Bihar’s Sharad Sagar named “2024 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum” — first from Bihar and youngest from India

Patna – Noted social entrepreneur and Indian youth icon from Bihar Sharad Vivek Sagar has been named “2024 Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, known for the coveted Davos Summit. In January 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the historic inaugural address at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Sagar has made history by becoming the youngest from India and the first ever from Bihar to be chosen as the Young Global Leader of WEF. The official announcement was made by the World Economic Forum on Thursday, April 4.

Born in Zeradei, Siwan and raised in small towns and villages of Bihar, Sagar was only 16 when he founded the national organization Dexterity Global in 2008. Today, young leaders trained in the Dexterity system have received over ₹175 crores in scholarships from top universities across the world, served as India’s youth ambassadors to the UN and won 1,000+ national and international awards. Dexterity Global is headquartered in Patna, Bihar.

In 2016, Sagar was in national and global news when he became the only Indian to be invited by US President Barack Obama to the White House for a special gathering of young leaders. Later that year, the Nobel Peace Center invited Sagar to the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. Sagar remains one of the youngest and most-invited experts on India’s most watched TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati. At the age of 24, Sagar was listed on the global Forbes 30 Under 30 list as the first ever from Bihar. In 2021, Sagar became the first Indian in history to be elected President of the Student Government at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As the Young Global Leader 2024 of the World Economic Forum, Sagar joins a historic league of the world’s most powerful political and business leaders which include several current and former Prime Ministers and Presidents, Nobel laureates, Fortune 500 CEOs and billionaires. Past Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum include current French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Russian President Vladimir Putin, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and other influential global leaders including the founders of Google, Facebook and Alibaba.

On this historic announcement, Sagar tweeted, “INCREDIBLE MOMENT! I am deeply honoured to be named “Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum 2024.” Humbled to join Prime Ministers, Presidents, Nobel Laureates, TIME 100 and Fortune 500 leaders as the 2024 honoree, the first ever from Bihar and the youngest from India.”

As the 2024 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, Sagar will join the Welcome Retreat of the Young Global Leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland from May 6-8, 2024. Starting this year, Sagar will have the opportunity to join the prestigious Davos Summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in January every year.

More on Sharad Sagar

Sagar is globally renowned social entrepreneur, noted thought leader, powerful orator and a widely followed youth icon from Bihar. In 2022, Dainik Jagran bestowed upon Sagar the Editor’s Choice Award for India’s Youth Icon, recognizing him for redefining education and leadership for millions of young Indians. In 2023, Femina listed Sharad Sagar among 60 of India’s most admired men. In 2024, Sagar became one of the youngest in the world to receive an honorary doctorate “for his outstanding contributions and attainments in the field of social entrepreneurship and leadership.”

Besides his organizational leadership, Sagar is regarded as a firebrand public speaker in English and Hindi and delivers over 250 major public speeches across 20+ states in an average year. He is frequently invited by eminent institutions in India and around the world to deliver guest lectures on education, leadership, entrepreneurship and nation-building. After a stirring speech at Vivekananda Memorial Hall in Vadodara, a leading Indian media house called Sagar, “the Vivekananda of 21st Century.”