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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Lead India.gif
| caption = A promotional image of "Lead India".
| runtime = approx. 52 minutes
| creator = [[Miditech|Miditech Pvt. Ltd.]]
| presenter = [[Anupam Kher]]
| opentheme = "Lead India" by ??
| country = [[India]]
| network = [[STAR One]]
| first_aired = {{start date|df=y|2007|12|8}}
| last_aired = {{end date|df=y|2008|2|9}}
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes =
}}

'''''Lead India''''' is an Indian television initiative launched on India's 60th [[Independence Day (India)|Independence Day]] by [[The Times of India]] Group. Hosted by [[Anupam Kher]], the program aired on [[STAR One]] every Saturday evening. Citizens of India aged between 25 and 45 could participate in the three-stage contest, for which the winner would be a contender for participating in India's next [[State Assembly elections in India|assembly elections]], a place on the leadership and politics course at [[Harvard University]], and a grant of [[Rupee|Rs]] 50 [[lakh]] for pursuing a public welfare project of the winner's choice.

''Lead India'' was the sequel to the newspaper's earlier "India Poised" initiative launched in January 2007. "India Poised" aimed to promote India's recent successes and its growing international importance, and also conducted a critical assessment of sectors where India needed improvement, with public [[governance]] at the top of the latter list. Lead India therefore aimed to address that concern by offering the winner an entry to active politics without a long path up the political ladder.

A program with a similar name was also launched, much before ''The Times of India'''s Lead India campaign, by Dr. [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]], the then [[President of India]], in the early 2000s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leadindia2020.org/ |title=Home |website=leadindia2020.org |access-date=31 May 2010 |archive-date=5 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105130016/http://leadindia2020.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In an episode telecast on 22 December 2007, [[Kumaramangalam Birla]] and [[Akshay Kumar]] joined the jury as celebrity judges. Saumya Mishra left the contest for personal reasons.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

In the United States and Canada, the show aired on [[STAR One]] every Saturday evening.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

==Finalists==
Since 8 December 2007 eight ''Lead India'' finalists have competed to decide the national winner:
*Saumya Mishra - [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Soumya_Mishra.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128114441/http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Soumya_Mishra.asp |archive-date=2007-11-28 }}</ref>
*Sanjiv Kaura - [[Delhi]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Sanjiv_Kaura.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211070139/http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Sanjiv_Kaura.asp |archive-date=2007-12-11 }}</ref>
*Dipayan Dey - [[Kolkata]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Dipayan_Dey.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128114421/http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Dipayan_Dey.asp |archive-date=2007-11-28 }}</ref>
*Ujjawal Banerjee - [[Mumbai]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Ujjwal_Banerjee.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212183047/http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Ujjwal_Banerjee.asp |archive-date=2007-12-12 }}</ref>
*Ranjit Gadgil - [[Pune]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Ranjit_Gadgil.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218054122/http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Ranjit_Gadgil.asp |archive-date=2007-12-18 }}</ref>
*Devang Nanavati - [[Ahmedabad]] (Runner up)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Devang_Nanavati.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128121300/http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Devang_Nanavati.asp |archive-date=2007-11-28 }}</ref>
* R. K. Misra - [[Bengaluru]] (Winner)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_R_K_Misra.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128114426/http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/profile_R_K_Misra.asp |archive-date=2007-11-28 }}</ref>
*[[Abha Singh]] - [[Lucknow]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Abha_Singh.asp |title=The Times of India presents Lead India - an India Poised Initiative |access-date=2007-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129011215/http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/profile_Abha_Singh.asp |archive-date=2007-11-29 }}</ref>

On 9 February 2008, the results were announced. R.K.Misra (Bangalore) won the contest against Devang Nanavati of Ahmedabad, with more votes and a lead of 6-1 from the jury of seven judges. He was crowned as Lead India "Mahanayak" by Abdul Kalam, the former president of India.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

Later on one of the finalists, Sanjiv Kaura, became the CEO of CSR for Times of India Group. Along with the British Council, the group launched the Teach India Program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishcouncil.in/programmes/communities/teach-india-programme/touching-lives-through-english-language|title=Touching lives through English language {{!}} British Council|website=www.britishcouncil.in|language=en|access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref>

A "Lead India Video Contest" was also held. The winners were declared as Jyotsna Khatry, Ashwani Thakur, and Achin Jain as 1st, 2nd, 3rd respectively.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} Awards were declared on the ''Times of India'' website. Videos made by the winners were posted to [[YouTube]].

There were three members of the jury:
*[[Javed Akhtar]]
*[[Kiran Bedi]]
*Vikas Singh

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/us Official Site]
* [http://www.scholarsavenue.org/2008/04/15/lead-india-an-interview-with-rk-misra/ R.K. Mishra's interview with The Scholars' Avenue, IIT Kharagpur] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728005038/http://www.scholarsavenue.org/2008/04/15/lead-india-an-interview-with-rk-misra/ |date=28 July 2011 }}

{{The Times Group}}
{{STAR One}}

[[Category:The Times of India]]
[[Category:Star One (Indian TV channel) original programming]]
[[Category:Indian reality television series]]
[[Category:Events of The Times Group]]
[[Category:2007 Indian television series debuts]]
[[Category:2008 Indian television series endings]]

Lead India - Revision history

Sergkwi at 10:09, 6 February 2025