Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026: Full List of Honourees

Twenty people under 40, from Olympic podiums and film sets to hospital wards, research labs and weaving workshops, all connected by one city. Here is the full list.

Every city has people who are easy to spot and people who quietly show up for others. Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026 is our selection of 20 people under 40 who are making their mark in the city and beyond.

From Olympic podiums and film sets to hospital wards, research labs and weaving workshops, their work tells a story of Banaras today. It is a city of entrepreneurs, artists, doctors, researchers, creators and people who quietly show up for others.

Some have returned home to build something of their own. Some are carrying a family legacy forward. Others have taken their talent to national and international stages. Varanasi is the connection that brings these journeys together.

The list first appeared on our Instagram page, @dalimss.news.banaras, on 30 September 2026. This is the full version, with all 20 honourees in one place.

Disclaimer: The list was made after our internal survey. Dalimss News has not accepted any financial compensation for this list and never will.

The 20

1. Lalit Upadhyay

Honouree card for Lalit Upadhyay, showing a smiling man in an India team jacket holding a bronze medal and a bunch of sunflowers on a blue hockey pitch, with his name and a short bio below. — Lalit Upadhyay, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Lalit Upadhyay, Two-time Olympic hockey medallist. A forward from Shivpur, Lalit Upadhyay won bronze with India at Tokyo 2020, ending a long wait for the city after Mohammed Shahid, and took bronze again at Paris 2024. He played 183 matches for India, scored 67 goals and received the Arjuna Award in 2021. From the lanes of Kashi to two Olympic podiums, he carried Varanasi onto the world pitch.

2. Tridev Pandey

Honouree card for Tridev Pandey, showing two men in a boxing gym with ring ropes and green hanging lamps behind them, one in a track jacket and one shirtless with taped hands, with his name and bio below. — Tridev Pandey, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Tridev Pandey, Celebrity fitness trainer. Born in Varanasi, Tridev Pandey has become one of Bollywood's most trusted celebrity fitness trainers. He coached Kartik Aaryan's transformation for Chandu Champion, training him as a real boxer so that no body double was needed. His film work began with Sanya Malhotra on Pataakha, and his clients since include Rajkummar Rao, Vikrant Massey, Gauhar Khan, Patralekhaa, Wamiqa Gabbi and Mallika Dua.

3. Dr Aditya Kumar Padhi

Honouree card for Dr Aditya Kumar Padhi, showing a man with glasses in a striped shirt seated in an office with a screen of a colourful protein model behind him, with his name and bio below. — Dr Aditya Kumar Padhi, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Dr Aditya Kumar Padhi, Assistant Professor, School of Biochemical Engineering, IIT (BHU) Varanasi. Dr Aditya Kumar Padhi is a Young Associate of the Indian National Science Academy for 2026. He was the only researcher selected nationally that year in biomolecular, structural biology and drug discovery, and the sole awardee from his institute. His research joins computational biology, AI-driven therapeutic discovery and molecular simulations to take on problems such as viral evolution and antimicrobial resistance.

4. Shimona Agrawal

Honouree card for Shimona Agrawal, showing a woman in a dusty pink shirt and trousers holding a dark clutch bag between two large flower arrangements, with her name, title and bio below. — Shimona Agrawal, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Shimona Agrawal, Fashion designer. Shimona Agrawal reworks handwoven Banarasi silk into contemporary womenswear. An INIFD GenNext 2024 winner, she debuted her label HUE at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI, and it retails at Ogaan. She has also been featured among emerging designers in national fashion media.

5. Jawahar Sehgal

Honouree card for Jawahar Sehgal, showing a man in red-tinted sunglasses and a checked waistcoat standing before a stone building with arched windows, with his name, title and bio below. — Jawahar Sehgal, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Jawahar Sehgal, Filmmaker and Founder, JS Motion Pictures. Jawahar Sehgal directed Cursed Katta, shot in Varanasi, and line-produced the 2024 theatrical drama Aayushmati Geeta Matric Pass, which later moved to streaming. His work moves between Kashi, Delhi and Mumbai.

6. Dr Akash Rai

Honouree card for Dr Akash Rai, showing a smiling man with a short beard in a white shirt against a softly blurred indoor background, with his name and institution below. — Dr Akash Rai, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Dr Akash Rai, Heritage Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS). Dr Akash Rai is a young second-generation doctor at the Heritage Institute of Medical Sciences. Medical research is what he has devoted his life to.

