Stay Curious
The best questions often lead to the most meaningful discoveries.
Grade 12 · JNIS Mumbai
Agastya Desai
I am
I don't think of myself as someone who loves computers. I think of myself as someone who loves building things — technology that creates belonging, not just capability.
Regeneron ISEF Finalist · Team India
IRIS National Gold Medal
Regeneron ISEF Finalist · Team India
IRIS National Fair — Gold Medal
Sanjay Palsamudram Special Award
Independent Research · Dr. Robert Chun
Published Research · IJISRT
AMC 10 — First Place
HKIMO Gold & Silver
CREST Gold Award
Recognition
Built on evidence.
About
Quiet by nature.
Curious by instinct.
Hi, I'm Agastya. I love building things — apps, research, LEGO, or a recipe with my father. Different projects, same curiosity. That curiosity became UnBurden, an AI-powered app to support children experiencing bullying. Meaningful innovation always begins by listening to people.
My Guiding Beliefs
Building technology. Building belonging.
The principles that shape how I learn, build, and show up for people.
People Before Technology
Technology should solve real human problems, not simply showcase technical ability.
Keep Building
Every project — code, research, LEGO, or a recipe — gets better through iteration.
Create Belonging
The communities we build are often more important than the products we create.
Never Stop Learning
Every conversation, every experiment, and every challenge teaches something new.
Intellectual Journey
Six pillars of the path
Research, innovation, and impact — the academic arc behind the work. Hover to explore.
Pillar 01 · Research
Independent research under Dr. Robert Chun
Independent research on artificial intelligence and AI chatbots under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Chun, PhD (UCLA) — analysing literature on advancements, applications, and ethics. My cyberbullying-detection paper was published in IJISRT.
Dr. Robert Chun
Published Paper
AI Research
View publication
Pillar 02 · Innovation
Unburden
A personal question — could technology support children experiencing bullying? — became a platform that won Gold in Behavioural & Social Sciences at the IRIS National Fair and reached the Regeneron ISEF 2026 finals.
IRIS Gold Medal
ISEF Finalist
Special Award
Explore Unburden
Summer Program · 2024
LaunchX
Idea → venture
Pillar 03 · Entrepreneurship
Building ventures, not just ideas
At LaunchX I learned how ideas evolve into real-world ventures — problem identification, customer discovery, product development, teamwork, and iteration. A strong idea isn't enough; you have to test assumptions and respond to feedback.
Customer Discovery
Product Development
Iteration
Learn more
Pillar 04 · Technology & AI
Computational thinking
At Ashoka University I explored technology, data, and computer science — computational thinking and using data to ask better questions. At Yale Young Global Scholars, the Innovations in Science & Technology program connected discovery to real-world challenges.
Ashoka University
Yale YGS
Data & CS
View programs
Pillar 05 · Advocacy & Outreach
Listening to children
The most important stage was moving beyond my assumptions and listening. Unburden was tested with children at Shikshantar NGO; educators described it as age-appropriate, ethically designed, and aligned with children's emotional needs.
Shikshantar NGO
Field Workshops
Anti-Bullying Campaign
Advocacy & impact
The question that drives me
"Does this actually help someone?"
Pillar 06 · Looking Ahead
Where I'm headed
I'm curious about human-centered AI, education, HCI, trustworthy AI, behavioral science, psychology, and design — technology that becomes more empathetic, trustworthy, and accessible.
Human-Centered AI
HCI
Education
Trustworthy AI
Psychology
Design
Full journey
Selected Work
Dive into my work
01 / 04
Innovation · IRIS · ISEF
Unburden
A child-focused anti-bullying platform for awareness, reflection, emotional resilience, and recovery — Gold at IRIS and a Regeneron ISEF 2026 Finalist.
View projectPeer-Reviewed Research
AI for Cyberbullying Detection
Independent research on whether machine learning can help identify harmful online interactions — published in the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology.
Read publication
Entrepreneurship
Venture Building
LaunchX
Explored how ideas become real ventures — problem identification, customer discovery, product development, teamwork, and iteration under real entrepreneurial constraints.
Learn moreAI & Data Analytics
CEO Dashboard Project
Summer internship at Exponentia.ai — working with the CEO on a dashboard project. The hardest analytics work happens before the chart: collecting, cleaning, and organising data so decisions can trust it.
View internshipBeyond the Classroom
Not everything begins with a computer.
Mathematics
Competitions & olympiads
AMC 10 First Place · HKIMO Gold & Silver · AIMO Bronze Honor
Football
Team sport
Inter MQ Champions · Mumbai City FC Academy · U16 Runners-Up
Cooking
Food with Dad
Recipes, iteration, and evenings in the kitchen
Rock & Pop Guitar
Music
Trinity College London — Distinction · October 2019
Cubing
Patterns & speed
National Cube Championship · Indian Cube Association (2019)
LEGO
Building by hand
Spatial reasoning, sequencing, and early STEM through complex builds
Let's build something meaningful
I believe the best technology begins with understanding people.
Open to conversations about research, HCI, digital well-being, and building technology with purpose.