What can I say about this 18 year old chai and misal loving Nashikar! I came across Nilay via a mutual friend and from then on I have been following his work.

A 25 under 25 honoree, TED speaker, TEDx speaker, BBC honoree, Chief Technology Officer – Asioto Analytics, a prodigy android programmer and a passionate young lad.

I recently got in touch with him for interview and he was more than happy to interact amidst his 12th board exams!

Without any further delay, meet Nilay Kulkarni – A Nashik based teenager who came up with a device that can prevent life threatening events like stampedes in Kumbh Mela! Read on to know more about his work.

• You gave your first interview when you were in your 9th grade. In that you said you started with Android programming when you were 3 years old.Share some light on that! How did you entered the programming world at this age?

I got my first computer when I was around 3 I guess. But I started programming around the age of 13. I’m a self-taught programmer and have always relied on online courses. I was impressed by how easy it was to get started. It’s really amazing that you can simply search ‘learn Android programming’ and start learning in a few minutes.

• What do you suggest in the Indian education system to incorporate early stage programming among school kids?

I feel it should be introduced just like art is introduced. Like a form of expression. If the children look at coding as a way to bring ideas to life, we’ll have a generation of programmers that have a very evolved way of looking at code. Scratch is a good language to start with and it’s already being taught in Europe and USA. I feel it’s high time we stop teaching 10th graders how to use Excel and PowerPoint.

• You recently gave your first TED talk. How was your experience? What was it about?

I was fortunate to speak at TEDNYC. It taught me a lot about communicating my ideas very well, so that they don’t sound too nerdy and the audience is able to connect with my words.

• With young Indian population aiming towards making quick bucks via emerging technology, what’s your suggestion on diverting their necessary attention towards Social Entrepreneurship?

I feel that chasing the quick bucks isn’t an efficient and sustainable approach. I don’t necessarily push for social entrepreneurship but I think it creates a very inclusive and sustainable ecosystem. We should consider the potential impact on humans when we are creating products and see if that looks like a good picture. Obviously you can’t predict everything in the future but if we carry the right intentions, our actions will be guided in a proper manner by our own principles.

• When did you first came across the stampede issue at Kumbh Mela. What drove you to dig deeper into it?

The first time I heard about Kumbh Mela was when my grandfather told me about it when I was 9. He told me that it’s a religious event and people die during stampedes in these festivals most of the times. It was such a discomforting fact that it always stayed in the back of my head. But I could tangibly work on it only when I turned 14 and I got a chance to work with MIT Media Lab on the problem. I felt that I had a realistic shot at preventing stampedes.

(Have a look at his idea that he was able to present at Ted)

• What are your future plans – as an individual and as the co-founder at Ashioto Analytics?

I recently finished my 12th grade ISC board exams. I decided to take a gap year before I apply for universities in the US to pursue my education in Computer Science. I want to take a step back and bring out the learner that drove my work. I’m shelving Ashioto as an effort for exploring other problems and get experiences I’ve never had before. I’m taking a few courses on machine learning and aim to expand my skill-set. I always want to start initiatives and found companies that care about problems we all face which are driven by compassion and a sense of community.