2025 Tata Transformation Prize recognizes 3 Indian scientists driving global solutions for people and planet

New Delhi: The New York Academy of Sciences and Tata Sons have announced the Winners of the 2025 Tata Transformation Prize.

Established to advance innovation and support visionary scientists in India developing breakthrough technologies to address India’s most significant societal challenges in Food Security, Sustainability, and Healthcare, the Tata Transformation Prize aims to generate improved quality-of-life outcomes and scale up the implementation of high-reward research for India and beyond.

Selected from a competitive pool of 212 nominations spanning 27 Indian states, the three Winners were chosen by an international jury of eminent scientists, clinicians, technologists, and engineers. Each winner will receive Rs 2 crores (approximately USD 228,000) to advance their research and scale its real-world impact.

The Winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony in Mumbai in December 2025. The jury, consisting of experts from leading academic, industrial, and governmental institutions across India, the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia, included representatives from IBM Research, Biocon, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Messina (Italy), Murdoch University (Australia), the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, the National Institute of Advanced Studies, and the CSIR – Central Drug Research Institute.

2025 Tata Transformation Prize Winners

Food Security Winner: Padubidri V. Shivaprasad, PhD, National Centre for Biological Sciences

Padubidri addresses one of India’s greatest challenges: feeding a population projected to reach 1.5 billion by 2050 amid shrinking farmland and worsening climate stress. His groundbreaking work uses epigenetic engineering and small RNA–based modifications in rice, India’s primary staple crop, to enhance stress tolerance and nutritional quality.  By precisely altering the expression of key genes, Prof. Shivaprasad’s approach surpasses the limits of conventional plant breeding, which can be slow and unpredictable. His engineered rice varieties promise to reduce fertilizer and pesticide dependence, lower production costs, and improve nutrition for millions. Beyond India, this innovation offers a sustainable blueprint for staple crops worldwide in the face of global climate change.

Sustainability Winner: Balasubramanian Gopal, PhD, Indian Institute of Science

India’s growing biomanufacturing sector urgently needs cleaner, cost-effective alternatives to traditional energy-intensive chemical synthesis methods. Balasubramanian Gopal, PhD, has developed a green chemistry platform that harnesses bioengineered E. coli bacteria to produce key chemicals used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agriculture. Integrating artificial intelligence with experimental biology, his lab rapidly designs efficient enzymes and optimizes microbial strains for high yields, without antibiotics or harmful additives. This sustainable technology can replace traditional chemical manufacturing, thus reducing pollution, enhancing domestic production, and positioning India as a global leader in environmentally responsible biomanufacturing.

Healthcare Winner: Ambarish Ghosh, PhD, Indian Institute of Science

Ambarish Ghosh, PhD, is pioneering a breakthrough in cancer treatment using magnetic nanorobots – tiny, helical devices that can be safely guided through the body using magnetic fields. These nanorobots are designed to navigate complex biological environments, deliver drugs directly to tumours, and distinguish cancerous tissue from healthy cells. His team is also creating real-time imaging tools to track and steer the nanorobots during treatment. This technology promises more precise, less invasive cancer therapies with fewer side effects, with the potential to revolutionize cancer care worldwide and make advanced treatments more accessible and affordable in India and other low- and middle-income countries.

“The scientific advancements achieved by this year’s winners—on creating climate-resistant crops, sustainable bio-manufacturing, and targeting cancer with fewer side effects—are the result of years of dedication and sacrifice. Their work is significant for India, and for humanity at large,” said N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons. “The Tata Group has long believed that science and technology pave the way for larger human progress, and we are proud to support this year’s winners in their endeavour to push the frontiers of excellence.”

“The Tata Transformation Prize celebrates scientific breakthroughs with the power to address pressing societal challenges while fostering economic progress and global impact. The 2025 Winners exemplify the power of Indian science to drive meaningful global change,” said Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences. “Their innovations span biology, engineering, and sustainability, reflecting the spirit of creativity and social purpose that this prize was designed to honour.”