Mumbai, March 17 2016: The 6th edition of the Innovation for India Awards (IIA)  instituted by the  Marico Innovation Foundation has honoured  6 winners in the business and social sectors: Agastya International Foundation, ERAM Scientific, The Better India, Concept medical, Green India Building Systems and Services (GIBSS) and xBITS.|
he  winners are selected on  4 key pillars  --uniqueness, impact, potential to scale and practicality  --by Marico's knowledge partner EY along with a board of independent jury.
The winning projects, in their respective categories are:
Social category:
·         Agastya International Foundation: Taking education to the children Agastya International Foundation’s Lab on Bike (LOB) program aims to empower India; with a trained instructor on a motorbike equipped with a Lab in a Box(LIB) - a set of 10 theme-based boxes covering a variety of topics in science moving from one village to another
·         ERAM Scientific developed e-lite 14, especially designed for schools is a modular, and pre-fabricated public toilet made up of mild steel and is integrated with user-friendly electronic interfaces to address the issue of open defecation in India
·         The Better India: India’s first media start-up, The Better India is dedicated to showcasing positive news and social development news, showcases unsung heroes, change-makers and grass-root innovations catalyzing significant on-ground impact
Business category:
·         Concept Medical developed a drug delivery device that uses a balloon to deliver Sirolimus preventing lesions in heart arteries during surgery for coronary artery disease
·         Green India Building Systems and Services (GIBSS) developed building systems that helps businesses reduce operating costs by up to 60% through a suite of energy efficient products in the area of air conditioning, hot water generation and lighting
.         xBITS developed RightBiotic, which is an affordable point-of-care (POC) device for testing antibiotic sensitivity of pathogens found in human urine leading to urinary tract infections (UTIs). The device gives the sensitivity results within 4 hours

While the innovations did take centre stage,  onother highlight was the fireside chat led by Noshir Kaka, MD, McKinsey India on ‘Disruptive Innovation ad impact on India', with Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO – OlaCabs, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder, PayTM & Haresh Chawla, Partner, India Value Fund Advisors and Ashish Hemrajani, Founder, Book My Show

Says Dr. RA Mashelkar, Honorary Chairman of the Governing Council, Marico Innovation Foundation: “With each passing award year of India for Innovation awards, I am heartened to see growing number of entries in both the social as well as the business categories. These innovations are not only driven to deliver impact at levels India needs the most, but also are at costs that can truly make them affordable for masses. Every entry we have received this year showcase the growing scientific temper in entrepreneurs and businesses, and prove that India is surely surging ahead”.
The Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF), the CSR arm of Marico Limited was setup in 2003, to foster innovations in the business and social ecosystem in India