From Jury Rooms to the Field: How Marico Innovation Foundation is tracking innovation in action

At Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF), the work of identifying and scaling high-potential innovations is rooted in evaluation and rigorous validation on the ground.

This approach came together across several MIF initiatives in recent weeks — from the Round 1 Jury Deliberations for Indian Innovation Icons 2027 to the ongoing agri-tech pilot in Uttar Pradesh, conversations on the future of plastics recycling, and innovations working towards cleaner air.

Indian Innovation Icons 2027: Round 1 Jury Deliberations Concluded

As MIF’s flagship biennial platform enters its 11th edition, Indian Innovation Icons 2027 continues its mission of recognising high-impact innovations across the Business and Social sectors. 

With Round 1 deliberations officially concluded, a distinguished panel of industry leaders gathered to evaluate the applications across four key areas: 

1. Innovation: Evaluated for proprietary tech, novel models, or first-of-its-kind approaches that address critical challenges and create meaningful impact. 
2. Impact: Tested for measurable, real-world outcomes and the ability to create meaningful impact at scale.
3. Scalability: Analyzed for a clear, sustainable roadmap to expand across diverse geographies, sectors, and high-demand markets without losing effectiveness.
4. Long-term Viability: Assessed for financial health, regulatory compliance, and operational stability over time.

The next stage takes the process from evaluation to verification. Shortlisted innovations will undergo on-ground due diligence by MIF’s Knowledge Partner, Deloitte, to understand their operations and evaluate their impact.

Plastics Recycling Show 2026: Smarter Systems, Stronger Inclusion

At the Plastics Recycling Show 2026 in Mumbai, Varun Hangloo, Head – Scale-Up & New Initiatives at Marico Innovation Foundation, joined industry leaders Nitin Agrawal, Global Operations Head, Plastic Business, Gravita; Dr. P.S. Kumar, Group CEO and Executive Director, Prithivi Grow Care; and Shwetha Munegowda, Founder, Yujir Planet Competencies, for a discussion moderated by Sandip Singh, Founder & CEO, Ishitva Robotic Systems on the future of plastics recycling in India.

Speaking on “Smart Recycling Systems: AI, Digital Traceability & India’s EPR Future – Are MRFs and Waste Pickers Ready?”, Varun highlighted three areas that will be important to the future of India’s recycling ecosystem.

• The first is the need to design technology with waste pickers in mind. As an essential part of India’s recycling economy, their experience and needs must be considered as new technologies and automated systems are built.
• The second is better access to data. An anonymised, polymer-level database could help recyclers, Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and brands better track materials across the recycling chain.
• The third is expanding attention beyond PET to materials such as HDPE and PP, while strengthening MRF infrastructure to support greater recycling capacity.

Together, these areas point to a recycling system that is more efficient, inclusive and capable of supporting India’s growing needs.

Understanding Agri-Tech Through the Farmer’s Experience 

MIF’s Krishi Innovation Program continues to test technology where adoption depends on trust, usability, and everyday realities.

The program examines the human and economic factors that shape technology adoption, with a focus on solutions that can work in real-world agricultural contexts.

• The Adopter Experience: Documenting how tools such as AgroGrade, Cold Easy Box, and Saptkrishi impact everyday livelihoods—evaluating hours saved, reduced dependence on manual labor, and extended crop freshness
• The Non-Adopter Perspective: Capturing why some farmers hesitated or discontinued usage. This includes understanding operational hurdles, upfront costs, storage space, and community trust, so future solutions can be designed around farmers’ realities.

Innovations Working Towards Cleaner Air 

Innovation is also playing an important role in addressing air pollution, with several MIF Scale-Up startups developing solutions that tackle different sources of emissions and waste. For the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, MIF highlighted three such innovations.

From Ideas to Impact

Across these initiatives, one theme remains clear: the strength of an innovation is measured by how well it works in the real world.

From the jury room of Indian Innovation Icons 2027 to farms in Uttar Pradesh, recycling centres and industrial facilities, MIF continues to identify and support solutions that address real challenges and have the potential to create lasting impact.

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