Bangalore, Nov. 8, 2024 — The Mentoring Summit India 2024, a major event dedicated to advancing mentoring practices across the nation, is set to take place on November 13 and 14 at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC). This summit celebrates the 15th anniversary of Mentor Together, a Bengaluru-based organization that champions structured youth mentoring in India. With support from LinkedIn, British Asian Trust, BT Group, Brookings Centre for Universal Education, and the Agency Fund, this event aims to enrich and connect India’s mentoring community.
Diverse Sessions and Expert Insights
The two-day summit will feature 24 sessions and host over 70 speakers from various global and regional sectors. The agenda focuses on enhancing mentoring practices by integrating evidence-based and innovative approaches. Key themes include:
- Mentoring and Educational Policy
- Designing High-Quality Mentoring Programmes
- Decoding Global Evidence in Youth Mentorship
- Innovative Mentoring Solutions
According to the summit’s objective, these sessions are designed to establish a robust youth mentoring network in India, promoting models that respond effectively to the nation’s cultural and social context.
The Significance of Mentoring in Adolescence
Arundhuti Gupta, Founder and CEO of Mentor Together, emphasizes the pivotal role mentoring plays, especially during adolescence. “A supportive adult is essential at this stage because young people often cannot navigate challenges alone,” Gupta explains. Research supports that mentorship acts as a catalyst for positive youth development. Recognizing its importance, India’s National Educational Policy 2020 highlights mentoring across educational stages.
Addressing Cultural Gaps in Mentoring Practices
One major challenge noted by Gupta is the reliance on global mentoring models, mainly derived from practices in the U.S. and Europe, where formal mentoring has existed for over a century. These models often lack the nuanced understanding required for culturally specific mentoring needs in India. For instance, while Europe has tailored mentoring programmes for refugee integration, Gupta points out that India’s historical guru-shishya tradition has been more authoritative. Today, she stresses, the need is for mentorship that is facilitative and supportive.
A Call for Evidence-Based, Quality Mentorship
Gupta underscores the necessity of maintaining quality and basing mentorship on solid evidence, noting, “There is increasing awareness of mentoring’s significance, but formal efforts towards quality, evidence-based mentoring remain limited.” The summit aims to shift this perspective by uniting stakeholders across sectors—government, businesses, non-profits, academia, individual mentors, and students—to share insights and collaborate on building structured and effective mentoring frameworks.
Building a Collaborative Mentoring Community
Through the Mentoring Summit India 2024, Mentor Together hopes to create a platform for dialogue and action. By sharing experiences and best practices, participants will be equipped to innovate and adapt mentoring programmes that resonate with India’s unique socio-cultural landscape. The event represents a step forward in ensuring that mentoring is not just widespread but impactful and well-structured, capable of shaping confident and capable future leaders.
Conclusion
As India progresses in integrating mentorship into educational and professional pathways, the Mentoring Summit India 2024 stands as an essential convening. It marks a significant push towards refining the quality of mentorship and adapting it to the country’s diverse needs. With stakeholders ready to collaborate and build on existing knowledge, this summit is poised to set a new benchmark for youth mentoring practices in India.
