Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award was instituted by Dr R.A. Mashelkar in 2011, under the aegis of International Longevity Centre – India. The aim is to recognize and reward innovators who develop solutions for the excluded members of society. The award is named after Dr Mashelkar’s late mother, who raised him facing many hardships as a poor, uneducated widow. Despite her own circumstances, she always wished to do something to improve the quality of life of resource-poor and disadvantaged people. 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. For over a decade, the award has been instrumental in recognizing and rewarding impressive high-technology solutions made available at astoundingly low costs to the masses. The jury for this prestigious award comprises distinguished personalities and eminent leaders from the areas of science and technology, healthcare, innovation, social work and business. 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.

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.”