Indian Innovation Icons 2025: Partners Who Made It Possible

For the last eight months, the Marico Innovation Foundation team worked tirelessly to prepare for the milestone 10th edition of Indian Innovation Icons 2025 (formerly the Innovation for India Awards). Their dedication culminated in a spectacular awards ceremony on March 6th, where eight exceptional innovators and winners captivated an influential audience of 1,000 leaders and decision-makers.

The success of this prestigious program was made possible through the steadfast support of our strategic partners, each contributing their unique expertise. We spotlight these crucial collaborations that helped bring MIF’s vision to life.

Deloitte India – Knowledge Partner

Deloitte India served as the backbone of the Indian Innovation Icons 2025, bringing unparalleled expertise and rigour, and lending credibility to every stage of the process. 

Their team internalised MIF’s vision and evaluation criteria, meticulously assessed over 1,000 applications, created a robust shortlist of candidates, and conducted comprehensive due diligence on advancing nominees.

Their analytical prowess extended beyond evaluation—Deloitte’s insightful analysis of past winners revealed valuable trends in the evolution of Indian innovation, providing crucial context for celebrating this year’s achievements

Josh Talks – Media Partner

Our collaboration with Josh Talks, the acclaimed multilingual media platform, is designed to extend the reach of our winners’ stories. Each award recipient will be featured in a dedicated episode of the popular Josh Talks podcast, providing them a powerful platform to share their journeys with millions across India. This partnership ensures these remarkable innovations gain the visibility they deserve and inspire aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide. 

Better India – Media Partner

The Better India, a leading digital platform for positive stories from across the country, has partnered with MIF to produce exclusive video features for each award recipient. These compelling visual narratives were premiered during the awards ceremony, captivating the live audience with the winners’ groundbreaking work and inspirational journeys. The videos will now reach an even wider audience through multiple digital channels—via The Better India’s extensive pan-India platform, as well as through MIF’s own digital ecosystem, and other online platforms. This multi-channel distribution strategy ensures maximum visibility and impact for our innovators’ remarkable stories.

Ankit Vengurlekar – Coach

A defining element of the Indian Innovation Icons is our commitment to spotlighting winners and equipping them to share their stories effectively. Ankit Vengurlekar—communications trainer, content creator, and personal brand consultant for CXOs with 15+ years of award-winning journalism experience—conducted specialised training sessions for our winners. 

These sessions focused on mastering the art of compelling storytelling, crafting impactful TED-style presentations, and developing executive presence to captivate audiences.

Aparna Mehra – Coach

To further empower our innovators, MIF provided each winner with six personalised coaching sessions led by Aparna Mehra, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC-ICF). These sessions focused on refining entrepreneurial leadership skills, enabling our winners to navigate their ventures with enhanced confidence and strategic vision.

The strategic contributions of our partners have created an ecosystem of support that extends far beyond a single awards ceremony. Together, we have built a powerful platform that not only recognises innovation but actively propels these visionaries toward greater national and global impact. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for their commitment to our mission and for helping showcase these remarkable achievements. 

Indian Innovation Icons is MIF’s flagship awards initiative that discovers and elevates game-changing innovators from obscurity to recognition. To learn more about the 2025 award winners, click here.