Leadership rarely announces itself loudly; more often, it grows quietly through discipline, resilience, and a deep desire to serve. The Youth Icon Award at the Kokan Kala Mahotsav 2025 honours young changemakers whose journeys reflect these values, individuals who embody dedication not only in personal milestones, but in the lives they uplift. This year, two extraordinary women have risen to the spotlight. District Collector Trupti Dhodmise and Wing Commander (Retd.) Vaishnavi Tokekar represents two different worlds, civil administration and the armed forces, yet their purpose converges beautifully: to serve India with integrity, empathy, and courage.
For fourteen years, Kokan Kala Va Shikshan Vikas Sanstha has believed in the power of youth-led transformation. Through education support, women’s empowerment, community welfare, skill development, and cultural upliftment, the organisation has quietly built platforms where young minds not only imagine change but lead it. Recognising Youth Icons is not just a ceremonial gesture; it is a promise to India’s future, a belief that progress comes alive when young leaders step forward with clarity and conscience.
A Journey Rooted in Vision: The Legacy of Kokan NGO India
Over the years, Kokan NGO India has witnessed thousands of young lives bloom through accessible education, exposure to opportunities, and structured community support. The organisation understands a simple truth: a single inspired youth can influence a classroom, a group, a village, and finally an entire region. Empowering youth, therefore, is not charity; it is nation-building. Honouring leaders like Trupti and Vaishnavi sends a message to every young dreamer across the Konkan region and beyond: your determination matters, and your leadership can become a light for many others.
Trupti Dhodmise, A Civil Servant Who Leads with Heart and Discipline
Some achievers chase success for themselves, and some rise so others can rise beside them. Trupti Dhodmise, the District Collector of Sindhudurg, belongs to the latter. Her journey from preparing for one of India’s most demanding examinations to governing a district with sensitivity and efficiency is shaped by grit, humility, and an unwavering focus on public welfare.
Passing the UPSC exam was not just a milestone; it was an affirmation of her belief that governance must touch everyday lives with dignity. Today, her work in Sindhudurg reflects a leadership style that listens deeply before acting. She has strengthened educational pathways so students in remote pockets can dream bigger. She has worked to ensure government systems move with transparency, responsibility, and compassion. She has stood with youth, guiding many who aspire to join civil service by sharing her journey and breaking the myth that success belongs only to a privileged few.
Her administration style blends strategy with humanity. Whether addressing development needs, advancing education quality, responding to citizen concerns, or encouraging youth participation in public service, she leads with steadiness rather than spectacle. In every decision, one sees the conviction that government should be accessible and empathetic, and that progress is most meaningful when it carries everyone forward.
Wing Commander (Retd.) Vaishnavi Tokekar, A Pioneer Who Broke Barriers and Built Leaders
Courage often begins quietly, but its echoes resonate through generations. Wing Commander (Retd.) Vaishnavi Tokekar embodies this truth. Her formative years in Pune and education at the University of Pune set the stage for a journey defined by strength and purpose. When she was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 18 December 2010 from the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad, she stepped into a world that demanded precision, resilience, and loyalty to the nation above all else.
Vaishnavi chose the demanding and high-stakes field of Air Traffic Control, where decisions carry lives. She served across operational commands, guiding military and civil air operations with excellence and absolute commitment. But her influence did not end at operational duty. She became a guide and mentor to young officers and airmen, shaping not only skills but character and discipline.
Her most historic achievement came when she became the first woman officer appointed as Divisional Officer at the National Defence Academy. With that appointment, she walked into military history and helped shape it further by guiding the induction and training of the first batches of women cadets. Her presence there was more than symbolic; it was transformational, carving a path that countless young women will walk with pride. Her efforts earned recognition at the highest level when she received a commendation from the Chief of Air Staff, a moment that honoured not only her service but the quiet trailblazing spirit behind it.
Outside duty stations, her life has always celebrated challenges. She is a black-belt martial artist, a triathlete who earned podium recognition at INS Shivaji, a mountaineer who has conquered Himalayan peaks, including the formidable Friendship Peak, a PADI-certified diver, and an ultra-cycling competitor representing Eastern Air Command. These achievements are not hobbies; they are reflections of a life dedicated to pushing limits and inspiring others to embrace strength.
Today, even after her retirement from active service, her mission continues. She trains and motivates youth who dream of joining the armed forces, conducts leadership and resilience programs, and stands as an example that discipline and national pride can build futures. In every workshop she leads and every young aspirant she inspires, one sees her promise to the country living on, not through ranks and badges, but through hearts she shapes and minds she strengthens.
Why Their Stories Matter
The journeys of Trupti Dhodmise and Wing Commander (Retd.) Vaishnavi Tokekar reminds us that leadership is far more than authority or titles. True leadership listens before it speaks, serves before it commands, and sacrifices before it succeeds. Their stories also offer a powerful message to every young person: strength can look gentle, and service can be silent yet powerful. Dreams come alive not just through talent, but through discipline, humility, and perseverance.
A Festival That Celebrates Talent, Commitment, and Contribution
It is fitting that these honours are presented at the Kokan Kala Mahotsav, a cultural celebration rooted in tradition, talent, and the spirit of Konkan. By honouring Youth Icons here, the festival becomes more than an artistic platform; it becomes a stage where ideals of service take centre-stage, reminding attendees that culture is not only in songs, dance, or history, but also in how we shape our society and uplift our people.
A Call to the Youth of India
The recognition of Trupti and Vaishnavi is an invitation to young India. It says:
Walk your path with purpose. Keep your values close and your commitment steady. Let success not be measured only by applause, but by the lives you touch.
Whether you serve through governance, defence, art, science, entrepreneurship, or community work, remember that India grows stronger every time a young person chooses integrity, empathy, and effort.
A Future Built on Purpose
As the Kokan Kala Mahotsav celebrates its Youth Icons, Kokan NGO India reaffirms its commitment to nurturing many more leaders in the years ahead. Each scholarship, each program, each mentoring initiative is a step toward a future where youth do not merely dream, they lead, they serve, and they elevate others along the way.
To every young dreamer reading this, your journey matters. Your effort today is shaping the India of tomorrow. Walk boldly, learn deeply, serve sincerely, and always remember: when you rise for others, you become unstoppable.