7. Aishwarya Seth

Honouree card for Aishwarya Seth, showing a woman sitting cross-legged on a patterned rug in a tan top and beaded necklace, with a geometric wall and a pink yoga mat behind her, and her name and bio below. — Aishwarya Seth, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Aishwarya Seth, Co-founder, Run Banaras. Aishwarya Seth co-founded Run Banaras, the community that put organised running on the city's map. She is largely credited with bringing running culture to Varanasi, turning early-morning miles from a private habit into a shared ritual. Through group runs and a growing pack of local runners, she made the lanes of Kashi a place people lace up for, not only walk through.

8. Ayush Agrawal

Honouree card for Ayush Agrawal, showing a man in a light blue shirt and glasses standing between two women inside a large warehouse with stacks of white bags, with his name, title and bio below. — Ayush Agrawal, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Ayush Agrawal, Executive Director, Mithila Group of Industries. Mithila Group of Industries is the Varanasi house that makes industrial packaging for the world. A government-recognised Star Export House, it produces FIBC jumbo bags and PP woven sacks from Ramnagar and supplies construction, agriculture, mining and chemicals across some 25 countries. Ayush Agrawal holds the growth and export brief of a family firm that began in the 1990s.

9. Rudra Shankar Mishra

Honouree card for Rudra Shankar Mishra, showing a Kathak dancer in a blue embroidered kurta and red silk with a gold border, mid-pose against an olive green background, with his name, title and bio below. — Rudra Shankar Mishra, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Rudra Shankar Mishra, Banaras Gharana Kathak dancer. Trained from childhood by his father Pandit Mata Prasad Mishra and uncle Pandit Ravi Shankar Mishra, Rudra Shankar Mishra is a torchbearer of Varanasi's classical lineage. He is an Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee and a graded artist of the national broadcaster, and has performed in India, Europe and Japan, including at the Kashi Vishwanath inauguration. He also co-founded Nrityaang Kathak Foundation to keep Banaras Kathak alive in the city that made it.

10. Nandini Thukral

Honouree card for Nandini Thukral, showing a smiling woman with long reddish-brown hair in a white shirt and jeans in front of green foliage, with her name, title and bio on the left. — Nandini Thukral, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Nandini Thukral, Makeup artist. Working from Chetganj since 2015, Nandini Thukral built Makeovers by Nandini Thukral into the city's most booked bridal studio, offering airbrush and HD looks, luxury brands and venue travel. She holds a 4.9 rating from more than 230 client reviews and a Users' Choice Award. For celebrity-level work without leaving Kashi, hers is the name Varanasi reaches for.

11. Dr Divyank Pathak

Honouree card for Dr Divyank Pathak, showing a bearded man in a white coat, blue shirt and tie with a stethoscope around his neck against a plain grey background, with his name, title and bio below. — Dr Divyank Pathak, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Dr Divyank Pathak, Director, Vatsalya Super Speciality Children Hospital. Dr Divyank Pathak is the paediatrician Banaras sends its children to. He trained in critical care and allergy-asthma at Sir Ganga Ram and Medanta, then brought that metro-level skill home to Varanasi. His work covers NICU, paediatric ICU, bronchoscopy and immunotherapy.

12. Jatin Peshwani

Honouree card for Jatin Peshwani, showing a smiling bearded man in a denim apron with arms crossed, leaning on a brick wall in a coffee shop with jars of coffee beans behind him, with his name, title and bio below. — Jatin Peshwani, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Jatin Peshwani, Founder, Svas. After more than six years in brand and SaaS marketing, Jatin Peshwani returned home in 2025 and built Svas in Mahmoorganj. It is a refined coffee house with specialty brews, ceremonial-grade matcha, artisan desserts and a members-first space made for conversation rather than a rush. He is the man who introduced specialty coffee culture to Varanasi, a city defined by chai.

13. Amrit Shah

Honouree card for Amrit Shah, showing a bearded man in a white shirt and cream waistcoat with his hands joined in greeting, in front of a softly lit hall with a chandelier, with his name, title and bio below. — Amrit Shah, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Amrit Shah, Co-founder, Shanti Banaras. A third-generation weaver's son from Varanasi, Amrit Shah built the Shanti Banaras retail label in 2019 from a family trade of more than seventy years. The brand is known for real zari and handloom work with Banaras weavers and has stores in Varanasi, Delhi and Mumbai. Its creations have been worn by Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan, Sobhita Dhulipala, Dia Mirza and Rashmika Mandanna.

