India’s First Rs 5 Crore ‘Zero Prize’ Targets Verified Air, Water and Land Pollution Reduction

In a shift toward performance-linked climate accountability, the Zero Prize was announced as India’s first national results-based environmental award that links financial reward directly to independently verified reductions in air, water and land pollution.

Convened by the School of Policy and Governance (SPG), the initiative is supported through philanthropic contributions, corporate CSR partnerships, and institutional stakeholders and aims to align funding with measurable environmental outcomes.

With a total corpus of Rs 5 crore, the Zero Prize will award Rs 1 crore each across three categories — Air, Water and Land to solutions that demonstrate scientifically validated pollution reduction within defined geographies.

The announcement event was held at India Habitat Centre in the presence of award-winning actor and environmental advocate Dia Mirza as Chief Guest, along with policymakers, sustainability leaders, and industry stakeholders.

The Prize is open to startups, NGOs, corporates, municipal bodies, research institutions, and individual innovators across India. Eligible applicants must implement a real-world pilot within defined urban or peri-urban contexts and undergo independent third-party monitoring and validation. Early-stage concepts without measurable on-ground execution will not qualify.

While climate commitments and sustainability capital continue to expand, organisers note that much of the ecosystem still rewards announcements, pilot-stage activity, or projected outcomes rather than independently verified environmental performance. The Zero Prize seeks to address this gap by recognising only measurable, attributable pollution reduction achieved within defined physical boundaries.

Saket Burman, Co-Founder of Zero Prize and Vice Chairman, Dabur India Ltd. said, “I am proud to support the Zero Prize, a Rs 5 Crore national challenge that encourages Indian entrepreneurship and Jugaad to come up with high impact scalable solutions.   We are looking for the proven innovations that will make India’s air, water, and land measurably cleaner for the next generation. It’s time to move beyond the boardrooms and into the field. No promises. Only results.”

Each shortlisted solution will establish a documented baseline and demonstrate quantifiable reduction over a 12-month challenge period. For air, reduction in particulate exposure within defined zones will be assessed through fixed-location monitoring systems adjusted for meteorological variation. For water, pollutant load reduction including parameters such as BOD, COD, TSS, and nutrients will be measured at defined discharge points using CPCB-aligned protocols. For land, reduction in waste leakage or improper disposal will be assessed through traceable weight-based audits and documented verification.

Ruchir Punjabi, Chair, School of Policy and Governance, added “We are looking for the disruptors who can leverage the economic opportunity of making India more livable. If you have a solution that is science-verified and ready to scale, the stage is yours. Let’s build an ecosystem where the most impactful solutions don’t just survive, they win.”

All claims will undergo independent third-party validation, with awards granted only after verified baseline-to-post-intervention environmental improvement. Key findings will be made publicly accessible.

Applications open in March 2026 and close in August 2026, with winners to be announced in February 2027 following technical evaluation, pilot implementation, and independent validation. The Prize follows a milestone-based disbursement structure aligned with successful pilot execution and verification.

The Prize is structured as an annual national initiative focused on results-based environmental recognition and performance-linked funding. The framework aligns with national missions including the National Clean Air Programme, the National Mission for Clean Ganga, and Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 by accelerating verifiable, on-ground environmental outcomes.