Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) has announced the opening of applications for the 11th edition of its flagship biennial platform, Indian Innovation Icons 2027, aimed at recognising breakthrough innovations that drive socio-economic and environmental impact across India.
Since its inception in 2006, Indian Innovation Icons has established itself as one of the country’s leading innovation recognition platforms, identifying and supporting emerging innovators whose solutions have the potential to create meaningful change at scale. Over the years, several innovations recognised by the platform have gone on to transform industries and communities nationwide.
The 11th edition will recognise innovations across two categories: Business (For-Profit) and Social (Not-For-Profit). Applications are open from 22 June 2026 to 22 July 2026, inviting innovators from across the country to showcase solutions addressing India’s evolving challenges.
Indian Innovation Icons follows a rigorous eight-month evaluation process designed to identify high-potential innovations. The selection process includes multiple rounds of independent jury assessments followed by comprehensive on-ground due diligence conducted by knowledge partner Deloitte Monitor.
The Business Category jury will be chaired by Amit Chandra, Chairperson of Bain Capital India and Co-Founder of ATE Capital, and includes distinguished leaders such as Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals; Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog and former President of Nasscom; Dr. Ashish Lele, Director of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory; Prabha Narasimhan, MD & CEO of Colgate-Palmolive India; Ravi Mariwala, Chairman and MD of Smaart Water; and Sanjiv Kaul, Senior Partner at ChrysCapital.
The Social Category jury, also chaired by Amit Chandra, features prominent leaders from the social impact ecosystem, including Deepali Khanna, Senior Vice President and Head of Asia at The Rockefeller Foundation; Samarinita Shetty, Co-founder and CEO of IDR; Chetna Gala Sinha, Founder and Chairperson of Mann Deshi Bank and Mann Deshi Foundation; Aniket Doegar, CEO of Haqdarshak; Prateek Madhav, CEO and Co-founder of AssisTech Foundation; and Luis Miranda, Co-founder and Chairperson of the Indian School of Public Policy.
The winners of Indian Innovation Icons 2027 will be announced during the grand finale scheduled for 4 March 2027 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. The event will bring together leaders from business, startups, investment, social impact and media sectors to celebrate transformative innovations shaping India’s future.
Speaking about the initiative, Harsh Mariwala, Founder, Marico Innovation Foundation, said, “India is witnessing a strong wave of innovators building solutions that have the potential to create meaningful impact at scale. Through Indian Innovation Icons, we aim to identify and champion such disruptive innovations by providing them with greater visibility, access to networks, and opportunities that can help accelerate their growth and impact.”
Highlighting the importance of early recognition for innovators, Amit Chandra, Jury Chair and Chairperson of the Governing Council at Marico Innovation Foundation, said, “Indian Innovation Icons exists to identify and champion innovators early in their journey. Past winners like Skyroot Aerospace, Dozee and Astrome Technologies demonstrate the transformative impact that can emerge when bold ideas receive timely support and recognition.”
Winners will receive strategic guidance from Harsh Mariwala, access to Marico Innovation Foundation’s extensive ecosystem of investors, business leaders, grant makers and ecosystem partners, along with customised mentoring from Marico’s senior leadership team. The platform also offers enhanced national visibility and curated opportunities to support growth and scale.
Previous winners of the platform include organisations such as Skyroot Aerospace, Dozee, Indra Water, People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), India Development Review (IDR), Ishitva Robotic Systems and Khushi Baby. The previous edition attracted more than 1,100 applications from across India, reflecting the growing strength and diversity of the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Suranjana Ghosh, Head, Marico Innovation Foundation, said, “As we launch the 11th edition, we are excited to discover the ideas, innovators and impact stories that have emerged since the last edition. We look forward to spotlighting the next generation of path-breaking innovations and invite innovators from across the country to share their stories with us.”
With applications now open, Indian Innovation Icons 2027 aims to uncover the next wave of breakthrough innovations that can contribute to India’s economic, social and environmental progress while strengthening the nation’s innovation ecosystem.
