Once again, we gather to celebrate the everyday heroes in our midst who, through their selfless work, have changed lives and spaces for the better. The businessline (bl) Changemaker Awards 2026 is seeking nominations for those whose actions and deeds have left a lasting impact on our world.

True change requires more than just desire. It requires action! We are looking for the silent crusaders, who have moved beyond the status quo to create real impact.

Join us as we support and celebrate those who lead the way quietly.

If you know someone who is transforming your community or making a larger impact on society, give them the recognition they deserve. Support their journey by nominating them for the businessline (bl) Changemaker Awards 2026 today.

We invite our readers to identify and nominate individuals or organisations that have ushered in meaningful social, digital, or financial transformation.

Join us in celebrating these pioneers at the Changemaker Awards 2026.

Recognising pathbreaking efforts is essential to sustaining positive global impact. Whether you know a deserving individual or are a change agent yourself, the nomination window is open. Help us celebrate the leaders of tomorrow.

Seven editions of the awards have been held since 2018, the year The Hindu businessline stepped into its 25th year of publishing.

The 2021 edition could not be held due to the pandemic. Now, the work on the 2026 edition of the Changemaker Awards has begun. The nomination window is open till June 30 midnight.

Five categories

Nominations can be made across five categories of awards — Changemaker: Social Transformation; Changemaker: Digital Transformation; Changemaker: Financial Transformation; Young Changemaker and Iconic Changemaker.

One flagship award goes to the Changemaker of the Year, which is awarded to a person or an organisation that has ushered in far-reaching change.

The process

Once the nomination window closes, the applications will be screened and evaluated by businessline along with our knowledge partners (Deloitte and Ashoka). The shortlisted nominees will be validated by our validation partner (Niiti Consulting) before the list is sent to an independent jury to pick the winners in each category.

2025 winners

In 2025, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), counted among the world’s leading defence R&D organisations and its technologies are benchmarked internationally, was Changemaker of the Year.

The Iconic Changemaker of the Year award went to Azim Premji Foundation. Over the years, Premji has donated a substantial portion of his wealth to build its endowment, with a vision to improve the lives of India’s most disadvantaged communities. Working primarily in the areas of education and health, the Foundation today has over 2,500 members and works with 1,320 partner organisations across India.

For Financial Transformation, the award went to Araku Valley Coffee. The story is deeply intertwined with the Girijan Cooperative Corporation, an organisation established in 1956 to uplift Adivasi communities in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. Recognising coffee’s potential as a sustainable alternative to traditional shifting cultivation, the GCC launched coffee cultivation programmes in the Araku Valley in the early 1970s with the help of the Coffee Board.

The award for Digital Transformation went to Bhashini - National Language Translation Mission. Bhashini is an AI powered language translation platform, bridging literacy, language and digital divides. For years, India’s digital growth was held back by the language barrier. With hundreds of tongues and dialects, millions were excluded from accessing vital digital services in their mother tongue.

The Changemaker: Social Transformation award went to Impulse NGO Network. Hasina Kharbhih, the pioneering force behind Impulse NGO Network, founded it to tackle livelihood challenges faced by vulnerable communities in the eight north-eastern states of India. And what began as a sheer determination to make a difference has now grown into a globally recognised movement which addresses unsafe migration and human trafficking.

The Young Changemaker award winners were two: Kalyani Shinde, a young computer engineer from a farming family in Lasalgaon, solved the issue of detecting rotting onions in storage, a raging problem for farmers; and Vaishali Sharma & Anil Pradhan who co-founded the Young Tinker Foundation to reimagine STEM education for students from financially humble backgrounds across India.

The awards for 2025 were given away by Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Defining the award, Raghuvir Srinivasan, Editor, businessline, said, “The Changemakers Awards recognise the exceptional work done by individuals and organisations in transforming society. Most times these individuals’ and organsitions’ work flies under the radar. This is the gap that the award seeks to address.”

If you know of a Changemaker who needs to be celebrated, now is the time to send in your nominations. Register here.

Published on May 12, 2026