News18 Network & BYJU’S announce the launch of ‘Young Genius’

As a part of ‘Young Genius’, an initiative for showcasing, recognizing and inspiring young geniuses in different fields across the country, News18 Network and BYJU’S today announced the launch date of the show – 16^th January 2021. ‘Young Genius’ kick-started on Children’s Day with a “Call for entry” promotional campaign. The final selected young geniuses will be featured in an 11 part weekly show. Each episode will feature child prodigies from across different fields such as academics, performing arts, technology, and sports. These prodigies are scouted and selected through a robust process involving an eminent jury headed by Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, Padma Bhushan Dr Mallika Sarabhai, Sardar Singh, former Indian Hockey Captain and Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18.  

To mark the launch of the show, a riveting anthem ‘Umar Choti, Kaam Bade’ composed and sung by Salim-Sulaiman and written by Shraddha Pandit is being released on TV, Digital and Radio. The anthem produced by Story Yarn Films, is a tribute to child prodigies, and celebrates the creativity & innovation in every child. 

Commenting on joining hands with Young Genius, Salim Merchant, the Eminent Music Composer said, “We are very fortunate to have got the opportunity to compose music for Young Genius – an incredible show and beautiful movement that empowers children, especially those who have exceptional talent that has been discovered and nurtured at a young age. I am glad that News18 Network & BYJU’S are encouraging something that will contribute to our country and society in a very unique way. Edu-tainment has emerged as such a promising space and both Sulaiman & I are indeed privileged to contribute to this. It has been a learning experience for us too, and we wish all the children and the show a fabulous start and many more seasons of celebration and inspiration.” 

Many notable public figures and celebrities have lent support to the initiative and encourage these child prodigies. Leander Paes, Dutee Chand, Shankar Mahadevan, Rajkumar Rao, PV Sindhu, Sonu Sood, Soha Ali Khan and Virender Sehwag are a few among many who will be seen in the episodes cheering these remarkable children.

Explaining the format of the show, Mayank Jain, CEO – Hindi News, News18 Network said, “This is a pioneering new show, and we are privileged to showcase & celebrate child prodigies in our country. Families will be able to come together to watch this lovely show, which will inspire everyone through the stories of these exceptional children. It will be telecast on News18 Network on an unprecedented scale with twenty-one child prodigies being featured in eleven episodes from 16^th January to 27^th March on 18 of our channels such as News18 India, CNN News18, News18 Lokmat, News18 Bangla, News18 Tamil etc. As the largest news network in the country with a reach of 70 crores on TV and 20 crores on Digital, we are looking forward to BYJU’S Young Genius emerging as a unique movement celebrating the future of India.”

Speaking on the anthem launch, Atit Mehta, VP - Marketing, BYJU’S said, “Every child is unique and has their own way of showcasing their talents. BYJU’S ‘Young Genius’ aims to be a national platform that showcases extraordinary children who have excelled in fields of their choosing - in turn inspiring children across India to pursue their passion and strive for excellence. I believe this campaign will further motivate them to keep pursuing their passion and strive for excellence. We hope to keep recognising more hidden talent our country has to offer and encourage them to chart their own growth journeys.”

To stay updated about the campaign, follow #BYJUSYoungGenius or log onto:

https://www.news18.com/younggenius/

 The show will be on-air on 18 channels of News18 Network every Saturday evening starting 16^th January 2021, and repeated on Sunday morning / afternoon.