Tanuj Samaddar did not begin his journey with a speech or a protest.
He began it with a paintbrush.
Born in Rangia, Assam, his passion for art showed itself early — from just one and a half years old. But as he grew, so did his purpose.
It started with a paintbrush
His paintings were never simply beautiful things to hang on a wall. They were warnings.
They documented what he saw happening to the natural world around him — not romanticised, not softened, but honest and urgent.
While galleries admired his talent, Tanuj had his eyes on something bigger.
Art was not simply something to be seen. It could make people pay attention.
From canvas to advocacy
Tanuj recognised that art alone could only go so far — that real change required voices in real rooms, at real tables.
And so he stepped from the canvas into advocacy, becoming the Country Lead for Climate Change Writers India.
In this role, he is not just raising awareness — he is holding people accountable, calling out greenwashing by brands, and challenging policymakers who treat the climate crisis as a talking point rather than the existential emergency it truly is.
Building Climate Change Writers India entirely from scratch, Tanuj leads a team committed to bringing grassroots stories of climate resilience from every corner of the country to the forefront.
He believes strongly that India's environmental challenges are too often sidelined for political convenience — and he has made it his mission to cut through that noise with bold, unapologetic narratives that cannot be ignored.
Recognition followed
His credibility in this space is extraordinary.
By the age of 20, Tanuj had received 3 civilian awards, 2 presidential awards, and a nomination for the highest honour in the world for non-adults — the International Children's Peace Prize.
He is a recipient of the Karmaveer Chakra, a United Nations-backed civilian honour, and holds the prestigious title of Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in the United Kingdom.
Most remarkably, he received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar — India's highest civilian award for non-adults — directly from the Prime Minister of India, who was visibly amazed by this young individual standing before him.
Alongside 3 civilian awards, 2 presidential awards, a nomination for the International Children's Peace Prize, the Karmaveer Chakra and recognition as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Art backed by research
Beyond awards, Tanuj is a serious researcher, associated with organisations including the International Council on Human Rights, Peace and Politics, the Indian Foreign Policy Project, Vanguard Think Tank, the World Organisation for Sustainability and Leadership, and the Impact and Policy Research Institute — where he currently serves as a Youth Fellow in Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and Geopolitics.
He also co-authored a research paper on reducing food wastage in agricultural supply chains as part of an International Youth Environmental Advocacy Fellowship in Canada.
Despite holding over 300 accolades to his name, Tanuj refuses to let awards define him.
He is not interested in empty applause.
He will not sit quietly when brands exploit sustainability for marketing while actively harming the environment.
He refuses to be a token voice in youth engagement programmes designed to pacify young people rather than truly empower them.
Not a small impact. A big one.
When asked what he wants to achieve, his answer is clear: not a small impact. A big one.
He wants to prove that art is not passive — that when combined with rigorous research and fearless advocacy, it becomes one of the most powerful tools for change that exists.
And if you ask him where he hopes to be in a decade or two, he smiles and points to the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
AUNUA Youth Ambassador
At AUNUA, we are proud to have Tanuj Samaddar as one of our Youth Ambassadors. His journey shows that creativity does not have to sit quietly on a canvas. Combined with research, courage and a willingness to challenge what needs to change, art can become a powerful form of action.
He started with a paintbrush. He is using it to make the world pay attention.