On June 18, 2024, Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) announced the opening of applications for the 10th edition of its biennial ‘Innovation for India Awards’. Established in 2006, this prestigious platform was one of the first in India dedicated to recognizing and supporting groundbreaking innovations with the potential to drive large-scale positive social, environmental, and economic impact. Celebrating this milestone 10th edition, the foundation reflects on a legacy of fostering innovation and looks forward to continuing its mission of catalyzing transformative change.
The 10th edition of the awards will spotlight innovations across two categories. The Business category encompasses for-profit organizations, including startups, based in India. The Social category covers not-for-profit organizations, such as government entities, philanthropic bodies, charitable trusts, multilateral agencies, community foundations, NGOs, and CSR/corporate funds.
The application window is open from June 17, 2024 to July 17, 2024. Interested innovators are encouraged to submit their entries through the official website, https://form.jotform.com/MIFAwards/mif_innovation-for-india-awards_app. The evaluation process for the Innovation for India Awards, thereafter, spans eight months, from August 2024 to March 2025. It includes two rounds of assessments by an independent jury for each category and detailed on-ground due diligence by an independent knowledge partner. The jury for both categories features some of India’s most illustrious business and social leaders.
These include Amit Chandra (Jury Chair), Chairperson, Bain Capital India & Co-founder, ATE Chandra Foundation, Aabha Bakaya, Founder, Ladies Who Lead & Ex-Journalist, Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, Huda Jaffer, Director, Selco Foundation, and Safeena Husain, Founder, Educate Girls. Applications for the awards will be evaluated on the criteria of Innovation, Impact, Scalability, and Long-Term Viability.
Harsh Mariwala, Founder of Marico Innovation Foundation stated, “For the 10th edition of the Innovation for India Awards, as we reflect on a legacy of showcasing transformative innovations that have made a significant impact on the country, we also renew our commitment to discover a diverse range of innovations and provide them with beyond capital support to scale and drive positive change across the nation.”
The grand finale of the 10th edition is set to take place in Mumbai on March 6, 2025. Winners of this edition will gain an array of beyond capital support including access to MIF’s Innovation Day, to network with investors, corporate leaders, and grantmakers who can potentially provide them with business opportunities. Additionally, each winner will receive PR and digital amplification and an opportunity to be featured on the "Josh Talks" podcast, a platform for entrepreneurship and inspirational talks, with a combined subscriber base of 30 million users across India.
Each winner will get personalized training sessions in the art of storytelling and executive presence and 6 dedicated one-on-one sessions in leadership training. Eligible winners will also have the chance to join MIF's no-equity accelerator program, Scale-Up. Furthermore, each winner will be featured in an exclusive video created in partnership with The Better India, the world's largest positive & solutions-based content-driven impact platform for stories of change.
Amit Chandra, Jury Chair and Chairperson of the Governing Council at Marico Innovation Foundation said, “The Innovation for India Awards aim to shine a spotlight on Indian innovations on the brink of transformative impact. MIF plays a catalytic role in the journey of these disruptive innovations by driving awareness and supporting their growth.”
In 2022, the 9th edition of the Innovation for India Awards received over 750 applications and honored six exceptional innovations. Winners included Dhruva Space, a renowned space technology company; CoWin, the digital backbone of India's COVID-19 vaccination program; Ishitva Robotic Systems, an AI-powered waste sorting solution; Dozee, a contactless remote monitoring device for e-ICUs; and Khushi Baby, an eHealth platform for community health monitoring. Over nine editions, the Innovation for India Awards have recognized more than 65 game-changing innovations.
Suranjana Ghosh, Head of Marico Innovation Foundation emphasised, “The Innovation for India Awards program is committed to shining a light on impactful innovations that inspire a generation of innovators and create a ripple effect of positive change across the nation. This is in line with MIF's vision of fostering a culture of innovation in the country.”
