young people to connect to a larger purpose.

What has made this yearly initiative remarkable is its capacity to nurture and recognize the civic consciousness of youth living thousands of miles away from India, who may have little or no direct experience with the country's challenges, but remain emotionally and culturally tied to its future. The competition does not ask young people to solve India's problems, but only to think critically and care about real issues, to understand the role that philanthropy and development play, and then consider and articulate how they might contribute to solutions.

We've shared the privilege of reading many of these essays over the years; they never fail to inspire us. Whether a teenager writes about access to clean water in rural Bihar, a middle schooler explores the importance of education for girls, or a high schooler explores food security and sustainable farming, the passion and empathy young authors demonstrate are profound. They write from a place of personal connection, not distance, and a deeper engagement is often forged by participating in this process.

This essay competition is part of a larger initiative across the entire IPA network to engage young people in strengthening the philanthropic, people-to-people ties between India and the United States. A frequent saying at Sehgal Foundation, a longtime supporter of this contest, is: "Change begins with awareness, but it is sustained by engagement." By planting seeds of awareness in young minds, we provide them with tools and a platform to turn their awareness into action. Writing the essay has gone beyond an academic exercise to the beginning of a journey. Past participants have been inspired to lead service projects, raise funds for grassroots initiatives, or even travel to India to intern with local development organizations. 

Organizations partnering with IPA complement the competition with related initiatives. For instance, since 2001, the American India Foundation has annually sent dozens of young people to India for a year-long service fellowship. The Sehgal Foundation has consistently encouraged young people to experience India's development firsthand by providing summer internship opportunities and collaborating with program teams to raise awareness of the challenges rural communities face in India. Other organizations involved with IPA have developed their own compelling youth engagement initiatives. 

The essay competition remains our signature program because it helps to redefine what it means to be part of the Indian diaspora. Young Indian Americans are often viewed only through the lens of academic success or cultural celebration, but IPA cultivates something more consequential by helping a generation to see philanthropy as a form of solidarity—not as charity. Young people are now as interested in lifting others as they are in achieving personal milestones; they appreciate the power of storytelling, not just to express their own identity, but to amplify the voices of the unheard. 

Encouraging these deeper reflections, IPA also builds bridges between generations. Parents and grandparents see their children engage with India in ways that resonate with their own values. Families discuss water scarcity, education, climate change, and gender equality at the dinner table—not as abstract issues, but as urgent challenges their children are grappling with intellectually and emotionally.

As we face a global future that can feel so uncertain, from climate crises to social inequities, the need for such thoughtful, values-driven engagement cannot be overstated. The youth of the Indian diaspora have immense potential to become powerful advocates, visionary leaders, and generous humanitarians. Such potential deserves to be nurtured, and that is precisely what the India Philanthropy Alliance commits to through this annual competition.

This Youth Essay Competition is far more than a writing contest. It is an invitation to reflect, connect, and act, as well as an opportunity for young Indian Americans to discover that their voices matter—both here in the U.S. and in the broader narrative of India's progress. Perhaps most importantly, it serves as a call to recognize that being part of a diaspora doesn't have to mean remaining distant, but perhaps becoming personally responsible to the land that shaped your roots as well as the one that shapes your wings.

 

Alex Counts is the Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance, the author of four books and an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Previously, he established Grameen Foundation in 1997 and served as its CEO for 18 years.

Jay Sehgal is chairperson of S. M. Sehgal Foundation and executive vice president of Sehgal Foundation in the United States. He currently is vice chair of the India Philanthropy Alliance.

 

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)