Back in 2020, while working at Jio Creative Labs, my team and I created a new IP called Comics for Change — a live comedy event with a purpose. The idea was simple but ambitious: invite top stand-up comedians from across India to perform pieces that championed the 17 Sustainable Development Goals laid out by the United Nations, covering themes like climate change, poverty, quality education, and responsible consumption.
The event united three generations of India's comedy scene to present serious sustainability issues through the most approachable medium there is — laughter. The guest of honour was Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who performed stand-up for the very first time, emphasizing youth engagement in the SDGs. The event was hosted by Cyrus Broacha and Kunal Vijayekar, and supported by organizations including UN Women, the Global Sustainability Network, the Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, and my alma mater, SVKM's NMIMS.
"By providing a platform for social messages through entertainment, we made topics like climate and inequality relatable, memorable — and actually fun to talk about."
The evening opened with Raageshwari Loomba performing a dance with children from the Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation — setting the tone beautifully. What followed was a stellar lineup, each comedian or performer matched to an SDG they brought to life on stage:
It was my first time organizing an event at this scale. My role covered Business and Public Outreach, along with Operations and Hospitality on the day. This was a true passion project — aimed at inspiring youth to embrace the SDGs in their daily lives and future decisions. Though targeted and by-invite only, the event garnered real media attention and proved a meaningful platform for youth-led climate and sustainability messaging.
It proved to be a great success — and a reminder that sometimes, the best way to talk about the world's hardest problems is to make people laugh first.