SRINAGAR: Umar Masoodi, a 24-year-old lawyer from Kashmir, has been selected for the 2025 cohort of the beVisioneers Fellowship, a global programme supported by Mercedes-Benz that supports youth-led initiatives addressing environmental and sustainability challenges.
A practising advocate at the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Masoodi is among the select group of changemakers chosen globally for the fellowship. He is an alumnus of the University of Kashmir and the founder of the “Taleem Initiative,” which works to promote education and civic awareness among schoolchildren.
The fellowship offers a fully funded year-long programme, including travel, accommodation, training, mentorship, and access to an international network of sustainability leaders. Fellows also receive a €700 infrastructure grant and a monthly stipend of €120 from June 2025 to May 2026 for project implementation.
Masoodi’s project proposal, the “Spring Rejuvenation Programme,” aims to revive degraded natural springs in the Kashmir Valley. “The initiative will focus on constructing protective embankments, planting native vegetation, promoting sustainable water practices, and raising awareness in local communities,” he said.
In recent years, Masoodi has been involved in various international programmes. In 2023, he was awarded the United People Global Fellowship. In 2024, he attended the Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation at the University of Lucerne in Switzerland. He has also been invited to participate in the European Youth Event (EYE2025) at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, scheduled for June next year.
Masoodi said the beVisioneers opportunity came through a recommendation by Dawood Dohi, an undergraduate student at Ramjas College, Delhi. “He introduced me to the fellowship and encouraged me to apply,” Masoodi said.
Reflecting on his early experiences, Masoodi said his interest in environmental work stemmed from his upbringing on the outskirts of Srinagar. “We didn’t have access to green spaces, so my parents turned our concrete rooftop into a small garden,” he said. “My mother watered the plants every morning, and my father brought home soil and saplings. That’s where I first understood the value of sustainability.”
The beVisioneers Fellowship is designed to support young people working on scalable environmental solutions. The 2025 cohort includes fellows from across continents, selected for their commitment to addressing pressing ecological issues at the grassroots level.
