Scindia Scion's Entrepreneurial Zeal

Young Yuvraj Mahanaaryaman Scindia of Gwalior is a natural entrepreneur whose start-ups have already attracted funding from events accompanied by music and food, to an app that improves the lives of the underservedcartpusher community. He's also making government schools tech-savvy.

- Priya Kumari Rana

HE'S JUST RUN A 12 KM marathon in hometown Gwalior, in memory of his late grandfather Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia, former Union Minister of Civil Aviation, who passed away in a plane crash in 2001. "It was his birth anniversary, and it was a special marathon for unity, where we had around 6,000 present," says the 27-yearold Yale-educated Yuvraj Mahanaaryaman Scindia of Gwalior, son of Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia of Gwalior, Union Minister of Civil Aviation. Aaryaman, as he's known to friends and family, is on the move these days, juggling his time between Gwalior, Delhi, and whichever city he's needed in. He runs two start-ups (one of which is a social enterprise that works for fruit and vegetable vendors in four cities), fosters and aids sportspersons in Madhya Pradesh, works with an NGO to tech-enable government schools, and takes care of family properties in Gwalior, including the European-style 400-room Jai Vilas Palace.

After graduating from a U.S. college in 2019, Aaryaman worked with Boston Consulting Group,but left three and a half years ago, shortly before the pandemic struck. Passionate about both music and food, he then went on to launch music festival Cymbal (with his friend Nakul Mehan), and Pravaas with Mumbai-based Chef Prateek Sadhu, which kicked off at his home, Jai Vilas Palace, in 2021. A year later it was held in Kasauli. Since then, Pravaas, a curation of multi-sensory experiences with a highlight on food, supplemented by music, art, heritage and culture, has changed its identity somewhat. "We've raised money and pivoted the model, giving Pravaas a new identity," says Aaryaman. "We now have multiple streams, which does all our experiences in unique locations, tied with the food and culture."