The 10th edition of Marico Innovation Foundation’s (MIF) flagship program, Innovation for India Awards, has been rebranded as the Indian Innovation Icons 2025.
“At MIF, we have a finger on the pulse of the innovation ecosystem. This helps us preempt the dynamic needs of innovators, in keeping with market trends, so we can provide the most wholesome value to them through our programs. In line with this ethos, we revisited the core benefits of our flagship awards program at this milestone juncture of the 10th edition and elevated the brand name to Indian Innovation Icons. This captures our commitment to showcasing and celebrating Indian innovators on the rise, whose pathbreaking solutions are making them inspiring icons,” says Suranjana Ghosh, head of Marico Innovation Foundation.
An ‘Un-Awards’ Awards Program
Launched in 2006, the Innovation for India Awards was conceived as a platform to propel currently hidden, potentially game-changing Indian innovations creating socio-economic or environmental impact.
The comprehensive eight-month evaluation process considers innovations in two distinct categories—Business and Social—with the prestigious Global Game-Changer category reserved for innovations recommended by MIF’s governing council. Independent jury councils and a knowledge partner conduct thorough assessments to identify truly groundbreaking innovations.
Unlike traditional awards, winners take center-stage at the awards ceremony to share their stories of innovation and inspiration through TED-style talks, reaching a vast, distinguished audience of industry leaders and innovators. The program empowers winners to share their stories effectively, providing media exposure, valuable networking opportunities, and access to mentorship.
The new name, Indian Innovation Icons, better captures the program’s commitment to transcend mere awards — discovering, celebrating, and amplifying innovators dedicated to solving problems and needs that would go unheeded, were it not for their visionary innovative solutions, MIF said in a release.
Evolving in tandem with India’s dynamic innovation landscape
Over nearly two decades, MIF awards have mirrored India’s innovation evolution, with winners nearly evenly split between Business (57%) and Social Impact (43%) categories, showcasing the blend of commercial viability and social transformation. Emerging sectors like space-tech and energy now represent 35% of business winners, reflecting India’s dynamic innovation growth.
This progress, marked by India’s rise from 81st to 39th on the Global Innovation Index (2015–2024), stems from sustained R&D, supportive policies, and collaborative ecosystems. The rebranding to Indian Innovation Icons sharpens our focus—celebrating innovators, amplifying their stories, and inspiring future generations to dream bigger and push harder.
Indian Innovation Icons 2025
The grand finale of the Indian Innovation Icons is just around the corner. After receiving over 1,000 applications and months of rigorous evaluation by our esteemed jury councils, with support from Deloitte India — MIF is gearing up for an unforgettable evening on March 6, 2025. The awards ceremony promises to be a stellar evening of groundbreaking ideas and the inspiring stories of visionary innovators.
