SPEECH BY YARLAGADDA SAI SURYA, VALEDICTORIAN AT THE SINDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 ON SATURDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2021 AT THE CIVIL SERVICE CLUB @ TESSENSOHN

Guest of Honour, Minister Edwin Tong;

 Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam;

 Minister Indranee Rajah;

 SINDA Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Members;

 CEO, SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

 Distinguished Guests, Award Recipients & Family Members;

 Ladies and Gentlemen.

1. A very good morning to everyone seated here and those joining us virtually.

2. My heartfelt congratulations to each and every award recipient today. My name is Sai Surya, and I recently graduated from the National University of Singapore with Double Honours in Mechanical Engineering and Economics with a specialisation in Energy & Sustainability. I am deeply honoured to be selected as the valedictorian this year and humbled to be receiving my third SINDA Excellence Award.

3. Seven years ago, I was in this very auditorium with my friends to collect the SINDA Excellence Awards for my A-levels. I clearly remember stressing out about one thing – not to trip when I walked on stage to collect my award. I stood in line, waiting for my turn, taking a few steps forward every time someone collected their award.

4. When it was finally my turn, I walked confidently but cautiously, trying my best not to trip. When I got to the Guest of Honour, I shook his hands firmly. He said: “Congratulations, well deserved”. And with all the confidence, I said “thank you, same to you!” I’m pretty sure if you see that photo, you’ll see the Guest of Honour’s bemused face and my awkward smile trying to hide from embarrassment.

5. Fast forward 8 years, and I’m back on this stage again, no less nervous than before. I’m sure this is something a lot of us can relate to. Talking to my peers, I realise just how natural it is to feel nervous or be afraid of making mistakes – like when we sit to take our exams, or when we make important decisions such as which course or career path to pursue.

6. On one hand, this feeling helps us to weigh our choices carefully. On another, the fear of failure can prevent us from truly embracing uncertainty and new opportunities which could unlock a journey of discovery and growth. There is indeed a lot of uncertainty around us. On a personal level, most of us are at the stage where we are deciding what we truly want to do with our lives. On a societal level, we see the larger challenges posed by the pandemic and issues such as climate change. As daunting as these things can be, how can we continue to excel in our own fields and still contribute to those around us?

7. Finding out what we are passionate about could be the first step. What is a problem that you find worth solving? For me, my initial years growing up in an environment of electricity and water shortages shaped my passion to make basic resources like energy and water accessible to all. I find myself trying to answer the question: how can we progress towards sustainable and equitable energy transition in the coming years? While it is a huge, complex, and yes, intimidating task, I see it as a problem that I want to play a part in solving. That excites me and gives me a sense of purpose despite the challenges that lie along the way.

8. That is why I chose to pursue a double degree that specialises in sustainability and equip myself with the tools and knowledge to start understanding these issues better. So how about you – what are the issues that make you inspired, worried, frightened, or angry? The issues that make you feel and the issues that move you – those are the ones that are worth solving.

9. I also found that having the mindset to always learn and grow is very helpful. Perhaps, it is the very thing that can help you take that first step to solve the issues you are passionate about. As we stay curious and open to learning, we find out more about the causes we are interested in and start seeing opportunities where we can make a difference.

10. In my undergraduate journey, I realised that there were many other youths − not just in Singapore but around the world and Southeast Asia − who are just as passionate about solving sustainability issues that they see in their communities. At that time, there were not many resources or ecosystems available on a regional level for us to come together, collaborate and implement our ideas to make a difference. This motivated me to start a sustainability incubator called Young Sustainable Impact Southeast Asia (YSI SEA) to bridge that gap, build the capacity of young start-ups and empower youths to tackle the issues in their communities.

11. Since 2017, we have conducted three sustainability incubation programmes and incubated 27 start-ups which are still making a difference in their communities. We have also engaged over 4,000 youths and educators around the region through workshops and events. Being open to change has allowed my team to be flexible and shift our business direction in order for the organisation to evolve as well. We have been receiving around 1000 applications every year but we could only select 25 founders because we wanted to make our programme fully-funded as we did not want their social economic background to be a deterrent for their success

12. When we received that many applications but was only able to select 25, we knew there was room for improvement. So recently, our team decided to move beyond the programme approach to build a digital platform called Interseed.co. This allows us to reach more founders to facilitate sustainable innovations and build the capacity of more talents and the sustainability sector in the region.

13. If you asked me back when I was a university freshman, I would never have imagined to have a start-up incubator or launch a digital platform. And when I decided to do so, things did not simply fall into place either. The road ahead was untravelled, and as with starting something new, there were definitely uncertainties involved in running regional programmes, or pitching to investors and companies for funding. But having a strong sense of purpose, belief and an open mindset to learning, were what led me to look at these challenges as opportunities to make a positive difference.

14. This brings me to the last and perhaps the most important element that can help us embrace uncertainty – the people. Surrounding myself with a community of like-minded friends and team members motivated and empowered me to continue contributing to a larger cause. Even the ones who thought differently, helped to push, and refine my ideas further.

15. I would also like to thank my parents for the unconditional support through this journey. When I told them that I wanted to officially incorporate YSI SEA and Interseed all while still studying, they placed their full trust in me and encouraged me to go with it. There were also many mentors who came forward to help our organisation grow and gain partnerships at the very early stages. These communities are the ones that can really help you strengthen your spirit and resolve to contribute to the society and I hope you too have a community which you can find strength and support from in your journeys.

16. I believe the uncertainties that our generation faces provide us with the greatest of opportunities to make a positive difference. Don’t worry about tripping. Take it one step at a time but take that step. Any challenges along the way are opportunities for us to rise above and continue to push for what we are passionate about.

17. Before I end my speech, I would like to remind my fellow awardees that while we are all champions in our own journeys, we as a collective group play a much bigger role in this world. Let’s encourage one another to continue working towards the betterment of the people and environment around us. Our success today is also a result of the many hands within our wider community, and I hope we too can be a part of enabling others to succeed as well − I thank everyone for this priceless opportunity and I wish you greater achievements in your journey ahead.

Thank you.