India (Commonwealth Union)_ Seventeen-year-old Divaa Uthkarsha from Bengaluru has achieved a remarkable milestone by earning a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 list in the Social Impact category. With this recognition, she has become the youngest individual featured in the category this year, highlighting her efforts to improve the lives of children living with Type 1 diabetes. Divaa recently completed Class 12 at the National Academy for Learning in Bengaluru and plans to pursue industrial engineering in the United States. Her inclusion in the prestigious Forbes list comes largely due to the impact of Project Surya, a non-profit organisation she founded in 2021 when she was just 13 years old.
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The initiative was inspired by a very personal experience. When Divaa’s younger brother, Surya, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, she saw the emotional and financial burden her family faced in dealing with the condition. This reminded her of the thousands of families across India facing similar problems but with much lesser resources and support systems. Driven to make a difference, she founded Project Surya with a vision to improve awareness, accessibility and affordability of diabetes care for underprivileged children.
Before starting the organisation, Divaa worked with her parents, Uthkarsha Lokesh and Pallavi Uthkarsha, on Type 1 diabetes-related research which helped her gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by the patients and their families. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease that requires daily injections of insulin and constant vigilance. Treatment can be expensive and a heavy burden for families, especially those without health insurance and government support. “Many families spend a significant part of their income managing the disease,” said Divaa. “And thousands of cases go undiagnosed every year.
Over the past four years, Project Surya has grown into a large youth-led movement. The organisation has reached more than 4 lakh people and directly supported over 3,190 children living with Type 1 diabetes. Through grants, partnerships and community fundraising efforts, it has raised more than ₹20 lakh to support its programmes. The organisation has supplied 4,500 insulin vials, 2,500 glucose monitoring strips and 1,000 insulin syringes to families who could not afford essential treatment. In addition, it has conducted free health camps and carried out more than 1,020 glucose screenings.
Project Surya has also focused heavily on awareness and education. The organization has trained more than 200 ASHA health workers to help increase awareness about diabetes in rural communities, leading to outreach to some 49,500 villagers in different parts of the country. The impact of Divaa’s work has extended beyond India. She has presented Project Surya at international platforms, including the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and has participated in forums organised by the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation. She has also collaborated with organisations such as UN Women and contributed to discussions on global youth policy.
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Divaa’s achievements have earned widespread recognition. In 2023, she received the prestigious Diana Award, established in memory of Princess Diana, and was named among the top global finalists for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize. She was also recognised at the World Sustainability Award 2024 in Amsterdam. Project Surya is now in several cities in India and all over the world, with an ever-expanding network of volunteers. Divaa’s story is an example of the increasing strength of young social entrepreneurs who are using innovation and grit to address critical healthcare issues and make a positive difference in society.
