Ryan Group of Schools, in collaboration with the Indian Debating League (IDL), hosted the semi-finals and grand finale of the fourth edition of the Mumbai Speech & Debate League 2026 at Ryan International School ICSE/ISC, Malad West, on July 25.

The championship brought together more than 500 students from over 50 cities across India following nationwide online qualifiers held on July 18. Participants competed across junior, middle and senior categories in the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC), After Dinner Speech and Dramatic Adaptation events under the theme, ‘The Media, The Magic, and the Pop Culture Point of View’.

The event was attended by Sonal Pinto, director, Ryan Group of Institutions; Swati Deshpande, senior editor (Law), The Times of India; Dr (Hon.) Kusum Kanwar, education leader and author; Lehar Bhatia, senior manager, The Times of India NIE; Vinayak Sudhakar, educational advisor and debate coach; and Kamal Kashyap, co-founder of the Indian Debating League and AugLi.ai.

In the World Schools Debating Championship, Bombay Scottish School, Mahim and Jamnabai Narsee International School won the junior category, Shiv Nadar School, Noida secured the middle category title, while Indus International School, Pune and Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Chennai emerged as senior category champions. Students from Avabai Petit Girls’ High School, JBCN International School and Ryan International School campuses also received top honours in the speech competitions.

Addressing the gathering, Sonal Pinto said the league provided students with a platform to develop communication, critical thinking and leadership skills. Kamal Kashyap said the collaboration between Ryan Group and the Indian Debating League aimed to promote dialogue, public speaking and critical thinking among students.

The Indian Debating League also announced that registrations are open until August 7 for the Harvard College Debating Union World Schools India Invitationals 2026, scheduled to be held from August 14–16 at Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur. The tournament will select five teams to represent India at Harvard University in April 2027 and is open to students of Classes 6–12 in the Open and Novice categories.

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