Deepika, Srikanth Bolla in Young Global Leaders' list

The Forum of Young Global Leaders was founded in 2005 by Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman of WEF, to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future while meeting increasingly complex and interrelated challenges

New Delhi: Actor Deepika Padukone and several Indian citizens and India-origin persons on Wednesday joined the list of the Young Global Leaders (YGLs) compiled by the World Economic Forum.

Announcing its 2021 class of YGLs, the WEF said these are the world's most promising 112 leaders under the age of 40 and are involved in activities ranging from advocating for public healthcare to campaigning for inclusivity in medical research. They join a group of Nobel Prize recipients, Pulitzer winners, heads of State and chief executive officers committed to improving the State of the world, said the Geneva-based organisation that describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation. "In the past year, they have worked on more than 30 Covid-19-related initiatives, including expanding the use of free public digital health services, launching data challenges to build an ecosystem that can help tackle the pandemic, creating mobile intensive care shelters, opening mental health support platforms and working on vaccine development," the WEF said. It further said the class of 2021 is gender-equal and has representatives from 56 countries. These members will take part in a five-year programme, which offers executive education courses, expeditions and opportunities to collaborate and test ideas among a trusted network of peers.

"The YGL Class of 2021 is comprised of thoughtful and courageous leaders who will shape a more sustainable and inclusive post-pandemic era," said Mariah Levin, head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

"We are delighted to welcome the class of 2021 at a time when cultivating responsible leadership is needed more than ever to steer us through the multiple challenges the world is facing," said Nicole Schwab, board member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders was founded in 2005 by Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF, to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future while meeting increasingly complex and interrelated challenges. Currently, there are 1,400 members and alumni from over 120 countries

The 2021 YGL class

Academia and research field

- Devi Sridhar (University Lecturer in Global Health Politics, University of Oxford, UK)

- Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (captain of Bangladesh cricket team)

- Rohan Ramakrishnan (founder and CEO of the ASEAN Post, Malaysia).

Business field

- Nirvana Chaudhary (Managing Director of Nepal's Chaudhary Group),

- Shreevar Kheruka (Managing Director and CEO of Borosil India)

- Srikanth Bolla (CEO of Bollant Industries, India).

Social entrepreneurship

- Amit Paley (CEO of The Trevor Project, USA),

- Deepika Padukone (founder of the Live Love Laugh Foundation, India).

Others on the list

- Vasudha Vats (global commercial lead/ senior director, Pfizer, USA)

- Vivek Ramaswamy (founder and CEO of Roivant Sciences, USA)

- Ameya Prabhu (Managing Partner of UAP Advisors, India)

- Maleeka Bokhari (Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice, Pakistan).

- Aditi Avasthi (founder and CEO of Indiavidual Learning, India),

- Gazal Kalra (co-founder of Rivigo, India),

- Hitesh Wadhwa (Vice-President for Strategic Initiatives at Tech Mahindra, India)

- Hriday Ravindranath (Chief Technology Officer, Global Services at BT Group, India)