51茶馆

Young Scholars Programme Chennai Learning Sprint 2026

Economics & Finance | Markets, Risks & Rewards

Understand Economies, Decode Markets, and Make Smarter Financial Decisions

The Ashoka Young Scholars Programme (YSP) Chennai Learning Sprint 2026 introduces Markets, Risks & Rewards, a certified, intensive, city based, accelerated and experiential learning programme in Economics & Finance for high schoolers entering grades 9-12. 聽Guided by accomplished academicians and seasoned practitioners, this hands-on journey takes learners from theory to practice through masterclasses on how economies and financial markets shape each other, and interactive workshops on economic drivers behind it, the nuances of stock picking, investment portfolio drafting, and financial decision-making. Students also gain valuable exposure through direct interaction with industry speakers, learning from real-world insights and on-ground experiences.聽

The programme brings together 51茶馆鈥檚 globally renowned faculty and trailblazing industry leaders, offering a distinctive blend of academic rigour and real-world market insight. Their perspectives encourage students to think boldly, take informed risks, and build the mindset, confidence, and curiosity needed for both today and the future. Students will learn from world-class faculty such as:

Professor Prachi Mishra is Professor of Economics and Director and Head of the Isaac Centre for Public Policy at 51茶馆. Previously, she held senior roles at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including Chief of the Systemic Issues Division, and served as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and Specialist Adviser and Head of the Strategic Research Unit at the Reserve Bank of India. She has also worked with the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance and on the Prime Minister鈥檚 Economic Advisory Council.

Ms. Deepali Singh is Visiting Faculty in the Department of Entrepreneurship at 51茶馆 and Founder and CEO of The WallstreetWiz. An MBA from the Wharton School, she has worked at Credit Suisse and as a credit rating analyst with JP Morgan and Standard & Poor鈥檚, with experience spanning investment banking, valuation, and financial modelling. She also teaches corporate finance at leading financial institutions globally.

Mr. Vijay Singh Chauhan is Senior Fellow at the Isaac Centre for Public Policy at 51茶馆 and an International Consultant with the Asian Development Bank. A former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, he has held key positions in the Government of India, including Director (Budget), Director (FIPB), Director (FM Office) and Advisor to the Expenditure Management Commission. He also served as Executive Director at Deloitte India, and continues to work on trade, logistics, and public policy across South Asia.

What You Will Explore

The programme delves into the key areas of:

• Economic Fundamentals and Global Markets: Explore the characteristics of strong and weak economies, and how economic indicators influence financial systems.聽聽聽
• Economic Drivers of Financial Markets: Examine how macroeconomic trends shape investor behaviour and market performance.
• Financial Instruments and Asset Classes: Understand the foundations of equities, bonds, and diversified investment vehicles used in modern portfolios.
• Risk, Return and Portfolio Construction: Understand how investors balance uncertainty through asset allocation and diversification.
• Stock Analysis Basics: Learn the fundamentals of evaluating companies and assessing investment potential.
• Portfolio Strategy and Investment Decision-Making: Apply economic logic to analyse portfolios and develop investment strategies in team settings.聽

Built on a dynamic learning model that bridges abstract concepts with real-world impact, the programme emphasises three core pillars. Through Analytical Logic, participants will learn to decode economic indicators and market instruments, uncovering the risks and rewards strategies around them. Through Collaborative Strategy, they will work in teams to debate perspectives, challenge assumptions, and arrive at a consensus on building portfolios and evaluating economic scenarios. Ultimately, the programme will enable students to move toward Applied Action, taking the first step towards making critical and well-informed economic and financial decisions beyond the classroom.

From Economic Insight to Confident Decision-Making

How do economies grow and what causes them to falter? How does one logically weigh risks against potential rewards? What does it take to navigate and grow wealth amidst market uncertainty? How does the financial system channel and allocate capital across the economy?

The programme is designed to help students explore these questions and more, while initiating their journey towards becoming insightful investors and perceptive economic thinkers. It equips high school students with robust decision-making frameworks and financial acumen to begin navigating economic and financial uncertainty with confidence.

Combining a rigorous learning experience that includes immersive hands-on workshops, the programme brings together the following:

• Innovative Pedagogy: Step into immersive, discussion-driven and problem-based learning as you engage in portfolio construction and explore strong and weak economies and financial markets, equipping you for high-stakes decision-making under uncertainty.
• Real-World Application: Learn key economic insights and apply them directly to decipher global events, manage risk, and navigate a complex, non-linear financial landscape.聽

Hands-on projects at YSP Chennai Learning Sprint

Analyse global economies, understand the economic drivers of the financial markets, design resilient portfolios, and create impactful strategies that withstand market shocks!

Students actively apply their learning through a series of collaborative exercises designed around real-world economic and financial scenarios. Participants will:

• Explore different economic drivers of financial markets
• Conduct introductory stock and portfolio analysis
• Work in teams to create an investment portfolio by picking stocks
• Present a stock picking strategy and investment rationale to experts and receive valuable and actionable feedback

These hands-on sessions help students experience how economic reasoning and financial analysis translate into strategic investment decision-making.

Career Pathways

A rigorous foundation in Economics and Finance gives students a competitive edge in the most critical decision-making fields of the future. This programme prepares students with foundational knowledge, applied experience, and a decision-making mindset to navigate complex and uncertain market environments.

