TEDxVelammal Global School Puzhal

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Classical Dance Performance

  Every journey begins somewhere, and ours began with our roots. To open TEDxVelammal Global School Puzhal, our students performed a classical dance choreographed by our dance teacher, Ms Neeta Ashwin. With grace, rhythm and expression, it was a reminder that the ideas of tomorrow grow from the traditions we carry with us, and it was an elegant, beautiful way to begin.

• Hanshitha Ravichandran

  Student_Velammal Global School, Puzhal

  Hanshitha Ravichandran is a student of Class 7B at Velammal Global School and a young storyteller who has been creating stories since the age of six. She is an avid reader with a love for fantasy, mythology, science fiction, and astronomy, and can spend hours completely absorbed in a book. Fascinated by the world around her, she also enjoys discovering and sharing interesting science and astronomy facts. Drawing is another way she expresses herself, especially when bringing her imagined characters and worlds to life. With her wit, creativity, and distinctive way of looking at things, Hanshitha finds inspiration in both the extraordinary and the everyday.

• Inderjeet Singh Gill

  Banker / Land Developer / Farmer

  Inderjeet Singh Gill is living proof that your degree doesn't define your future. He studied physics then built a long career in private banking and wealth management, at Standard Chartered and Deutsche Bank before a senior role at Religare Macquarie Private Wealth. He completed a specialized program in equities and derivatives at IIM Calcutta.) Then he stepped back from full-time banking to work with the land. Through One Earth Holdings and the Prakruthi brand, he develops real estate, green spaces, and gated communities across Chennai and Bangalore and has grown Prakruthi into one of the region's most sought-after names in managed farmland and green living. He never left the markets entirely, though: he still advises listed companies and family offices as a capital markets strategist. His deepest passion, though, is agriculture. He runs a completely organic farm and an organic dairy built around indigenous cow breeds gathered from across India

• Maryann Manasseh

  Presenter / Engagement Expert / Transformational Speaker

  Maryann Manasseh is an award-winning Emcee, Employee Engagement Expert, Mentor and Transformational Speaker with over 25 years of experience on stage. Her work centres on the "extraordinary power of being human"—creating spaces where individuals can find their voice, understand themselves and explore their potential. A trained Transactional Analysis psychotherapist and life coach, Maryann has also studied Storytelling for Leadership, Communication and Influence at IIM Calcutta. Her own unconventional journey—from being a school dropout to returning to education and building a career around human connection—deeply shapes the work she does today. At the heart of her work is a simple belief: "our lived experiences can become the source of something uniquely ours to create and contribute to the world."

• Navya Premkumar

  Student_Velammal Global School, Puzhal

  Navya Premkumar is a Grade 12 student and Head Girl at Velammal Global School, Chennai, with a passion for law, different languages, and technology. She naturally gravitates towards leadership and enjoys creating, learning, and exploring new ideas, especially through website development. Inspired by wabi-sabi, she finds beauty in imperfection and meaning in the little things. Above all, she believes in staying curious, appreciating what she has, and being grateful for the small moments that make life meaningful.

• Palak V

  Student_Velammal Global School, Puzhal

  Palak is an A-Level student from Chennai, passionate about pursuing Computer Science through an entrepreneurial lens. She is the CTO & CMO of Stri Boutique, founder and president of KhelVerse, and Deputy Head Girl of VGSP, while also being a self-proclaimed jack of all trades—dabbling in public speaking, writing, badminton, digital marketing, and everything in between. She also runs her own digital publication, Written By Palak. Off the grid, travelling the world rewires her thinking and opens her mind to entirely new perspectives, fueling unconventional breakthroughs. She is equally drawn to capturing those perspectives through photography; documenting places, people, fleeting moments. She runs on curiosity, questionable amounts of procrastination, and a healthy dose of sarcasm. At heart, Palak is still figuring things out, and learning that perhaps you don’t need the whole script written before you can begin writing your own.

