MUMBAI, INDIA — In response to the need for greater representation and diversity of young voices in corporate decision-making, The Body Shop, a Britain-based international personal-care brand, introduced its Youth Collective Council in India on International Youth Day. The Youth Collective is The Body Shop initiative and a program to include young people in their boardroom and incorporate their voices in business decisions. During the occasion, the brand introduces its advisory board member, all under the age of 30 years, and are Path-breaking young people who are creating immense community impact in their areas of work. The Body Shop’s Youth India Collective Advisory Board includes:
Ankita Mehra: An inspiring advocate for the LGBTQA+ community, Ankita has been at the forefront of the fight for acceptance and equal rights for individuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Her unwavering commitment to inclusivity has earned her admiration and respect.
Rishabh Sinha: A passionate environmental crusader, Rishabh has led the charge against plastic use and marine pollution. His outstanding achievement of collecting over 200 metric tons of marine waste from cities like Varanasi, Trivandrum, Kanpur, and Mangalore highlights his dedication to preserving our oceans and marine life.
Aakash Ranison: An avid, responsible traveler who documents and advocates sustainable living. The climate activist has recently published a book, Climate Change Explained: For One and All. He has been recognized with titles such as Climate Warrior and Sustainable Changemaker by different publications and has spoken on platforms like TEDx and Google Talk.
Sudhanshu Kaushik: Founder, Young India Foundation works between the intersection of youth voter turnout, youth right, policy, and representation with India’s first youth-centric political action committee and advocacy group, actively manages a group of over 100 young people and oversees over 20 committees that span over seven cities within India.
This Youth collective panel will offer feedback, ideas, and strategic direction to The Body Shop in their respective fields. This diverse set of recognized young minds will support The Body Shop’s agenda of gender sensitivity, managing waste, contributing to climate action, and bringing more guidance to youth development overall. Each one of them will act as an advisor and work collectively to give perspectives to policy within The Body Shop India to nurture young people’s outlook and the world they are looking to inherit.
Shriti Malhotra, Chief Executive Officer of The Body Shop Asia South, said, “With our Youth Collective Council, we embark on a very important journey to create a powerful platform for Young People within The Body Shop. Through this initiative, we are excited to bring young voices to the boardroom, where their ideas can ignite sparks of inspiration, and where their actions can lead to a profound positive impact on young Indian society. The Body Shop has an enduring commitment to empowering the youth and unleashing their boundless potential as catalysts for meaningful change. “
This groundbreaking initiative, an extension of the Why 25 campaign, aims to amplify the voices of young change-makers and involve them in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future. The Body Shop WHY25 program aims to collect 2.5 million signatures urging policymakers to lower the age of candidacy in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) from 25 to 21 years, removing barriers to youth participation in high-level policy-making. The program engages young voters with the objective of adding 25 million young voters to the rolls by 2024. Additionally, Why25 will continue supporting 25 youth-led community impact projects focusing on environmental and social justice issues, driving real change on the ground. The program aims to create a more inclusive and equitable society for India’s future by addressing the underrepresentation of young voices.
For over 35 years, The Body Shop has been a trailblazer supporting social, community, and environmental causes in India. From pioneering the Community Fair Trade Program with Teddy Exports in Madurai since 1987 to backing grassroots community impact initiatives, such as End Period Shame with CRY and Project N.A.R.I with Plastics for Change India Foundation, The Body Shop has consistently championed causes that make a positive difference to local communities, and aims to continue its work.
