Girik Gupta is Making Celebrations Meaningful with Celebrate Smiles Foundation at the Age of 16

In an age where kids are still figuring out their careers and preparing themselves for their further, Girik Gupta, a 16-year-old resident of Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, is championing social entrepreneurship in India. At a tender age of 8, when he visited an NGO with his parents to celebrate his birthday, Girik realised that celebrations can be beyond family and friends. This thought of "your special occasion can be a day to make someone’s life special in whatever way you can," stuck in his mind.

“As I grew up, I had a leaning towards making someone smile, in whatever way I can," says Girik in an interaction with Local Samosa. That is when he decided to start his social venture, 'Celebrate Smiles', at the age of 15. "I noticed how people in India spend thousands on weddings and celebrations. Weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays are such an important part of Indian culture, and everyone spends a lot of money on these celebrations. But they don't even think to allocate a small percentage of that budget to help others," Girik explains.

This realisation, coupled with his early experiences of celebrating with the underprivileged, sparked the idea for Celebrate Smiles, which invites people to allocate a small portion of their celebration budget to charity for underprivileged communities. The initiative approaches individuals who are planning special events like birthdays or anniversaries and suggests an alternative to extravagant spending. The concept is simple yet powerful: celebrate your special moments while simultaneously creating moments of joy for those less fortunate. Through this approach, Celebrate Smiles works to build a society where acts of kindness and sharing become naturally woven into every celebration.

In less than a year, the foundation has partnered with over 25 NGOs and facilitated donations worth 5-10 lakhs, both monetary and in-kind. Some of their notable collaborations include work with the Blind School Association of India, Red Cross Society, Sai Dham, Robinhood Army, and People For Action. One of their impactful collaborations was with the Blind School Association of India during the National Blind School Sports Championship in Gujarat. The foundation also conducts regular drives to slums and communities in partnership with organisations like Robinhood Army, focusing on direct action and tangible impact.

Girik believes in spreading kindness beyond his social work as well. His work recently earned him an invitation to deliver a TEDx talk in Bistupur, Jamshedpur, on the "Power of Why." His presentation focused on the science of giving and how the act of giving benefits not just recipients but donors as well. "I talked about how giving is connected to our body, releasing hormones, and how it psychologically impacts our professional and personal lives," the young boy explains. The 16-year-old entrepreneur spoke to an audience of around 100 people, sharing insights on how generosity ties directly to personal and professional success. 

Despite running Celebrate Smiles largely by himself with some support from his parents, Girik maintains a balanced approach to his commitments. Currently pursuing the IB curriculum from DPS International in Gurgaon with plans to study economics or finance at a top global institution, he emphasises the importance of prioritisation.

This mature outlook has helped him excel not just as a social entrepreneur but also as an individual. Looking ahead, Girik envisions expanding Celebrate Smiles across India and eventually globally. "Our vision is to create a future where generosity is vital and essential, and is part of every single celebration," he says with conviction. The expansion strategy involves building a network of volunteers across major Indian cities. "As soon as we have volunteers present in places like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Kolkata, we can definitely grow. I think it's just a matter of time before we expand," Gupta explains.

He believes that every young person can make a difference in their own capacity. "It doesn't take that much effort. It's about doing your part in the community, doing as much as you can. As long as you put in that hard work and effort, it will come to use." At its core, Celebrate Smiles aims to foster a culture where sharing and giving are deeply integrated into our lives.