Aaditya Sengupta Dhar may be just 17 years old, but he is making an outsized impact through his passion for storytelling. His published body of work encompasses six books, including the bestselling Kaalchakra, a fantasy based on ancient Indian myths, and the award-winning Teen’s Guide to Saving the World, which inspires youth to make a positive difference in their communities. Through his Vedanomics column on BWBusinessworld and podcast on Spotify, he connects ancient ideas with modern policy. Through his digital repository, Partition Perspectives, he gives voice to stories from the Partition to educate modern teens, and he also pioneered Histobyte, India’s first historical fiction contest for teens. From telling his own stories, he is now helping others through the power of communication and storytelling with Project Kahaani, the social venture he founded to help empower underserved youth with English communication skills. Having been awarded the Young Achievers’ Award in 2024 and featured in Forbes India, this teenager is making his mark at a young age. We were excited to catch up with him in this exclusive interview.
Storytelling With Purpose: In Conversation With Aaditya Sengupta Dhar, Teenage Author And Founder, Project Kahaani
At 17, author and social entrepreneur Aaditya Sengupta Dhar is empowering underserved youth through Project Kahaani. In this interview, he shares his journey of using storytelling to inspire change, build confidence, and give young voices a platform to be heard.
Interviewer: Writer, columnist, podcaster, social entrepreneur. How do you manage to make time for all these pursuits?
Aaditya: I suppose when you’re doing something you enjoy, it doesn’t feel like drudgery! In fact, working on these gives me energy. I do try to be disciplined and manage my time and energy, and I need to continue learning how to do that better. It also helps when you have a team helping you. I’ve been lucky to work with some fantastic NGO partners, volunteers, and trainers who have helped take Project Kahaani forward, while my publishers at Anecdote Publishing and the editorial team at BWBusinessworld have been great cheerleaders, sounding boards, and, of course, helped me stay on track to deadlines!
Interviewer: Aaditya, what inspired you to start Project Kahaani? How did this journey begin?
Aaditya: It came from seeing Mumbai’s contrasts every day—wealth and struggle side by side. I was doing school research on inequality, but it felt distant. At a local sports day, I met teens who were so bright, but they shared how their education didn’t teach practical skills like expressing themselves confidently. I love storytelling and thought it could help them share their ideas. With guidance from mentors, I designed a curriculum on English written and verbal communication skills. Our journey began in partnership with the Udaan India Foundation, an NGO in my community, which was kind enough to support our early workshops. Since then, collaborations with other NGOs have helped us scale further, and reach many more youth.
Interviewer: Can you share some examples of how Project Kahaani has helped participants?
Aaditya: Hearing their stories is the best part, as that truly shows the heart of our work. We were thrilled to publish Apna Time Aayega, our anthology of 82 inspiring narratives written in the voices of remarkable teens from Mumbai's underserved communities. These provide glimpses into their passion, potential, and unyielding belief that, no matter the starting point or barriers ahead, their time will come. It's been an amazing experience to be part of the journey of amplifying their voices, one story at a time. By sharing these, we're not just telling stories—we're fuelling them, with every book sold supporting scholarships for teens at partner NGOs.
Interviewer: As an author, which of your books is your favourite?
Aaditya: Actually, the ‘book’ that will always have a special place in my heart is not even a published book. It’s a handwritten Encyclopaedia of World Civilisations I wrote when I was eight years old. I used to be intrigued by thinking of what life must have been like thousands of years ago when we read about ancient cultures in History class, and gave voice to those lost stories in this diary. The encouragement I got from my parents and teachers, and seeing this diary displayed in the school library, gave me the confidence to continue writing and telling my stories.
Interviewer: What advice would you give to other young people who want to use their passions to create meaningful change?
Aaditya: Start small, but start with something you genuinely care about. Storytelling helped me connect with others, but it could be anything for you—art, tech, sports. The key is to connect something you are passionate about with something that could help others. And don’t wait for the “perfect” moment or for someone to give you permission—just start. Every small step counts, and you’ll learn as you go.
Interviewer: What has been the biggest thing you have learned through your journey so far?
Aaditya: The biggest lesson I’ve learned is the importance of being empathetic and humble. It’s only by truly understanding and respecting others’ stories and needs that you can tell compelling stories of your own, whether it’s writing relatable fictional characters or creating workshops that resonate with students. Humility is important because there’s so much more to learn, and so many things to get better at, so it’s critical to be open-minded and approach every day as a learning opportunity.
Interviewer: As a Class 12 student, what are your future plans?
Aaditya: I’m looking forward to university to learn more about subjects that excite me, make new connections, and also continue to learn how to make a real-world impact. While many things will change, I’m sure some things will not. I’ll continue writing, continue sharing stories, and continue exploring how to use storytelling to make a difference.