Earthshot Prize 2026: Mumbai to Host First-Ever India Edition

The Earthshot Prize 2026 is expected to take place in Mumbai from 16-17 November, thus becoming the first event of the prize in India. Established in 2020 by Prince William, this international environmental project aims to provide innovative solutions to the major ecological problems. The sixth annual Awards Night will be held on 17 November, along with the summit of environmentalists, investors, and businesses. It will focus on five areas: nature restoration, clean air, ocean conservation, waste reduction, and climate solutions.

What Is the Earthshot Prize?

The Earthshot Prize was established in 2020 by Prince William with the aim to find, reward, and support the solutions that will be able to restore the planet by 2030. The idea came from the inspiration of the ambitious Moonshot program, and its goal is to stimulate practical ecological innovations which could be extended.

Every year, fifteen finalists are chosen from five spheres; in each sphere, there is a winner, who will get £1 million to extend or scale up their solution. Each finalist also gets access to knowledge, network, and support to ensure further dissemination of innovations.

The Five Earthshot Prize Categories

1. Protect and Restore Nature

Awards solutions that will protect the ecosystems, conserve biodiversity and restore degraded environments.

2. Clean Our Air

Celebrates innovations for reducing air pollution to help communities have clean air.

3. Revive Our Oceans

Celebrates innovations for protecting marine ecosystems and improving the condition of our oceans.

4. Build a Waste-Free World

Promotes waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

5. Fix Our Climate

Acknowledges innovations that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

India’s Record in the Earthshot Prize

India has seven Earthshot Prize finalists, among them four winners, according to the organization’s official information. These projects show how Indian entrepreneurs and inventors contribute to solving environmental problems, including agricultural waste, soil restoration, nature protection and air pollution.

There are some examples of Indian finalists and winners are,

Earthshot Prize 2026: Mumbai Summit and Awards Night

The 2026 program includes a multi-day summit which will bring together environmental experts, businesses, investors and philanthropists to talk about scaling up environmental solutions that work.

The Serum Institute of India is the official sponsor of the 2026 Summit.

The Awards Night will take place on 17 November 2026. Bollywood director Karan Johar will host the event, and the British pop band Take That will participate in the performance line-up.

The event’s exclusive live streaming partner will be Prime Video. The ceremony is expected to be shown in more than 240 countries and territories in 40 different languages.

The choice of Mumbai city ties this event to India’s environment innovation network.