TEDx Delhi: Key Lessons From TEDx TughlaqRd and How to Attend One (2026)

In May 2014 I attended TEDx TughlaqRd, the TEDx Delhi event held at the beautiful India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi. It was the third year of the event in the city and my first time there, and the talks, music and stories stayed with me. Here are the highlights, the key lessons I noted down, and how you can find and attend a TEDx event in Delhi or your own city in 2026.

Quick answer: TEDx events are independently organised local events that follow the TED format of short talks on “ideas worth spreading”. To attend one in Delhi or any city, search the official TEDx event finder on TED.com, follow the organiser’s page for ticket dates, and book early because seats are limited. My key lessons from TEDx TughlaqRd: rise above comfort zones, create rather than consume, and accept that you need to fail to succeed.

What is TEDx?

TEDx (external site) shares the spirit of TED: “ideas worth spreading”. Each event is organised locally under a free TED licence and mixes live speakers with TED videos. The x stands for an independently organised event.

My day at TEDx TughlaqRd Delhi

I booked tickets online through BookMyShow. The theme was “Life is GifTEDx”, where x meant “my gift to the world”, and the event was curated by Nehha Bhatnagar.

The day opened with a musical performance by SPACE (external site) about women’s empowerment, followed by Tashi and Nungshi Malik, the twin sisters who have climbed Mount Everest and several other summits. Their message: conquer the mountains in your heart first.

• Dakshina Vaidyanathan (external site) and her team danced spectacularly to Newton’s Law of Karma.
• Kuldeep Singh Rajput showed mECG, a way to record an ECG with a mobile app and no sticky electrodes, along with health gadgets from the MIT Health Tech workshop.
• Kiran Nadar shared works from her Museum of Art and explained how to read a painting.
• A TED video by Louie Schwartzberg revealed the hidden beauty of pollination.
• Stand-up comedian Amit Tandon had the audience in splits with tales of the Indian male. Then came high tea with unlimited tea, muffins and sandwiches, a great way to keep people hooked after the break.

After the break, Chandrima Roy Majumdar showed amazing sarod skills and talked about the faith with which she became a sarod expert.

Amit Dahiyabadshah (external site) enthralled the audience with clever poetry, followed by Sinu Joseph’s talk on female hygiene and the social programmes she runs across India.

Raghu Khanna spoke about the three Fs of his life, fear, failure and faith, which helped him build a business in transit advertising on cars. The event closed with artist Uttam Kumar, who overcame his disability to paint with his feet.

Key lessons from TEDx Delhi

Here are the messages I wrote down during the day. They still hold up more than a decade later.

• Rise above the ordinary, rise above the mundane.
• Cross the mountains in your heart; step out of comfort zones.
• Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life (Steve Jobs; more of his thinking in these Steve Jobs books).
• Become creators, not consumers.
• Develop a sense of wonder.
• Don’t follow stereotypes.
• Chart your own course and keep the faith.
• Think the impossible and make it happen.
• You need to fail to succeed.

One TED video on the programme ran out of time: a cyber-magic card trick like no other.

How to attend a TEDx event in Delhi (or anywhere) in 2026

1. Open the official TEDx event finder (external site) on TED.com and search for your city, such as Delhi, Gurugram or Noida. Many colleges and neighbourhoods run their own TEDx events.
2. Follow the organiser’s website or social pages, where ticket dates and the speaker list are announced.
3. Book early. Seats are limited by the TEDx licence, and popular events sell out.
4. Can’t go? Many events stream live, and most talks are later posted on the TEDx Talks YouTube channel.

If TEDx is happening in your city, don’t miss it.

FAQ

What is the difference between TED and TEDx?

TED runs its own main conferences. TEDx events are organised independently by local volunteers under a free licence from TED.

Are TEDx events free?

Some are, but most charge a small ticket price to cover the venue and food. Organisers can’t make a profit from the event.

Can anyone speak at TEDx Delhi?

Speakers are chosen by each event’s organisers. Check the event’s website for speaker nomination forms.