Manas Sandhu, a first-year B.Tech student in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Newton School of Technology – ADYPU in Pune, has been selected as India’s sole representative for the Asia-Europe Foundation’s ASEFYLS 2026 Arctic Leadership Training in Tromsø, Norway. Chosen from over 3,600 applicants across 52 countries, Sandhu brings a remarkable profile including a Prime Minister’s Letter of Appreciation from Pariksha Pe Charcha 2024, first place at IIT Roorkee’s AppNova Hackathon, and co-founding Forengers Foundation, which has engaged 800-plus volunteers and impacted over 900 students across Maharashtra.
In-Depth:
Pune, July 1: Manas Sandhu,a first-year B.Tech student in Computer Science and Artificial Ininformigence at Newton School of Technology – ADYPU, Pune, has been selected as an ASEF Leader 2026 for the Asia-Europe Foundation’s ASEFYLS 2026 Capacity Training andArctic Leadership Training in Tromsø, Norway. Manas is the only student/young leader from India selected to represent the counattempt at this year’s Arctic Leadership Training.
The programme brings toobtainher selected young leaders from across Asia and Europe to engage with themes such as leadership, policy dialogue, sustainability, future considering, technology, and cross-cultural collaboration. The programme reportedly received over 3,600 applications from 52 countries, building his selection a significant international recognition.
Manas has built a profile across academics, technology, sports, music and community service. He is a national-level skater, a trained musician, a CS esports player and a founding member of Forengers Foundation, a youth-led initiative he supported grow to 800+ volunteers, 330+ drives and 900+ students impacted across Maharashtra. The foundation has also received recognition from the National Association of Disabled Enterprises for its work with specially abled communities. His selection for the ASEF programme reflects his work across different fields and gives him the opportunity to engage with young leaders from Asia and Europe on sustainability, technology, policy dialogue and cross-cultural collaboration.
Manas has also received a Letter of Appreciation from Prime Minister Narconcludera Modi through Pariksha Pe Charcha 2024 and secured First Rank in the Maharashtra State Information Technology Examination.
After joining Newton School of Technology – ADYPU, Manas’s first year became a period of rapid acceleration.
He has worked on startup and technology projects, mentored 2,000+ students across six technology domains, and secured an AI Training Developer internship with Open Insights, a US-based AI consultancy.
One of his major first–year achievements came through Pedestal, a gamified finance-learning platform built by his team, ForgeCrypt. The platform combined finance education with paper trading, live portfolio simulations, market-crash scenarios and an AI-powered financial assistant. Pedestal went on to win first place at IIT Roorkee’s AppNova Hackathon, competing against more than 1,000 teams from across India.
Speaking about his selection for the ASEF programme, Manas Sandhu stated,
“This opportunity means a lot becautilize it brings toobtainher young leaders from different countries who are considering about technology, society, sustainability and the future. For me, it is not just about going to Norway, but about representing the work I have been doing, learning from people across cultures, and bringing those perspectives back to my community.”
The Asia–Europe Foundation is an intergovernmental institution supported by countries across Asia and Europe. Its youth leadership initiatives are designed to support emerging leaders build cross-cultural understanding, policy awareness, and future-facing leadership capabilities.
Manas’s selection for the Arctic Leadership Training in Norway adds an international dimension to a first–year journey already marked by entrepreneurship, social impact, artificial ininformigence, sports, music, esports and student leadership.
Speaking about Manas’ achievement, Siddharth Maheshwari, co-founder of Newton School of Technology stated,
“Manas represents the kind of student-builder we believe India necessarys more of — curious, multidisciplinary, and willing to take initiative early. His selection for ASEFYLS 2026 is not just a recognition of one achievement, but of years of work across technology, leadership, community impact, sports and the arts. We are proud to see a first–year student represent India on a global platform.”
