Solve for the underprivileged population of India? Application for the Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award (AMIIA)

In the Indian economy affected by COVID, 23 crore people now earn less than 375 rupees per day. The economy may be in recovery mode, but poverty levels in the country are in dire straits.

Anjani Mashelkar Foundation has been working for the benefit of this excluded class of society for over a decade now. Each year, the foundation organizes Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award (AMIIA), which Dr. Raghunath Ananth Mashelkar created in memory of his late mother.

Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar is one of India’s most prominent scientists. He is known for his leadership of the National Chemical Laboratory of India and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and several “Mashelkar committees”. His mantras of “Inclusive innovation”, “More with less for more” and “Gandhian engineering” have been a constant source of inspiration for businesses and young people.

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

Rewarding “affordable excellence”

Dr. Mashelkar’s mother advised him to use science and technology for the benefit of the needy, especially the poor. He launched the Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award (AMIIA) in his memory. The annual prize of Rs 100,000 is awarded to an individual or an organization for an innovation prototype or a marketed product or service.

Innovation must respond to the problems faced by disadvantaged and resource-poor people in India and offer a novel and workable solution.

“The winners will preferably be those who believe not only in ‘best practices’, but also in ‘next practices’. Most importantly, it will value solutions that represent “affordable excellence”, shattering the myth that “affordability” and “excellence” cannot go hand in hand.

Who can apply?

• Only Indian organizations or people (of any age) of Indian descent are eligible.
• Prototypes or proof of concepts with the potential to be successful innovations are eligible. Raw ideas will not be taken into account.
• Prototypes, products, services or business models must be original and innovative.
• They should provide the highest quality affordable products and experiences to those in need.
• In addition, although not mandatory, applications conforming to the parameters of the ASSURED framework would be preferred.

Applications will be shortlisted on the basis of the aforementioned criteria, after which a distinguished jury will select the winner from a shortlist.

The jury for this year’s AMIIA awards includes:

• Anu Aga, former president, Thermax;
• Harsh Mariwala, President, Marico;
• K Radhakrishnan, Former President, ISRO;
• Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, President, Biocon;
• Devi Shetty, President, Narayana Health;
• Kiran Karnik, former president, Nasscom;
• Nirmal Ganguly, former Director General of ICMR;
• Ronnie Screwvala, co-founder, Swades Foundation;
• Shekhar Mande, Managing Director, CSIR;
• Swati Piramal, Vice President, Piramal Group, among others.

The submission deadline is August 31, 2021. More details on the price are available here.