NDTV YUVA 2026 is set to bring together a diverse mix of voices from sports, cinema, politics, governance, technology, entrepreneurship and popular culture in Mumbai on September 28.

Being held under the theme ‘Young Voices, Bold Dialogues’, the event will feature personalities including Saina Nehwal, Irfan Pathan, Sobhita Dhulipala, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Tukaram Mundhe and MP Shrikant Shinde, among several other speakers.

The event has been curated around the questions, aspirations and uncertainties shaping a rapidly changing India. According to a press release, YUVA 2026 will examine conversations around careers and ambition, technology and artificial intelligence, politics and public life, culture, health, the creator economy and the changing expectations of young Indians.

Speaking about NDTV YUVA, Vaishali Sood, Senior Managing Editor, NDTV, said young India is “not a single demographic” and does not speak in one voice. She said the platform is designed to bring different worlds together, with conversations spanning politics, popular culture, technology, sport, entrepreneurship, comedy, governance and the creator economy. The idea, she added, is not to tell a generation what to think, but to hear the questions it is asking and bring together voices that can make those conversations more relevant.

Sports will form one of the key strands of the event. Olympic medallist and former World No. 1 badminton player Saina Nehwal will speak about achievement and life beyond it in ‘Champion Ka Naya Chapter’, while former Indian cricketer and commentator Irfan Pathan will discuss pressure, performance and life beyond the scoreboard in ‘Pathan Ki Pathshalaa’. Golfer Ridhima Dilawari will also join the programme with ‘Green Queen’.

Cinema and popular culture will feature through sessions involving Sobhita Dhulipala in ‘SSSShhhhh SOBHITA’ and Fatima Sana Shaikh in ‘Fatima No Filter’. Actors Shweta Tripathi and Sonal Chauhan will come together for ‘Mirzapur Ki Woomanya’, bringing their perspectives on culture, identity, choices and changing definitions of success.

Politics will also feature prominently, with ‘Abki Baar Gen Z Sarkar’ bringing together Anish Gawande, Sidhartha Yadav, Rhiya Ahir and Ayush Nambiar to discuss changing ideas around political participation, representation and engagement. Rohit Pawar, MLA for Karjat-Jamkhed, will take up the subject of politics and power in ‘Gen’Satta’, while MP Shrikant Shinde will also participate in the day’s conversations.

The governance track will include Ashwini Bhide, Municipal Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in ‘Civic Culture: Whose Job Is It?’, examining responsibility for making cities work, while IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe will feature in ‘Operation Poison’, bringing his experience of governance, accountability and public systems to the discussion.

Entrepreneurship and innovation will be represented through ‘Udaan: Naye Bharat Ki’, featuring Ankita Sinha, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, MiCoB, and Deepak Readdy, Founder, Bhaumya Innovations. The creator economy will come under discussion in ‘The Question of Relevance: Jo Dikhega…Woh Bikega?’, with content creator Anubhavi, Viraj Sheth, CEO of Monk Entertainment, and model Hema Gill discussing visibility, credibility and sustaining relevance in an increasingly crowded digital space.

Technology and digital life will form another important part of the programme. Body language expert and behaviour consultant Kanan Tandi will explore non-verbal communication in ‘Read Between the Moves | Aankhon Hi Aankhon Mein Ishara Ho Gaya’, while Yashasvi Yadav, Cyber Crime Commissioner (IAS), will discuss emerging online vulnerabilities in ‘Code, Click and Kill!’. The debate around artificial intelligence will be explored in ‘AI Boom vs Doom’ with Samyak Chakraborty, Co-founder, Nimaya Foundation; Gayatri Agarwal, Founder, ALTRD; and AI educator Ishan Sharma.

Health will be addressed through ‘Label Ke Peeche Kya Hai?’ featuring Revant Himatsingka, popularly known as Food Pharmer, who will examine food labels and everyday consumer choices. The event will also include entertainment-focused conversations, with mentalist Danish Sheikh, also known as Dr. M, bringing perception and psychology together in ‘Bheja Fry’.

Comedy will take centre stage in ‘Gustakhi Maaf’, featuring Kenny Sebastian, Raunak Rajani, Shreya Priyam Roy and Warren Viegas, CEO, LVC Comedy. The session will look at the changing boundaries and language of comedy and how humour responds to shifting cultural expectations.

Rohit Vishwakarma, Managing Editor, NDTV India, said a new India is finding its voice “in its own language, on its own terms” while questioning conventions and creating new ones across politics, business, technology and culture. He described YUVA as an attempt to listen to that change and provide a platform for ideas that may agree, collide or surprise, while reflecting the confidence and curiosity of a generation that wants to participate in India’s future.

NDTV YUVA 2026 will be held in Mumbai on September 28 under the theme ‘Young Voices, Bold Dialogues’, bringing together voices from different fields to discuss the ideas, issues and aspirations shaping young India.