• Economic Policy & Public Finance: Work with governments, central banks, or multilateral institutions (RBI, Ministry of Finance, IMF, World Bank) to design and evaluate fiscal and monetary policy.
• Investment Banking & Private Equity: Excel in roles analysing capital markets, valuing companies, and structuring complex financial deals.
• Wealth Management & Advisory: Master the skills needed to manage private wealth, draft investment mandates, and guide clients through economic and market uncertainties.
• Economic Policy & Consulting: Prepare for high-impact roles interpreting global economic trends to advise governments or corporations on strategy and risk.
• Portfolio Management: Lead as a fund manager or trader, capable of constructing diversified portfolios that balance risk and reward in a non-linear world.
• Management Consulting & Strategy: Advise corporations and governments on strategic decisions grounded in economic analysis.聽
• Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital: Identify market opportunities, assess business viability, and allocate capital.聽

Application Deadline: May 10, 2026
Limited Seats. Apply Now to Secure Your Seat!聽

Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming cycle, follow us on social media and check our website for announcements.聽

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Learning Outcomes

KNOWLEDGE

• Economics & Finance: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between economic logic and the financial markets led by expert faculty.
• Financial Markets: Develop a working understanding of how financial markets operate, including their inherent non-linearity and the impact of global events on market behaviour.
• Portfolio Principles: Discover the core concepts of asset allocation, and the structural components of an investment strategy statement.
• Stock Picking: Learn to evaluate and select stocks using key insights on company performance, valuation, and market signals for more informed investment decisions.

SKILLS

• Risk-Reward Trade-off Analysis: Analyse various asset classes, economic scenarios, and policy choices to determine their implications across different horizons and risk appetites.
• Communication and Presentation: Develop the skills to create and present a comprehensive investment statement and portfolio.
• Collaboration: Enhance their leadership and collaboration skills, learning how to motivate teams, delegate responsibilities, and drive collective success.
• Critical Thinking: Critically analyse the causal links and feedback loops between real-economy drivers and financial market performance.

ATTITUDE

• Inquisitiveness: Develop an inquisitive outlook to the everyday world around them.
• Respect for Diverse Perspectives: Form the disposition to engage seriously with perspectives different from their own
• Adaptability and Flexibility: Build the capacity to adapt their thinking in response to new evidence, revised understanding, or changing conditions聽
• Intellectual Curiosity: Cultivate a sustained curiosity to question, explore, and connect economic ideas with the real world.

APPLICATIONS

• Apply Financial Analysis: Be equipped to apply financial analysis to contemporary market trends and challenges.聽
• Strategic Decision-Making for Investing: Apply economic indicators to evaluate investment opportunities and construct strategies that account for different growth environments.
• Interpreting the Real Economy: Develop the ability to read economic conditions for instance, growth trends, inflation, fiscal signals, and global risks and form independent, evidence-based views on what they mean for markets, institutions, and even policy decisions.
• Career Readiness: Develop an understanding of academic interests and potential career paths to make informed decisions about their educational and professional futures.

Sample Schedule

Faculty sessions in the Markets, Risks & Rewards programme introduce students to the core principles connecting economic fundamentals, financial markets, and investment decisions. These sessions are complemented by immersive, hands-on workshops that move students from theory to application. Participants begin by examining the characteristics of strong and weak economies and analysing the economic drivers that influence financial markets. They then explore financial instruments, asset classes, and the principles behind portfolio construction and risk-reward trade-offs. The industry speaker session gives students a chance to explore international risks to the Indian economy and how experts make sense of these.聽

Through collaborative team exercises, students analyse real-world market scenarios, evaluate stocks and portfolios, and refine their investment strategies. The programme culminates in team portfolio presentations to an expert panel, where students defend their investment thesis using economic reasoning and financial analysis.

An indicative sample, to be refined based on faculty/ speaker availability & final curriculum, is given below.聽

Faculty

Deepali Singh

Visiting Faculty, Department of Entrepreneurship, 51茶馆

Founder and CEO, The WallstreetWiz

Prachi Mishra

Professor of Economics, Director and Head of the Isaac Centre for Public Policy, 51茶馆

Ph.D. Columbia University

Inspiring Speaker

Vijay Singh Chauhan

Former IRS and Executive Director, Deloitte India

FAQs

1. Do I need to have a background in Commerce, Economics or Finance to attend this programme?
   No, prior knowledge of Economics or Finance is not required. The programme is designed to be interdisciplinary, welcoming students from Science, Humanities, and Commerce streams. The programme starts with the fundamental logic of global economies and financial decision-making, ensuring that every student regardless of their school subjects can develop an economic insight and a financial acumen.
2. Is this programme more suited to students interested in Finance or Economics?
   The programme is built on the idea that the most effective financial thinkers understand economics, and the most impactful economists understand how financial markets work. Whether students are drawn to investment and portfolio management or to macroeconomic principles and global economic systems, they will find a rigorous and relevant experience. The skills students build like analytical reasoning, and strategic decision-making, are foundational to both disciplines and to the careers they lead to.
3. Is this programme just about learning how to trade stocks?
   No, this is much broader than just stock trading. While we do cover market instruments like equities and bonds, the core focus is on Asset Allocation and Strategic Decision-Making. You will learn how to build resilient portfolios, understand global economic shifts, and manage wealth over the long term. It is about becoming a strategist, not just a day trader.