• Reena Antony

  Musician_Vocalist_Multi-instrumentalist

  At 14, she is an emerging young artist passionate about music, dance, art, theatre. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, she plays piano, keyboard, classical, electric and bass guitar, drums, recorder, flute, ukulele and violin, specialising in Western Classical and Jazz vocals. She teaches Western vocals and piano and explores music production, Bharatanatyam and robotics. A dedicated yoga practitioner since age 2½, she has been part of three Guinness World Records and performed at the inaugural Khelo India Games in Chennai in 2024. Her musical journey includes performances at Alliance Française of Madras, KM Music Conservatory and other platforms, and participation in Singing Friendship Across 5 Continents. She has composed music, provided voiceovers, performed theatre music, and explored television, radio and anchoring. An award winner in Western music, speech, yoga and art, she holds the title of Emerging Young Artist and conducts musical workshops for children.

• School Choir Velammal Global School Puzhal

  Velammal Global School Puzhal Choir The Velammal Global School Puzhal Choir is a group of students who come together through a shared love of music. Guided by their music teachers, Roshan Vincent and Anton Vincent, they bring harmony, discipline and heart to every performance. For this event, the choir performed an original song written by Supriya Charan, created as a bridge to the theme Untold Stories. Through music, they give voice to the stories that words alone can’t carry.

• Sharvesh K R

  Student_Velammal Global School, Puzhal

  Sharvesh KR, fondly known as KR, is a curious and spirited student known for his unpredictable thoughts, unusual ideas, and endless questions. A chess player and keyboardist, he brings the same curiosity to everything he explores. He loves questioning the world around him and delving deep into concepts until he understands them fully. With an equal interest in every subject, KR is driven by a simple instinct: to keep asking, exploring, and discovering.

• Tanishka Toshni Das

  Student_Velammal Global School, Puzhal

  Tanishka Toshni Das is a student from Grade 11, a dreamer, and a firm believer that there is always more than one way to see a story. Science fascinates her, mathematics is slowly winning her over, and creativity is where she feels most at home. She finds that space through writing, art, photography, speaking, and blogging, each giving her a different way to explore whatever catches her attention. She’s had the opportunity to speak at TED-Ed at school, and her work in writing, speaking, and art has earned her several awards. She hopes to keep asking the questions that intrigue her, chasing the ideas that excite her, and turning a little curiosity into something worth sharing. Some emotions don’t ask to be understood, they simply ask to be felt. Through her talk, she has tried to touch upon the nuances of human emotion and the quiet spaces where words fall short. And perhaps, when we allow ourselves to truly feel, we might discover the answer to a simple question: is it good to grieve?

• Thanga Anthony Celestine

  Engineering Student_Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai

  Meet Anthony—ex-Head Boy, Student of the Year, House Captain—you name it, and he has done it. Someone who has achieved almost everything possible during his time at VGSP, he takes the stage once again to tell the story of his life. Currently pursuing his undergraduate degree at VIT Chennai, he is an avid follower of philosophy, who is neither a “glass half empty” person nor a “glass half full” person, but rather a “just fill the glass” kind of person. He is grateful and glad to be back on this esteemed stage to share some of his ideas.

• Thejas Prakash

  Student_Velammal Global School, Puzhal

  Thejas Prakash is a high school student at Velammal Global School in Chennai, India, with interests in engineering, leadership, music, and community service. An Eagle Scout, he has developed a strong appreciation for service, responsibility, and leading others through both scouting and community projects. His experiences in backpacking and the outdoors have also taught him the importance of perseverance, teamwork, and supporting those around him. He is a former competitive euphonium player, an experience that strengthened his discipline and taught him how individual contributions can come together to create something greater. He hopes to continue using these experiences to make a meaningful impact in his community while pursuing his interests in engineering and technology.

• Western Dance Performance

  School Dance Performance

  What does an idea look like when it moves? In this original western dance, choreographed by our dance teacher Charlotte Ivers, students turn the spark of an idea into movement, from the first step into the unknown to the moment it spreads and changes everything around it. Performed at TEDxVelammal Global School Puzhal, it shows that ideas can change not only minds but the way we move through the world.