Criteria & Process

Formerly known as “Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award”

The Anjani Mashelkar prize is named after Dr. Mashelkar’s late mother, who raised him facing many hardships as a poor, uneducated widow. In spite of her own circumstances, she always wished to do something to improve the quality of life of resource-poor and excluded people.

This award presents an opportunity to spur and fuel innovation for the benefit of the excluded sections of society in order to ‘include’ them in the mainstream. Most importantly, it will value solutions that represent ‘affordable excellence‘, breaking the myth that ‘affordability’ and ‘excellence’ cannot go together.

The winner becomes a part of the coveted portfolio of the foundation and gets access to funding, markets, acceleration, research and AI development, outreach and the customary prestigious prize from Dr. R A Mashelkar. An eminent jury selects the winner through a rigorous evaluation process.

Why Should You Apply?

Anjani Mashelkar Prize recognizes & rewards the spirit to solve the problems of India by creating access equality despite income and other inequalities. If you are an innovator keen to solve problems of India through ultra-affordable but excellent solutions, applying to the Anjani Mashelkar Prize. The winner becomes part of the coveted portfolio of the foundation and gets access to*:

  • Funding
  • Market access
  • Acceleration
  • Research and AI development
  • Outreach
  • Prize

*Subject to proper due diligence

Who Can Apply?

  • All innovations (devices, software, technology, and so on)  which cater to people at scale
  • Only Indian organizations or persons of Indian origin with no age bar
  • Innovations at the prototype or proof of concept stage that have the potential to be successful innovations are eligible; raw ideas will not be considered
  • The products, services or business models should be original and novel

How To Apply?

You are invited to apply for the nomination as an organization or as an individual innovator and can even extend nomination to other companies, organizations and individuals who are working in the inclusive innovation space.

  • Post receiving applications for the prize, the team of experts will review and shortlist applications
  • The team will reach out to shortlisted applicants for further due diligence
  • The best innovation will be selected from the shortlist by our esteemed Jury
  • The award will be given at the hands of an eminent personality on 17th November 2024 in Pune

The award will be declared on the commemorative occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, 2nd October 2024 and will be given at the hands of an eminent personality on 17th November 2024 in Pune

Eminent Chief Guests who graced Anjani Mashelkar Prize Ceremony over the years

2023
Shri. Abhay Firodia

Chairman, Force Motors

2022
Mrs. Sangita Jindal

Chairperson, JSW Foundation

2019
Dr. Vijay Kelkar

Chairman of the Forum of Federations, Ottawa & India Dev. Found., New Delhi

2018
Late Mr. Girish Bapat

Member of Parliament

2017
Mr. Hamid Ansari

Former Vice President of India

2016
Dr. Vikas Amte

Innovative Scientist

2015
Prof. Anil Gupta

Retired professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

2014
D.R. Mehta

Former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India

2013
Dr. Abhay Bang

Founder Director, SEARCH (Soc. for Edu., Action & Research in Comm. Health)

2012
Ms. Anu Aga

Former Chairperson of Thermax Ltd.

2011
Dr. Narayana Murthy

Former CEO of Infosys

Process

Please feel free to reach out to us at contact@mashelkarfoundation.org for any queries