14. Shreshth Agrawal

Honouree card for Shreshth Agrawal, showing a man in glasses, a navy suit and tie sitting at a white desk with his hands clasped in a bright office, with his name, company and bio below. — Shreshth Agrawal, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Shreshth Agrawal, Second-generation leader, Rudra Real Estate. Shreshth Agrawal leads the next generation at Rudra Real Estate, headquartered in Varanasi, the house that made organised housing a Banaras name. The ISO-certified group, with CREDAI and IGBC affiliations, has apartments and villas across Kashi, Prayagraj, Kanpur and Lucknow.

15. Abhinav Yadav

Honouree card for Abhinav Yadav, showing a bearded man in glasses and a tan blazer holding a clear award in front of an event backdrop, with his name, title and bio below. — Abhinav Yadav, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Abhinav Yadav, DIY and home décor creator. Abhinav Yadav is the Varanasi creator behind Create Your Taste, a DIY and home décor handle with well over 2 million Instagram followers. He began in lockdown with plants and makeovers, then built a store that takes Banaras artisans from workshop to home. Featured in national media and by a leading paint brand, he is the city's face of scrap into style.

16. Bismanjit Singh Sabharwal

Honouree card for Bismanjit Singh Sabharwal, showing a bearded man in a white turban and dark green polo shirt seated at a table outdoors at night beside a pool, with his name, title and bio below. — Bismanjit Singh Sabharwal, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Bismanjit Singh Sabharwal, Founding Partner, SYN Law. Practising since 2017, Bismanjit Singh Sabharwal co-founded SYN Law in 2025. He advises companies and startups on corporate law, commercial contracts, data privacy and arbitration. His focus is building legal and privacy frameworks as India's DPDP regime and AI tools reshape business.

17. Dr Namrata Ray Ohri

Honouree card for Dr Namrata Ray Ohri, showing a woman with glasses in a white doctor's coat over a navy turtleneck with a stethoscope and her arms crossed, with her name, hospital and bio below. — Dr Namrata Ray Ohri, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Dr Namrata Ray Ohri, Gynaecologist and IVF consultant, New Life Hospital, Varanasi. Dr Namrata Ray Ohri is a gynaecologist, obstetrician and IVF consultant, trained in obstetrics, gynaecology and clinical embryology. She works in women's health, pregnancy care and fertility support, including IVF and related treatments. She has convened ISAR workshops in the city and presented at national forums.

18. Raghav Agrawal

Honouree card for Raghav Agrawal, showing a smiling man with a short beard, sunglasses and a checked shirt leaning on a green railing with hills behind him, with his name, store and bio below. — Raghav Agrawal, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Raghav Agrawal, Kanhaiya Swarn Kala Kendra. Raghav Agrawal is a young leader at Kanhaiya Swarn Kala Kendra, one of Varanasi's oldest jewellery stores. He has transformed it into a modern jewellery house.

19. Aman Kabir

Honouree card for Aman Kabir, showing a bearded man with a yellow tilak on his forehead in a dark patterned shirt, with a golden circular carving behind him, and his name and bio below. — Aman Kabir, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Aman Kabir, Social worker, Aman Kabir Seva Nyas. Born Aman Yadav of Daranagar, Aman Kabir is Varanasi's social worker for those left without a name. He has spent years on last rites for the unclaimed, hospital runs on a bike ambulance, and sending lost pilgrims home. Through Aman Kabir Seva Nyas and his one-rupee drive, Kashi calls him when family and official help both fall short.

20. Esha Tiwari

Honouree card for Esha Tiwari, showing a woman in a silver one-shoulder gown with a flower in her braid holding an open carved wooden box with four small perfume bottles, in a room with a green wall, with her name and bio below. — Esha Tiwari, Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026.

Esha Tiwari, Founder, Kastoor. The Banaras-born founder of Kastoor, a plant-based house of modern ittars, Esha Tiwari grew up among her mother's bottles and the perfume workshops of Uttar Pradesh. She left a career in advertising to bring Indian distillation to a contemporary nose, and she has been named in 30 Under 30 lists and featured in national media. She works with Kannauj artisans and has bottled collections such as The Air of Banaras. Kastoor is her gift back to the city that first taught her scent.

A closing note

Twenty names cannot cover a city as large as Banaras, and we know it. This is one selection, made after our own survey. If you know someone under 40 whose story belongs in a future list, tell us on Instagram at @dalimss.news.banaras.

Congratulations to all 20.

Dalimss 20 Under 40 Varanasi 2026: Meet the 20 Young Achievers Making Their Mark on Banaras