Solving for India’s disadvantaged population? Apply for the Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award (AMIIA)

In the COVID-hit Indian economy, 23 crore people are now earning less than Rs 375 per day. The economy may be in revival mode, but the poverty levels in the country are in a dismal state. 

Anjani Mashelkar Foundation has been working for the benefit of this excluded class of society for more than a decade now. Every year, the foundation organises Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award (AMIIA), which Dr Raghunath Ananth Mashelkar set up in the memory of his late mother. 

Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar is one of India’s most eminent scientists. He is known for his leadership of India’s National Chemical Laboratory and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), and multiple ‘Mashelkar Committees’. His mantras of ‘Inclusive Innovation’, ‘More from Less for More’, and ‘Gandhian Engineering’ have been a constant source of inspiration for corporates and youth alike.

The year 2021 marks the 11th year of the Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award. Since its inception in 2011, the award has grown in stature and has gained national recognition.

Awarding 'affordable excellence'

Dr Mashelkar’s mother used to advise him to use science and technology for the benefit of the needy – especially the poor. He started the Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award (AMIIA) in her memory. The annual award of Rs 100,000 is given to an individual or an organisation for a prototyped innovation or a commercialised product or service. 

The innovation must address the problems faced by the disadvantaged resource-poor people in India and offer an original and implementable solution.

“The awardees will preferably be those who believe not just in ‘best practices’, but in ‘next practices‘. Most importantly, it will value solutions that represent ‘affordable excellence‘, breaking the myth that ‘affordability’ and ‘excellence’ cannot go together.”

Who can apply?

• Only Indian organisations or persons (of any age) of Indian origin are eligible to apply.
• Prototypes or proof of concepts with the potential to be successful innovations are eligible. Raw ideas will not be considered.
• The prototypes, products, services, or business models should be original and novel.
• They should provide the highest quality affordable products and experiences to resource-poor people.
• In addition, while not mandatory, applications compliant to parameters of ASSURED framework would be preferred.

The applications will be shortlisted based on the above-mentioned criteria, after which an eminent panel of jury will select the winner from a shortlist. 

The jury for this year’s AMIIA awards includes: 

• Anu Aga, former Chairperson, Thermax;
• Harsh Mariwala, Chairperson, Marico; 
• K Radhakrishnan, former Chairperson, ISRO; 
• Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson, Biocon; 
• Devi Shetty, Chairperson, Narayana Health; 
• Kiran Karnik, former President, Nasscom; 
• Nirmal Ganguly, former Director General, ICMR; 
• Ronnie Screwvala, Co-founder, Swades Foundation; 
• Shekhar Mande, Director General, CSIR; 
• Swati Piramal, Vice Chairperson, Piramal Group,
• Shradha Sharma, Founder & CEO, YourStory Media, among others.

Last date for submission is August 31, 2021. More details about the award are available here.