The Indian Innovation Icons, a biennial platform by the Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) formerly known as the Innovation for India Awards, is designed to identify and elevate high-potential Indian innovators. Launched in 2006, the program aims to bring transformative but currently hidden innovations into the limelight, offering a gateway to recognition from eminent industry leaders. Participants gain access to enriching connections, unparalleled visibility, storytelling training, and strategic mentorship to accelerate their impact.
Program Categories
Indian Innovation Icons recognizes innovations across three distinct categories. Applications are open for the Business and Social categories, while the Global Gamechanger is a special recognition selected by the MIF Governing Council.
• Business: Recognizes for-profit organizations, including startups, based in India.
• Social: Recognizes not-for-profit organizations, including government and philanthropic entities, charitable trusts, multilateral agencies, community foundations, NGOs, and CSR/corporate funds based in India.
• Global Gamechanger: Recognizes peerless Indian organizations that are bringing seismic shifts to their respective industries and breaking new ground globally.
Portfolio of Benefits for Winners
Each winner receives a set of commitments designed to provide catalytic opportunities for growth and support.
• One-on-One Diagnosis: A guaranteed one-hour strategic diagnosis session with Mr. Harsh Mariwala, Chairperson of Marico Limited, to decode challenges and prioritize strategic counsel.
• Bespoke Mentoring: Six months of customized mentoring from Marico’s senior leadership across functions such as marketing, finance, supply chain, operations, or strategy.
• Access to Capital and Business: Personal, direct introductions from Mr. Harsh Mariwala to his network of venture capitalists, institutional investors, grant makers, and corporate leaders.
• The Grand Finale Stage: An opportunity to present before a live audience of India’s foremost industrialists, chairpersons, managing directors, philanthropists, and institutional investors.
• InnoWin Day: A curated platform for winners to engage in a series of preset, high-intent meetings with selected institutions to accelerate momentum.
• Personal Public Endorsement: A personal LinkedIn endorsement written by Mr. Harsh Mariwala, serving as a permanent public commendation.
• National Visibility and Reach: Amplification of the winner's story across premier publications, podcasts, and creator platforms, including an exclusive video in partnership with The Better India.
• Storytelling & Executive Presence Coaching: Dedicated one-on-one coaching to sharpen communication skills for presentations, investor conversations, and pitches, delivered in partnership with The School of Practical Skills.
Application and Evaluation Process
The program follows a structured eight-month journey from application to the final showcase.
• Application Window: Applications are invited from June 22 to July 22, 2026.
• Assessment: Applications are evaluated by Knowledge Partners based on pre-defined criteria between July and August 2026.
• Jury Deliberations (Round 1): Distinct jury panels for business and social categories conduct in-depth deliberations on September 10, 2026.
• Due Diligence: A Knowledge Partner conducts on-ground due diligence of shortlisted applications between September and October 2026.
• Jury Deliberations (Round 2): The jury conducts a second round of discussions based on due diligence insights on November 17, 2026.
• Award Showcase: The winning innovations are presented at a grand showcase before a curated audience on March 4, 2027.
Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria
• Eligibility: The Business category is open to India-based for-profit startups. The Social category is open to India-based not-for-profit organizations. The Global Gamechangers category is not open for applications. Innovations must have been implemented within the last 8 years as of June of the application year.
• Category Selection: Innovations with the potential for substantial business performance impact qualify for the 'Business' category, while those with potential for substantial social impact qualify for the 'Social' category.
• Evaluation Criteria: Both Business and Social applications are evaluated on four key criteria: Uniqueness, Impact, Scalability, and Sustainability.
Application Details
• Application Deadline: The last date to apply is July 22, 2026.
• Application Fee: There is no application or registration fee.
• Submission Method: Applications must be submitted online. Postal or email submissions are not accepted.
• Multiple Applications: An organization can submit multiple applications, provided each application is for a different innovation.
• Re-application: Startups that have applied in previous editions can apply again with updated information.
• Confidentiality: All submitted data remains confidential and is used solely for evaluation purposes by authorized parties under strict confidentiality terms.
• Contact Information: For questions regarding the application form, inquiries can be sent to mif@marico.com.
Jury Members
The jury comprises an eclectic mix of industry leaders, thinkers, policy-makers, investors, and social impact champions.
• Business Jury: Amit Chandra (Jury Chair), Dr Ashish Lele, Debjani Ghosh, Namita Thapar, Prabha Narasimhan, Ravi Mariwala, Sanjiv Kaul.
• Social Jury: Amit Chandra (Jury Chair), Aniket Doegar, Chetna Gala Sinha, Deepali Khanna, Luis Miranda, Prateek Madhav, Smarinita Shetty.
The Indian Innovation Icons program stands as a significant launchpad for innovators poised to make a large-scale impact. By providing a comprehensive support system that extends beyond accolades, it offers a unique opportunity for growth, visibility, and strategic advancement. For complete details, terms, and conditions, interested parties should refer to the official Marico Innovation Foundation website.