What did changemakers do in 2025 to make the world a better place? What can we expect in 2026?

Food. Fashion. Books. Movies. Everybody has their own trends for 2025. Why not the trends of changemaking and changemakers who are tackling the biggest issues that the world is facing today? They are striving hard to make the world more livable, equitable and enjoyable for everyone.

Children, classrooms and young people - the theme that dominates

Social entrepreneur Kruti Bharucha is focused on transforming how students participate in the classroom, making it more active and engaging. She is redefining the role of teachers, equipping them with newer methods and tools to make the classroom more participatory and exciting. Another changemaker, Sandeep Rai is tying education tightly to local communities and their lived experiences. From Kanpur Dehat in UP to Kathiawada in MP, from Bangalore to Nashik, Sandeep is ensuring the learning is rooted in the local context, making it relatable and practical for children to learn.

The focus on children and education continues to be a top theme for those wanting to make a difference. But further along the curve, the future of young people also took center stage in 2025. Mekin Maheshwari and the team at the organization Udhyam that he founded are working with school systems across the country to make sure the entrepreneurial spirit of these young people is unleashed. Mekin wants to make the young people think of themselves as potential job creators and not just job seekers. As the working age population peaks in the next couple of decades, this approach becomes increasingly important to ensure the youth come out of academic settings with a better mindset and skillsets.

The sustainability mantra

Changemaking and sustainability go hand in hand. Changemakers are striving to make human lives sustainable. At the same time, they want to ensure that the planet and its resources are sustainable. Air, water, biodiversity have become hot topics and will gain more credence and importance in the coming year.

We saw how clean air became a topic of national debate towards the end of 2025. Weather is no longer a boring topic and filler for dinner chitchat. People mention AQI in their city in the first five minutes of the conversation. The vision of Har Ghar Jal is becoming a reality in remote corners of the country - yet the last mile connectivity is something to be addressed. Water quality issues are to be monitored, which directly affects the health of the community. Women entrepreneurs and self-help groups who operate water stations across Telangana symbolize the thirst for quality water at global standards.

Researchers and experts like Dr. Girija Bharat are holding a mirror to the world by diving into the world of contaminants and hazardous waste that affect our daily lives. Through in-depth research and knowledge-sharing they alert citizens to threats that can go unnoticed and can otherwise pose a threat to individual and collective health and well-being. As our worlds are invaded by more chemicals and pollutants this work is all the more critical in the near and distant future. Climate change is affecting weather patterns. Farmers are finding it hard to stick to their agri-routines. This will affect food production and in turn food security. Climate, agriculture and farmers' wellbeing is expected to be a hot topic too in the coming year.

Wealth gap and addressing inequities

The paradox of millions lifted out of poverty yet extreme concentration of wealth within a tiny percentage of the population cannot go unnoticed. The wealth and opportunity gap manifests and gets amplified in a variety of ways. It could be access to top colleges, the gender disparity or the widening urban-rural divide and so on. Akshay Saxena, Co-Founder of Avanti Fellows, is one such leading changemaker who is showing that given the right opportunity any young person regardless of their economic status can realize their dreams. There are many more changemakers like Akshay, across the country who are trying to level the playing field.

Ultimately all these changemakers are trying to better the human condition and enabling every individual to achieve his or her full potential. That story will go on year after year!

Venkatesh Raghavendra is a global social entrepreneur and philanthropy advisor.