The Organisation for Rare Diseases India (ORDI) honoured patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers and advocacy groups for their contributions to the rare disease community at the third edition of the Rare Star Awards 2026 held in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The awards, instituted by ORDI, recognise individuals and organisations that have made notable contributions to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases through advocacy, caregiving, research, medical care, innovation and community support.

The event brought together rare disease patients and their families, doctors, researchers, policymakers, industry representatives and patient advocacy groups from across the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Prasanna Shirol, co-founder and executive director of ORDI, said the awards were intended to celebrate individuals and organisations whose efforts had made a tangible difference in the lives of rare disease patients and their families.

The awardees

Among the award recipients were Vishaka B, Balajepalli Kavya Poornima and Ruchi Pratap, who were recognised as role models living with rare diseases in different age categories. Kalamma received the caregiver award, while Vykuntaraju K.N. was honoured for excellence in medical care.

Anshu Kapoor received the volunteer award and Dr. Sheetal Ramesh Mhamunkar was recognised for contributions to rare disease research. Seba P.A. was honoured as an advocacy leader, while the ALS Care and Support Foundation received the award for patient advocacy. Nadir Aman was recognised as a genetic counsellor and Peptris was honoured in the health innovation start-up category. Pharmed received the CSR Partner Rare Award.

According to ORDI, the winners were selected by a jury from nominations received across the country. The evaluation considered factors such as personal achievements, resilience, challenges overcome, contribution to awareness generation, innovation and impact on the rare disease community.

The event also highlighted the challenges faced by an estimated 70 million people living with rare diseases in India. Speakers drew attention to issues such as delayed diagnosis, limited access to treatment, high out-of-pocket expenditure, inadequate awareness and the need for stronger policy and healthcare support systems.