I am Anhad Kashyap, a technology enthusiast and innovator from New Delhi, India. Currently in Grade 10 at Vasant Valley School, I spend most of my time demystifying how the world works, pulling apart ideas just to see what’s inside them. Being gifted in STEM related subjects from an early age, my underlying attentional deficiencies and learning disabilities were written off as a quirk of my ‘giftedness’. Being almost crippled with anxiety, a formal diagnosis in high school, put into perspective my challenges and helped me understand myself better.

My older sister won a Diana Award for her work as a disability advocate, a community that she proudly represents. In speaking to her, I realised that while everyone has their own cross to bear, my privilege afforded me means to alleviate my load, unlike many others I met along the way. Having designed and won numerous tech related competitions, I realised the futility of designing mere ‘performative’ technological innovations.

Voila! This marked the beginning of Vox Technorati or the ‘Voice of the Technically Illuminated ones.” This is my ode to countless voices like mine who are looking to challenge the status quo and leverage the power of technology for the greater social good.

From designing innovations that tackle gaps in current social support infrastructure like fire safety, mental health support and early diagnosis and educational support for learning disabilities, I’m on a mission to use technology to make our systems more efficient, provide infrastructural support where gaps loom large and ensure that challenges of underprivileged groups are not overlooked simply because they don’t have access to power or resources.

However, my long term goal is not just to support such communities; it is to share my resources and love for science with them and encourage more innovation to emerge from their lived experiences. With this hope, I authored a bi-lingual collection of science fiction short stories titled ‘Vox TecnoratEYE’ and launched it at the Dehradun Literature Festival in 2024. As I presented the book at the Hyderabad and Delhi Literature Festival, I knew I had found my audience. After all, the best way to engage the young with science is by engaging their curiosity of what all is possible with science!