dna young turks: Making a start

The Power of Youth is what dna always believes in. We marked this belief with our annual initiative 'dna Shadow Editorial Board'—a group of aspiring journalists from Mumbai colleges work closely with our editorial team.We now bring to you 'dna Young Turks'. The hunt for 30 Mumbai-based achievers, aged 30 and below. What seemed like a cakewalk conceptually, turned out to be a massive exercise. It was not easy to prune down to 30 names from an exhaustive nomination list. Frankly, it galvanised the believer in us.

Casting the net
Mumbai has always been agile and abuzz with action and that is known to many: some youngsters are raking in the moolah thanks to their smart ideas, others are giving back to society in their own way. And in every possible manner, every single name is making a difference in the city and, on a wider perspective, in the country. We had to chalk out the best from the first-scratch list of 1,400 names. These were nominations given by the dna newsroom, the After Hrs team and industry insiders.

More groundwork
The idea was to tap the very essence of a creative personality in a city like Mumbai, where an average person takes a lifetime to make his dream a reality. We had the parameters in place: it was a hunt for geniuses aged 30 and below, who are not just game-changers in their respective fields but have also given a face to a unique idea. There were some names that cropped up time and again during the discussions, but we made a conscious decision to avoid those who have seized media attention at any given time of their career. Nonetheless, in a category like performing arts, we couldn't help but list candidates who are also known faces. We were scouting for those with an edge, who have been consistent and not just a 'one-hit wonder'. Of course there were shortcomings when listing the names. In any industry age equals experience, and sketching a list of names (Mumbai-based) who are 30 and below, across some categories, was a herculean task. While some (identifiable) names should have been on the list, they were given a miss for the sheer reason of not complying with the set parameters (that will raise some eyebrows for sure). But this does not dispirit the motive of the exercise, and the final product is a culmination of well-deserving names.

Fitting in silos
The methodology we adopted was simple; we started off with a series of team discussions based on research and study of press coverage for each industry. Post this, we enquired with experts, within varied industries, about young influentials who have shown potential and have occupied a primary, stable space for themselves in their field. We started off with 80 categories, bringing it down to eight (Business, Art & Culture, Performing Arts, Science & Environment, Fashion & Style, Society, Behind-The-Scene Activators and Sports). The final cut (from a better lot of 200 influentials) was a list of 80 names.

The experts chip in
A jury of eminent judges was called on to help us seal the decision. Through confidential scoring, every nomination was analysed and judged based on three categories: Impact, Innovation and Overall.
While the list is far from being comprehensive, it will be seen under a different light by an assorted audience; that we are aware of. But what we can be rest assured of is, it is a start…a start to having knowledge that Mumbai, as a city, owns an immense talent pool like no other. It is also a start to acknowledging those who have lived up to the title of an achiever before they've crossed the 30 mark. And we can guarantee you, this is just the tip of the iceberg...

Final Categories
Business
Art & Culture
Performing Arts
Science & Environment
Fashion & Style
Society
Behind-The-Scene Activators
Sports

JURY
Hansal Mehta, Nation Award winning filmmaker
Nachiket Barve, fashion designer
Sakshi Tanwar, TV actress
Susieben Shah, social worker and lawyer
Yasin Merchant, India's first professional snooker player
Sandeep Parasrampuria, director, iBall
Ajit Joshi, CEO & MD at Infiniti Retail Limited, Croma (A Tata Enterprise)

Judges Quotes
"This is a great initiative. The future of India looks really bright. The list was very expansive. These Young Turks have been doing ground-breaking, meaningful and exciting things. I loved how dna picked out these hidden gems who have done exceptional work at such a young age."
-Nachiket Barve, fashion designer

"I was really impressed by what the Young Turks have done. It turned out to be a revelation. I came home and discussed the exceptional people on dna's list with my children. It was mind-boggling."
-Yasin Merchant, snooker champion and coach

"The Young Turks list was inspiring. These people have been doing a lot at such a young age. I was humbled to be part of it. In an age when one tends to equate success by numbers, it was nice to judge them based on their talent."
-Hansal Mehta, National Award winning filmmaker

"I was very happy to see such a young, vibrant and talented lot. I congratulate dna for giving these young achievers such a platform."
-Susieben Shah, chairperson, Maharashtra State Commission for Women

"It was heart-warming to see many young achievers under 30 doing such extraordinary work in their respective fields. My best wishes to them."
-Sakshi Tanwar, TV actor

"dna's Young Turk is an excellent initiative to recognise the young performers in different fields. It will give immense inspiration and ideas to other youngsters."
-Sandeep Parasrampuria, director, iBall

"Young Turks is a great opportunity. It is an encouragement to the youngsters."
-Ajit Joshi, CEO & MD at Infiniti Retail Limited, Croma (A Tata Enterprise)