About Debaters of India

A nationwide movement empowering school students through the transformative power of competitive debate.

Our Story

Debaters of India was born from a simple realisation at the Harvard Invitationals — that India lacked a true, student-led debating community. DOI set out to change that.

What began as a small WhatsApp group is now the country's largest youth-run debating organisation, collaborating with top schools and national leagues to make debate education accessible to all.

It hosts legacy tournaments, free mentorships, and workshops — even in public parks and NGOs — to reach underprivileged students. Every event, post, and partnership is run entirely by students, united by one goal: to build a stronger, fairer, and more inclusive debate culture in India.

Founded in March 2023, DOI functions as both a training platform and a community-building initiative, using city- and state-level leadership to establish local debating ecosystems across 15+ states.

Debaters of India

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Train

High-quality WSDC training and mentorship delivered to students at every level — from beginners to national competitors.

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Compete

Legacy offline tournaments bringing together the best student debaters from across the country.

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Grow

Students who compete eventually return as mentors, compounding our impact across communities over time.

Our Founders

Five students with one shared conviction — that India's debate community needed to be built, not borrowed.

Aahvana Kapuria
Co-Founder, President
Active
Siddhartha Manaktala
Co-Founder, President
Active
Nandita Saboo
Co-Founder
Alumni
Devasya Agarwal
Co-Founder
Alumni
Ishaani Agarwal
Co-Founder
Alumni

Management Team

21 students. One mission. Each member holds a specific role driving DOI's chapters, events, training, and outreach.

Devika Raj Batra
Vice President
Nayesha Arora
Head of Events
Shree Radha Sanjay
Head of Training
Ananya Mehta
Coordinator: Training
Avika Lohia
Head of Outreach
Varnika Kothari
Head of Mentorship
Vihaan Khanna
Head of Junior Mentorship
Agrim Jain
Head of Adjudication
Saarang Kabra
Head of Social Media
Samikshak Jairath
Head of Haryana Chapter
Aarna Arora
Coordinater Haryana Chapter
Jaiteg Singh Lamba
Coordinater Haryana Chapter
Amaira Kapoor
Head of Delhi Chapter
Suguna Kukreja
Coordinater Delhi Chapter
Naavya Dhanuka
Head of Maharashtra Chapter
Jia Laud
Coordinater Maharashtra Chapter
Naisha Gupta
Head of Noida Chapter
Vivaan Agarwal
Co-chapter Head Rajasthan
Nirvi Gupta
Co-chapter Head Rajasthan
Ayan Mehrotra
Co-chapter Head Varanasi
Kashish Jaiswal
Co-chapter Head Varanasi