Our Story — Young-Scientist.in

Chapter 1 · 2015

Why We Started

In the last hundred years, India has suffered a serious decline in its contribution to pure science. Indian scientists who once won world renown are becoming historical figures, and no major indigenous invention has emerged in generations.

We believe the problem starts in school. The emphasis on rote learning and adoption of foreign technologies has crowded out the curiosity and experimentation that science requires.

Young-Scientist.in was founded in July 2015 with a single vision: to create a scientific ecosystem in India — one that rekindles the imagination and curiosity in younger generations, and reinvents their passion for science learning and research.

"YOUNG SCIENTIST is striving to nurture a generation of scientifically thinking moral individuals."

— Young-Scientist.in founding philosophy

Chapter 2 · 2015–2021

Six Years of Building

Over six years we built a comprehensive science enrichment ecosystem across Chennai and beyond. Here's what that looked like in practice.

1

Science Workshops & Clubs

We ran weekly science clubs in residential communities and schools — the Dr Kalam Club (ages 8–11), Faraday Club and Edison Club. Hundreds of theme-based workshops covering electricity, electrostatics, basic circuits, robotics, chemistry and more.

2

Corporate & Community Events

We delivered science shows, fairs and activity booths for corporate CSR events, school annual days and birthday parties. Our visual learning methodology made complex science accessible and unforgettable for kids of all ages.

3

Rural & NGO Partnerships

As a social impact enterprise, we partnered with NGOs and corporates to bring science education to underprivileged children who would otherwise never experience hands-on science. Science clubs, experiment kits and lab design — taken to communities that needed them most.

4

Certification Courses & Virtual School

We launched structured certification courses — Astrophysics, Electronics, Python, C Programming, Arduino, Android App Development — and a YS Virtual School with on-demand content for self-paced learners.

5

SCOUBI Curriculum & Lab Design

We developed SCOUBI — our proprietary early childhood science literacy curriculum — and designed the YS Exploration Studio model for school science labs, combining visual learning with hands-on experimentation.

Chapter 3 · 2020–2022

COVID Changed Everything

Like thousands of small education and enrichment businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Young-Scientist to pause all in-person activities. With schools closed, communities locked down and parents stretched thin, the pipeline disappeared overnight.

Our team — who had poured years of passion into building this — had to move on and find other livelihoods. Many have since relocated to different cities and countries.

It was a painful period. But we made the deliberate choice not to wind down — because we believed the vision was too important to abandon.

What Survived

The brand and all intellectual property
The SCOUBI curriculum and course content
400+ experiment and course videos on YouTube
Science lab equipment and kits inventory
7 years of expertise and methodology
The founder's vision and commitment

Chapter 4 · 2023 – Present

Proof We Can Restart

In 2023, we successfully delivered a full corporate science event — demonstrating that the capability, content and quality that made Young-Scientist known is still intact and deliverable.

We are not winding down. We are actively looking for the right partners — a corporate looking for a CSR science partner, a co-founder who shares the vision, an investor, or someone who wants to acquire and take this brand to the next level.

The science education gap in India is bigger than ever. The timing for a high-quality, hands-on science enrichment platform has never been better. Young-Scientist.in is ready.

Corporate & CSR Events

We can be engaged right now for corporate science events. No minimum scale required to restart.

Partnership for Revival

Looking for a co-founder or investor who can help bring the team back and restart full operations.

Acquisition or Licensing

Open to someone acquiring the brand, content and inventory to carry this mission forward independently.

See Partnership Options Get in Touch

The People Behind It

Meet the Founder

Sami Balasundaram

Founder & Director

Young-Scientist.in (functioned as JEUNE Scientist Private Limited · Chennai, India) · Est. 2015

Sami holds a Post Graduate degree in Chemistry from Madras Christian College (1996) and spent over two decades in the IT industry — including 10 years living and working in the United States, where he regularly volunteered at school science clubs and science exhibitions. Witnessing first-hand how hands-on science education transformed children's curiosity in the US left a deep impression on him.

Returning to India with a growing frustration at the rote-learning culture in schools, Sami founded Young-Scientist.in in July 2015. He personally designed the curriculum frameworks, cocreated early childhood science literacy program, created science kit products, built the YS Virtual School, and led the delivery of 500+ events across Chennai and beyond — reaching over 10,000 students in schools, communities, NGOs and corporate events.

Today, Sami continues his work as an AI Consultant and Leadership Coach through YSTech.in — bringing 28+ years of experience in IT delivery, digital transformation and strategic leadership to help organisations adopt AI responsibly. His commitment to Young-Scientist.in remains unchanged: the brand, the content and the vision are very much alive, waiting for the right partner to help restart it.

MSc Chemistry · MCC 1996 Science Education · 7+ Years IT & AI Leadership · 28+ Years Curriculum Design linkedin.com/in/sami74

Key People Who Built This

The core contributors who helped shape Young-Scientist into what it became. Though dispersed after COVID, their expertise lives on in the curriculum, kits and methodology.

Dr. Shilpa Rajkumar

Science Educator (Founding Member)

The first person to join Young-Scientist. Shilpa was a science graduate who took a break from her studies to be part of this mission — and then went on to pursue her Masters in Nano Physics and a PhD in Nanotechnology. A passionate educator who strongly believes science should be taught in a fun, exploratory way. She designed experiment modules and brought scientific rigour to everything we created.

Satish RM

Science Educator & Programme Lead

Satish joined Young-Scientist as a science club facilitator and grew into a key member across all areas of operations. With a Masters from the University of Houston, his gift was making science memorable through live experiments. He delivered 150+ hours of science clubs, 200+ hours of workshops, 20+ courses, the Astrophysics Diploma curriculum, corporate events at AstraZeneca and Valmet, and 100+ hours of community outreach. He also wrote the science articles featured on this site.

150+ hrs Science Clubs 200+ hrs Workshops AstraZeneca · Valmet

Sathya S.

Finance, Admin & Operations

Sathya was the operational backbone of Young-Scientist — managing finance, administration, kit assembly, sales, event coordination and customer relationships. A commerce graduate with a passion for science, he was hands-on with product assembly and a fast learner who could build kit prototypes from scratch. The kind of person who makes everything actually happen.

Press & Media

In the Media

The Hindu

Young-Scientist.in featured in The Hindu

Indian Express

Young-Scientist.in covered by Indian Express

DT Next

Young-Scientist featured in DT Next

Rainbow FM

Young-Scientist team interviewed on Rainbow FM

Puthiya Thalimurai TV

Young-Scientist team featured on Puthiya Thalimurai — Tamil news channel programme on science education

Our Philosophy

What We Believe

Science is for Every Child

Scientific literacy is not a privilege — it is a right. Every child, regardless of school or background, deserves access to real, hands-on, inspiring science education.

Doing Beats Listening

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." — Xunxi, 313 BC. Every Young-Scientist program is built around hands-on experimentation, not passive instruction.

Curiosity Over Competition

We do not use stress or competition to motivate children. Each child learns at their own pace. Our goal is to maximise the joy and efficiency of learning — not to rank or compare.