Young Leaders Return to the Stage as Emcees for INDIA New England News’ 2026 20 Under 20 Awards

BOSTON — Two accomplished young leaders who exemplify the spirit of the INDIA New England News 20 Under 20 Awards will return to the stage this year—not as honorees, but as emcees.

Aaria Madan Nagpal and Ayush Agrawal will serve as emcees for the 2026 INDIA New England News 20 Under 20 Awards, joining host Jharna Madan in welcoming the region’s brightest young South Asian achievers during the annual breakfast awards ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, Massachusetts.

The event will also feature Amelia Singh, Deputy Chief of District and Municipal Courts at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the 2026 INDIA New England News Woman of the Year, as Chief Guest.

The annual awards recognize exceptional young South Asians who have distinguished themselves through academic excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, community service, and accomplishments in the arts, sciences, technology, athletics and other fields.

For both emcees, the event represents more than an opportunity to lead the program—it is a chance to celebrate and encourage the next generation of leaders.

“Hosting the 20 Under 20 Awards again is both exciting and deeply meaningful,” said Aaria Madan Nagpal. “I’m honored to help recognize remarkable young leaders and contribute to a community that encourages ambition, leadership, and service.”

Ayush Agrawal echoed that sentiment, saying, “Hosting 20 Under 20 is a privilege because it shines a light on the next generation of changemakers. Their ideas, resilience, and drive inspire all of us to dream bigger and lead with purpose.”

Nagpal, an incoming Architecture and Business student at Northeastern University, brings an impressive combination of academic achievement, artistic talent, research experience and community leadership to the role.

A trained Odissi dancer for more than a decade, she has also studied Ballet, Kathak and Bollywood Fusion and currently performs with the DFD Travel Team, a collegiate-level competitive Bollywood dance team. She has competed nationally, including performances in Las Vegas and at Disney, while her team earned third place at Boston’s South Asian Showdown. She was also recognized as Student of the Year by Upasana Dance Academy for her dedication to dance and has spent several years teaching Bollywood dance to younger students.

Beyond the performing arts, Nagpal has conducted machine learning research focused on Parkinson’s disease detection through handwriting analysis, participated in Model United Nations, and was previously recognized as a 20 Under 20 Award recipient for her leadership and community involvement. As she begins her studies at Northeastern University this fall, she plans to combine architecture, business and innovation to create meaningful spaces that positively impact communities.

Agrawal, meanwhile, is returning to the 20 Under 20 stage for the fourth consecutive year as an emcee after being honored as a 2022 INDIA New England News 20 Under 20 recipient.

A rising junior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Agrawal is pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on medical device design, quality assurance and regulatory affairs. His academic work includes engineering a prosthetic arm, developing improvements for lumbar disc replacement implants, creating a real-time electrocardiogram (ECG) processing system using Arduino technology, and contributing to research involving ultrasound technology.

Outside the classroom, Agrawal has demonstrated an equally strong commitment to leadership and service. He is the founder and president of New England Resilient Individuals for Empowerment (NE RISE), an organization focused on mentorship and community engagement. He also serves as Competition Coordinator for WPI Rangeela, the university’s South Asian fusion dance team, where he choreographs and performs Bhangra, Kuthu and hip-hop routines.

His commitment to community service extends across several organizations, including Shishu Bharati, IAGB, IAB and Hindi Manch. At Shishu Bharati, he progressed from student to mentor, eventually managing classrooms of more than 20 students. He also serves as an official WPI campus tour guide, competes in collegiate volleyball, plays competitive cricket in both the Massachusetts State Cricket League and Greater Boston Cricket League, and shares his passion for dance through social media.

Leading the program as host will be Jharna Madan, a respected community leader, veteran event organizer and longtime television correspondent with TV Asia. Madan has played a leading role in organizing some of New England’s largest South Asian cultural events, including the Hindi Manch Rashtriya Mahotsav and Antarrashtriya Mahotsav.

A dedicated advocate of community service, she has volunteered with Ekal Vidyalaya for more than a decade and founded several initiatives combining creativity with philanthropy, including IndiArt, a national children’s art competition, and the pandemic-era initiatives Sew We Care and Care4Janitors, which supported healthcare workers and essential workers. Professionally, she is an accomplished interior designer and project manager whose “Local Art for Local Cause” initiative has promoted community engagement through the arts.

The INDIA New England News 20 Under 20 Awards annually recognize exceptional young South Asians based on their academic achievements, leadership, extracurricular accomplishments, entrepreneurship, community service, and talents in fields ranging from writing and music to science, technology and the arts.

This year’s ceremony will bring together students, families, educators, business leaders and community members from across New England to celebrate the achievements of 20 outstanding young leaders while highlighting the promise of the next generation.