Meet Jeya Malhotra, a remarkable 15-year-old from Bangalore, who, despite being a 10th grader, has already embarked on a path that has the potential to change the lives of intellectually challenged children. Her journey into the world of entrepreneurship began in an unexpected yet powerful way, and today, she is the proud founder of Khwaish, a project aimed at providing support and resources to intellectually challenged individuals, a group often overlooked in society.

The Spark of Passion for Social Entrepreneurship

Jeya's interest in entrepreneurship began at an early age, when she was just in class 7. It was then that she was introduced to the idea of social entrepreneurship, which focuses on using business strategies to address social issues and bring about positive change in society. She learned that entrepreneurs don’t just focus on profits but also on solving the problems of underrepresented and marginalized communities.

It was through her mentor that Jeya was introduced to Tinker Champs, a student organization dedicated to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital skills among youth. Tinker Champs collaborates with the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, and the Government of India to organize workshops, webinars, and boot camps aimed at nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit. This exposure gave Jeya the skills and confidence to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship, and it laid the foundation for her idea that would later become Khwaish.

Khwaish: A Vision to Serve Intellectually Challenged Children

Jeya’s journey to creating Khwaish started with a realization: while many initiatives focus on helping underprivileged children or those requiring digital skills, intellectually challenged children often go unnoticed. The lack of resources and proper guidance for parents of these children is a serious issue. Jeya observed how parents of intellectually challenged kids often felt helpless and had no one to turn to for advice.

That’s when she came up with the idea for Khwaish – a platform that would offer community-based services, resources, and consulting to help intellectually challenged children and their families. By offering both offline and online resources, Khwaish aims to create accessibility and support where it’s needed most.

Early Validation and Recognition

To validate her idea, Jeya took a bold step – she built a raw website and started submitting it to various competitions. During her 8th grade, her efforts were recognized when she won the All India Rank 1 in the ATL Tinkerpreneur 2023 competition, which featured 9,000 start-up ideas from across the country. This victory gave her the confidence she needed to move forward with her project.

However, Jeya realized that just entering competitions wasn’t enough. Her project required much more research and development to ensure it was impactful and sustainable. She is currently in the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) stage of the project and is working diligently with a team of two specialists to fine-tune the offerings of Khwaish.

Challenges Faced Along the Way

While her vision is strong, Jeya faced several challenges in her journey. One major hurdle she encountered was the lack of accessibility to the resources needed to execute her ideas. Despite the enthusiasm for learning and innovation within the community, the resources were either too scarce or hard to come by. This lack of access to crucial materials has been a significant barrier in turning her ideas into action.

Another challenge has been the general focus of innovators in India, many of whom focus on issues that are more general or widely discussed. However, Jeya's deep desire to create social impact led her to focus on a problem that mattered to her personally: helping intellectually challenged children. She has chosen to address a niche problem that is close to her heart, hoping to create a lasting, positive impact on a segment of society that is often neglected.

The Power of Peer Mentoring

A core belief that Jeya holds is the power of peer mentoring. She credits Atal Innovation Mission’s Mentor India Program for introducing her to the concept. Peer mentoring encourages students to mentor one another, creating a cycle of learning where both the mentor and mentee benefit. Jeya believes that this kind of mentoring can help students not only learn new skills but also gain the confidence to apply their knowledge to real-world problems.

Jeya’s vision for Khwaish goes beyond just providing resources. She aims to build a community of people who will support and learn from each other, and she believes that peer mentoring can be a powerful way to create shared growth and lasting impact.

The Future of Khwaish

Khwaish is st

Jeya’s Words of Wisdom

Reflecting on her journey, Jeya offers some words of wisdom to fellow young innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs:

"There can be shared growth in peer mentoring. Mentoring has a two-way benefit, because when you teach something to someone, you learn far greater things than you already know."

Her words resonate deeply with those who believe in the power of mentorship, community, and creating change for the greater good.