Marico Innovation Foundation Opens Doors for Indian Innovation Icons 2027

The Marico Innovation Foundation has opened applications for the 11th edition of Indian Innovation Icons, a prominent platform dedicated to identifying and celebrating breakthrough innovations across India. Based in Hyderabad, the foundation is inviting innovators to submit their solutions across two distinct categories: Business (For-Profit) and Social (Not-For-Profit).

Since its inception in 2006, Indian Innovation Icons has established itself as one of India's leading recognition platforms for innovations that remain relatively unknown yet hold the potential to drive significant socio-economic and environmental transformation. The platform has consistently highlighted emerging innovators whose work has subsequently reshaped communities and sectors nationwide.

Prospective applicants have until July 22, 2026, to submit their entries, with the application window having opened on June 22, 2026. The evaluation framework spans eight months and involves a rigorous, multi-stage assessment process. This includes two rounds of jury deliberations specific to each category, complemented by comprehensive ground-level due diligence performed by Deloitte Monitor, an independent knowledge partner.

The jury composition reflects leadership across diverse sectors. The Business Category jury is chaired by Amit Chandra, Chairperson of Bain Capital India and Co-Founder of ATE Capital. Jury members include Namita Thapar from Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Debjani Ghosh of NITI Aayog and former Nasscom President, Dr. Ashish Lele of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Prabha Narasimhan of Colgate-Palmolive India, Ravi Mariwala of Smaart Water, and Sanjiv Kaul of ChrysCapital.

The Social Category jury, also chaired by Amit Chandra, includes Deepali Khanna of The Rockefeller Foundation, Samarinita Shetty of IDR, Chetna Gala Sinha of Mann Deshi Bank and Foundation, Aniket Doegar of Haqdarshak, Prateek Madhav of AssisTech Foundation, and Luis Miranda of the Indian School of Public Policy.

The 11th edition's grand finale is scheduled for March 4, 2027, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai's BKC district. The event will bring together prominent figures from business, startups, investment, social impact, and media sectors to honour the year's most remarkable innovation stories.

Harsh Mariwala, Founder of Marico Innovation Foundation, highlighted the initiative's significance: "India is experiencing a robust surge of innovators creating solutions with substantial potential for meaningful large-scale impact. However, numerous transformative ideas often go largely unrecognised despite addressing genuine ground-level problems. Indian Innovation Icons aims to uncover and support such disruptive innovations by enhancing their visibility, broadening their networks, and creating pathways that can propel their expansion and influence. The platform has previously recognised innovators who have catalysed considerable transformation across multiple sectors and populations, and we anticipate uncovering the next wave of transformative concepts in this edition."

Winners will receive strategic mentorship from Harsh Mariwala, connections to the foundation's network of investors, business leaders, and grant makers, personalised guidance from Marico's executive team, elevated national prominence, and tailored opportunities to facilitate scaling and growth.

Amit Chandra, Jury Chair and Governing Council Chairperson at Marico Innovation Foundation, reflected on the platform's mission: "India's trajectory will be determined by individuals who perceive challenges through a different lens and possess the determination to construct disruptive solutions. Indian Innovation Icons exists to identify and nurture such innovators at an early stage. Preceding winners including Skyroot Aerospace, Dozee, and Astrome Technologies exemplify the outcomes when innovative concepts receive recognition and early support. Each edition motivates me with the creativity, determination, and vision demonstrated by India's innovators. I am eager to encounter the subsequent generation whose concepts might produce large-scale change and contribute to shaping India's future."

The platform's track record includes recognition of organisations such as Skyroot Aerospace, Indra Water, People's Archive of Rural India, India Development Review, Ishitva Robotic Systems, Dozee, and Khushi Baby. The most recent edition received over 1,100 applications from across the nation, reflecting the breadth of innovations tackling varied challenges.

Suranjana Ghosh, Head of Marico Innovation Foundation, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming edition: "Observing the advancement of our former Indian Innovation Icons winners and the continuing development of India's innovation landscape has been tremendously gratifying. With the launch of this edition, we are keen to identify the emerging ideas, innovators, and narratives of change that have developed since our last edition. At Marico Innovation Foundation, we perceive this as an occasion to honour innovation and simultaneously absorb insights from the individuals and entities shaping India's future. We eagerly anticipate highlighting the forthcoming generation of groundbreaking innovations and encourage innovators nationwide to enthusiastically apply and communicate their experiences."

Interested innovators can track updates and application announcements by following #IndianInnovationIcons on LinkedIn and Instagram.