Pune: The NCSI 2025 winners were announced at the 13th National Conference on Social Innovation (NCSI), held at the Pune International Centre (PIC) Campus in Pashan.
The conference brought together social innovators, impact investors, CSR leaders, policymakers, and development-sector experts, showcasing high-impact solutions designed to address India’s social, economic, and environmental challenges.
NCSI 2025 Winners Highlight Innovation Across India
The NCSI 2025 winners demonstrated standout innovations across Tribal, Rural, and Urban categories, reflecting the growing strength of India’s community-driven innovation landscape.
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Nearly 200 applications were received from across the country, with 21 finalists shortlisted as part of the final showcase.
Among the major recognitions, the 15th Anjani Mashelkar Prize (2025) was awarded to EasyTouch Plus by Agatsa — a non-invasive glucose monitoring device delivering touch-based results in under 15 seconds without pricks or strips.
NCSI 2025 Winners: Vision for Inclusive, Home-Grown Innovation
Padma Vibhushan Dr R A Mashelkar, President of PIC and Founder Chairman of the Anjani Mashelkar Foundation, termed the day “historic,” highlighting PIC’s journey from a small dialogue platform to a national ecosystem that has engaged over 1,100 social entrepreneurs, mentored more than 100 innovators, and supported over 200 innovations. He reiterated PIC’s guiding principles of independence, integrity, innovation, integration, and influence.
In the keynote address, Siddharth Sharma, CEO of Tata Trusts, called for deeper investment in R&D, a shift from jugaad to excellence, and collaboration between government, philanthropy, civil society, and markets. He stressed the importance of home-grown, community-rooted innovation to ensure that economic growth is inclusive and equitable.
NCSI 2025 Winners: Nine Finalists Across Three Categories
Three finalists each from the Tribal, Rural, and Urban categories presented their innovations live before the jury and conference delegates. The innovations addressed gaps in agriculture, livelihoods, health, urban systems, and community welfare.
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Panel discussions throughout the day focused on:
- Experiences of social entrepreneurs
- Long-term CSR partnerships and funding models
- Impact investor perspectives on scalable social enterprises
Speakers emphasised that measurable impact and cross-sector collaboration are critical to scaling social innovation in India.
The NCSI 2025 winners across categories were:
- Tribal Category: RISE Foundation (Acharya Rushikesh Sopan Khilare)
- Rural Category: Wingrow Agritech (Vrinda Borkar)
- Urban Category: Social Compact (Sonvi A. Khanna)
Awards were presented by Dr Raghunath Mashelkar, Maj Gen Nitin Gadkari (Retd.), and Prashant Girbane. The winners were celebrated for advancing sustainable, scalable, and community-led solutions.
Purpose-Driven Innovation
Maj. Gen. Nitin Gadkari (Retd.), Director of PIC, delivered the vote of thanks, acknowledging finalists, winners, experts, and partners. He emphasised that economic growth must align with equity and reaffirmed PIC’s commitment to strengthening India’s social innovation ecosystem through its Social Innovation Hub and collaborative platforms.
The 13th edition of NCSI underscored that India’s future will be shaped by grassroots innovators supported by institutions, funders, and partnerships that prioritise inclusion and long-term societal impact.
