Rinesh Sharma

In 2018, Sharma graduated from Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering and Technology in India with a Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering degree. He is originally from Lautoka.^[2] He then founded Smarts Fiji which specialises in hydroponics farming.^[3] That same year, he was able to secure a government-backed grant to begin automated hydroponics farms on a commercial scale in Fiji.^[4]

In February 2020, Sharma was nominated for the 2020 Commonwealth Youth Awards. That same year, he received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to combat the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji.^[5]

Sharma was one of the candidates announced by FijiFirst for the 2022 Fijian general election.^[6] He was elected to the Parliament of Fiji with 1,705 votes.^[7] At 29, he is the youngest to be serving as a member of parliament.^[8][9]