UNDP India’s youth champions and advocates brought Indian perspectives to global discussions during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), focusing on youth participation, climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals.UNDP India Youth Champion Sanjana Sanghi, Youth Climate Champion Prajakta Koli and Advocate for the SDGs Bhumi Pednekar participated in various high-level dialogues and initiatives around UNGA81.Key Highlights UNDP India representatives participated in engagements around the 81st UNGA. Sanjana Sanghi highlighted greater youth participation in decision-making. Prajakta Koli became the first Indian member of the 2026 UN SDG Action Awards jury. Bhumi Pednekar used her platform to highlight climate action. Discussions also covered India’s climate economy, green growth and an equitable transition.Sanjana Sanghi Highlights Youth ParticipationSanjana Sanghi used her engagements at the UN General Assembly to highlight the importance of giving young people a greater role in decisions that affect their lives.On September 16, she participated in the high-level dialogue “A Generation at the Crossroads: Dynamics Facing Youth in Asia and the Pacific” alongside UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo, UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja and representatives from countries across the region.Drawing on her work with young changemakers through Youth Co, Sanghi spoke about providing young people with greater agency, access and opportunities to participate in decision-making.She also participated in the UN Peace Circle at the SDG Media Zone on September 21, where she discussed the importance of investing in young people, including through education and healthcare.India’s Climate Perspective at UNGAClimate action was another major theme of Sanghi’s UNGA engagements.At India Impact House at One World Trade Center, she participated in the session “Powering the Transition: India’s Climate Economy and What it Means for the Global South”.The discussion focused on green growth, decarbonisation, mobilisation of capital and the need for an equitable transition. Sanghi also discussed climate action and the role young people can play in shaping a sustainable future with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.Prajakta Koli Joins UN SDG Action Awards JuryUNDP India Youth Climate Champion Prajakta Koli also represented an Indian youth perspective at the global level.Koli became the first Indian to serve on the high-level judging panel for the 2026 UN SDG Action Awards. The panel is responsible for recognising individuals and initiatives that are translating the Sustainable Development Goals into action.Her participation builds on her work as UNDP India’s Youth Climate Champion, where she has used digital storytelling and public engagement to discuss climate action and sustainability.Bhumi Pednekar Highlights Climate ActionUNDP India Advocate for the SDGs Bhumi Pednekar also took part in climate-focused advocacy around the UN General Assembly.Through climate advocacy videos, Pednekar highlighted the importance of climate action and the role individuals can play in protecting the environment.Her involvement forms part of UNDP’s wider effort to use public platforms and storytelling to make the Sustainable Development Goals more accessible to wider audiences.Youth and Sustainable DevelopmentThe engagements of Sanghi, Koli and Pednekar reflected different aspects of India’s contribution to conversations around youth, climate and sustainable development.Sanghi focused on youth agency and participation, Koli brought an Indian youth and digital storytelling perspective to the UN SDG Action Awards, while Pednekar used public advocacy to communicate the importance of climate action.
