Inspired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s call on Independence Day to engage 1 lakh youth in politics without political background, the National Youth Festival was reimagined as Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) with its first edition held in 2025. Breaking the 25-year-old tradition of the conventional National Youth Festival, it aimed to foster youth leadership by providing a national platform for young people in the age group of 15–29 years to turn their ideas for a Viksit Bharat into reality. This initiative is aimed at creating an inclusive and dynamic platform for young people to present their ideas for the Viksit Bharat directly to the Hon’ble PM.

VBYLD 2025 - First Edition - A Historic Beginning:

The inaugural edition of VBYLD in 2025 marked a historic milestone in youth participation and leadership. About 30 lakh young people across India engaged through the Viksit Bharat Challenge, with over two lakh essays submitted and 9,000 youth showcasing their vision in State Championships. The journey culminated at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where 3,000 young changemakers participated, including 1,500 from the Viksit Bharat Challenge Track, 1,000 from the Cultural Track, and 500 Pathbreakers (representing youth icons and achievers across diverse fields).

The event became more impactful with the presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who spent nearly six hours in dialogue with the youth, listening to their ideas, vision and perspectives to achieve Viksit Bharat and inspiring them to take up leadership roles in shaping India’s future. Joining him were eminent personalities such as Shri Amitabh Kant, Former ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath, Business leaders Shri Anand Mahindra and Shri Ritesh Agarwal, Former Cricketer Jonty Rhodes, and Senior Journalist Mrs. Palki Sharma Upadhyay, who inspired the gathering with their insights and vision for a Viksit Bharat.

Kickstart of VBYLD 2026:

Building on the success of the first edition, the second edition of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue - 2026 (VBYLD - 2026) is aimed at higher registrations, addition of new tracks, wider outreach, and more ambitious objectives. A press conference announcing the second edition was held on 13th September 2025 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi where the Hon’ble Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya along with the Secretary and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports addressed the press.

During the address, the Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted that VBYLD is the only platform where young Indians can not only share their ideas, but directly present them to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, stating it as a true example of youth-led democracy, turning vision into voice and voice into impact.

He also stated that VBYLD is one such platform that channelises the strengths and potential of the youth to prepare a blueprint for India's future. He stressed that today’s youth are not only the future of the country, but also the nation-builders.

He further mentioned that VBYLD is not just a one-day event, but a continuous platform that brings together young people across the country and nurtures their leadership to drive innovation, strengthen communities, and achieve the vision of a truly Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Pallavi Jain Govil, explained the framework of VBYLD 2026. She outlined how participants would progress through the competition starting from the online quiz and essay challenge, to state-level presentations, culminating in the national round in Delhi. She also mentioned the addition of new tracks in the second edition of VBYLD 2026, highlighting key milestones leading up to the National Youth Festival in January 2026.

Key Additions in VBYLD - 2026:

The second edition of VBYLD - 2026 will retain the core themes and tracks of the first edition while introducing a new vertical, change in approach in the existing vertical along with international participation for the very first time which are detailed as below

• “Design for Bharat”, a multi-tier national design challenge aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
• “Tech for Viksit Bharat - Hack for a Social Cause”, a multi-stage hackathon developing prototype, technology-driven solutions under the theme Viksit Bharat @2047.
• International Participation with 80 youth representing the Ministry of External Affairs’ initiative “Know India Programme”and 20 delegates from BIMSTEC nations.

At the state level, competitions will be hosted at designated nodal institutions, while at the national level, three-member teams from each State/UT will participate. In total, 100 participants will qualify for the final national round of the hackathon/design challenge, showcasing some of the brightest young innovators.

Event Structure: Viksit Bharat Challenge Track (4 Stages)

• Stage I (Digital): Quiz – 01 September to 15 October 2025
• Stage II (Digital): Essay Challenge – 23 October to 5 November 2025
• Stage III (In-person): PPT Challenge – State Level – 24 November to 8 December 2025
•  Stage IV (In-person): Viksit Bharat Championship, National Youth Festival, New Delhi – 10 - 12, January 2026

A total of 1,500 participants from States/UTs will qualify for the National Level under this track.

Cultural & Design Track (3 Stages)

• District Level – 1 September to 31 October 2025
• State Level – 10 November to 1 December 2025
• National Level – 10 - 12 January, 2026

Activities will include declamation, story writing, painting, folk songs, folk dance, poetry writing, and innovation. The best team from each State/UT in every category will qualify for the national stage.

Design for Bharat and Tech for Viksit Bharat - Hack for a Social Cause

At the state level, competitions under each track will be organised at designated nodal institutions, while at the national level, three-member teams from each State/UT will participate. In total, 100 participants will qualify for the final national round of each track representing some of the country’s brightest young innovators.

National Participation in January 2026

The grand finale of VBYLD 2026 will be held in New Delhi from 10–12 January 2026 bringing together a diverse and dynamic cohort of 3,000 participants, including:

• 1,500 from the Viksit Bharat Challenge Track
• 1,000 from the Cultural & Design Track
• 100 International Delegates
• 400 Special Attendees

Their interactions, discussions, and presentations will create a vibrant ecosystem of ideas, solutions, and commitments for nation-building.

Registrations and Participation

The journey towards VBYLD 2026 has already begun with the opening of registrations for the Quiz Round on the MY Bharat Portal mybharat.gov.in. This entry point allows youth across the country to register and compete, thereby beginning their journey to become part of this national movement. Also, participants can take part in the quiz through www.mygov.in The last date to register for the Quiz Round of VBYLD 2026 is 15th October 2025.

We look forward to the continued support and cooperation of Print, Electronic and Digital media channels in amplifying this initiative in increasing the participation and inspiring active youth engagement in the journey towards a Viksit Bharat@2047.

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Rini Choudhury