What India’s trailblazing innovators taught us in 2025

When do bold ideas become real breakthroughs? If the conversations we had with founders, entrepreneurs and folks working on the ground are anything to go by, the answer is: when they stay anchored in real problems and real people.

As 2025 comes to a close and a familiar recap starts—this  Best of Innowin edition is full of the most resonant ideas, convictions, and lived experiences that will hold true for a long time to come. 

These innovators come from varied sectors spanning deeptech, education, accessibility, sustainability—but are united by one truth: Innovation must deliver real impact. Here is what they have taught us.

Innovation begins with Purpose

We are not innovating because we want to be cool. We’re doing it because multi-layered plastics need recycling, and waste-pickers deserve dignity. – Anish Malpani, Without by Ashaya

Purpose is not an afterthought. It’s the engine. For Without by Ashaya, it meant building a business that was as much about the livelihoods of waster-pickers as it was about materials science. 

For Rocket Learning, another winner of MIF’s Indian Innovation Icons Award 2025, purpose meant making early childhood education joyful and accessible to every parent with a smartphone. And for the AssisTech Foundation (ATF), it meant putting the lived experiences of people with disabilities at the centre of their accelerator model.

Purpose—for each of these entrepreneurs wasn’t an add-on. It was the starting point. 

Collaboration isn’t optional. It’s everything.

Every innovator spoke about the power of collaboration.

ATF credits much of its progress to the “Friends of ATF” network, comprising corporates, academics, investors, policymakers, and disability organisations, which helps shape its accelerator model.

Rocket Learning scaled through early government collaborations, while Astrome expanded with the support of BSNL, the Indian Navy, and system integrators. Indra Water refined its electrochemical water treatment technology through industry pilots with companies such as the Aditya Birla Group, Unilever, and Tata Steel.

Ashu Suyash, founder of Colossa Ventures and jury member for the Indian Innovation Icon awards, views collaboration as key to advancing sustainability goals. “With full ecosystem cooperation, we could transform supply chains with better traceability and governance,” she says.

Mentorship moves the needle

Growth isn’t solo. It’s a relay. – Azeez Gupta, Rocket Learning

Through its Scale Up program, Marico Innovation Foundation has provided bespoke and in-depth mentorship to startups, connecting them with mentors and networks who help them navigate the complexities of compliance, hiring, and business models.

Krunal Patel of Indra Water underscored the impact of this guidance on market strategy, financing, and new applications for their technology. “Their insights on navigating challenges in a growing company, making the right connections, and unlocking new opportunities have been instrumental in our growth,” Patel remarked. ATF points out how advisors helped shape strategy, refine operations, and guide the startup to success.

Innovation is built with people

Insight lives on the ground, not on a whiteboard.

From waste-pickers to parents, Anganwadi workers, industrial operators, and rural communities—user feedback was more than validation. It was direction.

Rocket Learning redesigned content formats because “parents were annotating worksheets directly on WhatsApp.” Indra Water emphasised that technology is always about people, not just the product—whether it’s building a  team, growing a business or solving real-world problems.

Bhaktha Keshavachar of Chara Technologies points out that execution matters as much as invention: “Building a great product is just one part of the journey; getting it into the hands of customers and creating real impact is what truly drives success.”

Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones

Respect experience, but don’t let it cage you. – Anish Malpani, Without by Ashaya

Every innovator we spoke to had a version of this story: pilots that failed, doubts that lingered, and pivots that hurt. What got them through? Not just passion, but persistence and a willingness to ask hard questions. Also, a refusal to give up after the first (or fifth) failed prototype.

Real innovation, we learnt, doesn’t come from a moment of genius. It comes from sticking with the hard stuff.

Impact and Scale can grow together

Astrome aims to connect 5,000+ villages through high-speed wireless networks. Indra Water targets ₹500 crore in revenue while expanding across Asia and the Middle East. Chara Technologies is ramping up to manufacture 2,000 rare-earth-free EV motors per month. ATF is building India’s first AT-specific seed fund. Rocket Learning is working toward reaching 50 million children with Appu, their AI-powered learning buddy.

These aren’t just growth plans. They are proof that India’s best innovations can go big without losing soul.

Innovation without empathy is incomplete

Disruptive innovation goes beyond technology; it’s about meaningful transformation. – Ashu Suyash, Colossa Ventures 

Whether it was the dignity of waste-pickers, the aspirations of rural learners, or the rights of persons with disabilities — empathy shaped every solution we feature here. Innovation is not just about what we build. It’s about who we build it for.

🙌 From all of us at MIF

Thank you for being part of the InnoWin community in 2025. We hope these stories stay with you, spark ideas, and fuel change. Here’s to a 2026 where innovation is more inclusive, fearless, and transformative.

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