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Interview
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JAYESH RAIKAR “Our focus this year is entirely on rural youth”
Jayesh Raikar, Chairman Young Indians Goa Chapter; and Director, Goldy Group of Companies talks about Yi Goa and his plans for the organisation
By BUSINESS GOA NEWSDESK Tell us about Yi... Young Indians (Yi) is a movement for Indian Youth to converge, lead, co-create and influence India’s future. As an integral part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), a nongovernment, not-for-profit, industry led and industry managed organization playing a proactive role in India’s development process.
Formed in 2002, Yi has created a platform for young Indians to work towards realizing a dream of a developed nation. It has a growing, inclusive membership across all geographies and demographics with over 3300 direct members in 54 chapters, and 30000 Yuva student members in 134 colleges across India. The Yi membership includes young progressive Indians between the age group of 21 to 45 years and comprises of entrepreneurs, professionals and achievers from different walks of life.
Yi’s projects and activities are primarily divided into three areas; ‘Youth Leadership’, ‘Nation Building’ and ‘Thought Leadership’, Yi hopes to emerge as the premier Indian youth organization having a voice on relevant platforms that work on solving India’s problems. Yi grooms its members for offices of significance and also enables Indian youth to converge, collaborate and cocreate using an expanding digitally enabled network.
Under ‘Youth Leadership’, Yi works effectively for promoting leadership skills for its members through programs in entrepreneurship and innovation. Yi is one of the proud founders of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance (G20 YEA) & Commonwealth
Jayesh Raikar
Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs – Asia Pacific (CAYE-Asia Pacific) and engages the youth through international missions to many countries around the world to understand and learn from the best practices and cultures.
Under ‘Nation Building’, Yi engages its members under its projects as MASOOM, Gift an Organ and Road Safety. Yi also works under the broad categories of education, environment, healthcare, employability, arts (sports and culture), rural initiatives, accessibility and disaster management contributing positively to its surrounding eco system and the nation.
Under ‘Thought Leadership’, Yi engages its members through a contributory movement of constructive action, collaborative reasoning and collective voice. Yi conducts learning sessions with industry experts to impart experiential learning through interactions and discussions. Yi Leadership Academy (LA) upholds the founding principles, values and instill the same in Yi membership through Yi Leaders Fellowship Program. Yi organizes its Annual Flagship Summit ‘TakePride’ to come together as one and celebrate Yi’s achievements, brainstorm over the future roadmap, share and showcase the effort of its membership from across its 54 chapters.
With eighteen years of glorious past and decades ahead that promise nothing short, Yi intends to become a larger movement of young people with a conviction in “We Can, We Will”.
Tell us about your journey at Yi... I joined Yi in 2015 but was not that active then because I was residing in Margao and all the meetings were conducted in Panaji. When I moved to Panaji in 2018, I started attending meetings and taking keen interest in all Yi activities. I was nominated the Co-Chair for the Rural Initiative Vertical in 2019. Having been involved actively in several rural initiatives, the committee appointed me as the Co-Chair for Yi Goa chapter for 2020 and Chair for the year 2021.
You took charge of the Goa council when it looked like the pandemic was on a down slide. However, the second wave has disturbed everyone’s plans. How has Yi Goa combated the situation? In January and February we could pull off few interesting activities and learning sessions adhering to all safety regulations before the second wave hit us in March. However, digital technology is a boon in phases like the pandemic. All our meetings and discussions are carried out on digital meeting platforms. Although we would prefer physical meetings but looking at the bleak situation right now, online platform is best in everyone’s interest. As per the plans, we are still working on them in the back end and focusing on policy advocacy and online learning sessions where physical intervention is not required. Young Indians have also supported the fight against Covid by supplying medical aids to medical institutions and also plans to participate in vaccination drives and offer help wherever needed.
How is the interaction and exchange of ideas been with Yi’s national chapter? It has been great. We do have meetings with the National Body every other month and also they are a phone call away for any help. Additionally,