Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue opening to be attended by Ajit Doval

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will be in attendance at its opening ceremony when the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) gets underway on January 10 with varied themes, featuring over 2,000 participants from all across the country.

India's World Cup-winning women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur will be there for a fireside chat on January 11, while badminton great Pullela Gopichand, and tennis stalwart Leander Paes will be part of group discussions with the participants in the three-day festival at Bharat Mandapam.

''Formal Opening Ceremony will be in the presence of National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval ji,'' stated the ministry.

On Friday, the delegates will undergo an orientation session and visit the Pradhan Mantri Sanghralaya and National War Memorial in the city.

The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports aimed at giving India's youth a ''meaningful role in shaping the vision of a Viksit Bharat''.

The themes for this year include Youth in Democracy and Government, Women-Led Development, Making India the Start-Up Capital of the World, Cultural Diplomacy and Global Influence and Innovation with Tradition among others. Participants were selected following a country-wide evaluation process, including essay writing and quiz, that saw participation from over 50 lakh youngsters, according to the ministry.

January 12, observed as the National Youth Day on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, will be a key highlight of the programme, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend time engaging with the selected young leaders.

A group of young participants will also have the opportunity to present the best ideas before the Prime Minister and ''receive his guidance, feedback and encouragement on their vision for a Viksit Bharat 2047.'' The participants will also get the opportunity to learn from interactions with national icons like entrepreneur Sridhar Vembu, and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla.

VBYLD 2026 will also feature 80 Indian diaspora youth selected under the Know India Programme of the Ministry of External Affairs.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)