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Being the flagship award, the benchmark that we set for this category was higher than the others. A person or organisation should have brought about a far-reaching change in society in the last year or two to qualify for it.
Considering that India has seen some pathbreaking initiatives in the last couple of years, we got some strong nominations, including an individual, a federal body, India’s largest private company, a public sector company and a government organisation, all of which have brought about a significant transformation in their chosen field of work.
The nominees for the Changemaker of the Year award are:
Reliance Jio: If there is one reason why India leapfrogged from 155th position in mobile broadband penetration to becoming the world’s largest mobile data consumer in a year’s time, it is Reliance Jio. Its launch has seen data prices crash and data usage rise thereby changing the lives of people both in cities and rural India.
Nandan Nilekani: The Infosys co-founder spearheaded the biggest social project on earth — Unique identification for more than a billion Indians. Today, thanks to Aadhaar, the government is able to target its subsidies better and reduce its subsidy bill.
GST Council : But for this federal body’s success in stitching together a national consensus, India’s biggest indirect tax reform – the Goods and Service Tax, would not have become a reality. That all decisions leading to its launch were taken by consensus, despite a fragmented polity, speaks volumes about its work.
Indian Space Research Organisation: By successfully deploying its indigenously developed cryogenic technology in the last two years, India’s space agency has stormed into the lucrative communication satellite launch market. Also, its array of satellites has helped India further its communication, broadcasting, navigation and disaster-management capabilities.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI): Today, if people can make payments or transfer money at a click of a button, it is because of UPI. The interface is at the forefront of the government’s effort to expand the formal economy by reducing cash transactions.
The winners of the Changemaker awards will be announced at a function in New Delhi on March 16
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