The Founder of Project Kahaani is Aaditya Sengupta Dhar, a Mumbai-based teenager, author, and aspiring changemaker.

Aaditya’s first ‘book’ was a handwritten, stapled encyclopedia of ancient civilizations he wrote when he was eight, and seeing it displayed in the school library motivated him to keep writing. He wrote his first fantasy novel Secret Tails (2018) when he was ten. His next novel, Legend of the Broken Blade (2022), was acclaimed as one of the ‘Top 15 must-read books of 2023’ by The Morning Standard. 

Aaditya aspires to use his writing and storytelling skills to make a positive difference. His 2020 eBook, Underdogs, raised awareness of the importance of helping underprivileged children unleash their potential, with sales proceeds donated to Save The Children India. His 2021 book, Back from the Brink, was based on research funded by a micro-grant he won from MIT Solv[ED] and highlighted the issue of urban animal extinction and how we can make a difference through simple, everyday steps. He sharpened his understanding of the SDGs and community impact through an internship at UNICEF. His book The Teen’s Guide to Saving the World (2023), inspires teens to create a positive impact in their communities and won Silver at the Non-Fiction Book Awards in the US, Silver at the Readers' Favorite Awards, and was a Top 3 Finalist at the Teen Readers Choice Awards in the US. 

Aaditya combined his passion for writing, history, and mythology to write his latest novel Kaalchakra (2024), an Amazon bestseller, which aims to make modern Indian youth feel that while we live in a globalized world, we should take pride in our cultural roots and heritage. A short story on this theme won a Gold Finalist Award at the prestigious Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition in 2023, and his essay on civilizational collapse won a High Commendation at the prestigious John Locke Essay Contest.

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His passion for connecting what we can learn from our past to create a better future led him to explore the linkages between ancient Indian history and philosophy and the modern economy through his Vedanomics column on BWBusinessworld and Vedanomics Podcast on Spotify.

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Aaditya also interns as Commissioning Editor at Fair Observer, a leading US-based citizen journalism outlet, curating and creating content related to South Asian History and Politics.

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When he’s not writing, Aaditya can be found working hard on his schoolwork, following Cricket with a passion, and practicing Karate, in which he holds a black belt. 

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For his efforts in making a positive impact through his writing, Aaditya was conferred with the Young Achievers' Award in 2024, a national recognition for young changemakers in India.