The New York Academy of Sciences and Tata Sons have announced the recipients of the 2025 Tata Transformation Prize, recognizing three Indian researchers whose innovations promise major advances in food security, sustainability, and healthcare.
The annual prize supports scientists developing high-impact technologies aimed at improving quality of life in India and beyond.
Chosen from 212 nominations across 27 states, the Winners were selected by an international jury of experts in science, medicine, and engineering. Each will receive INR 2 crores (about USD 228,000) to accelerate their work, with formal recognition to follow at an awards ceremony in Mumbai later this year.
Jury members represented leading institutions including IBM Research, Biocon, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, universities in Italy and Australia, IIM Bangalore, the National Institute of Advanced Studies, and the CSIR – Central Drug Research Institute.
Food Security Award
Padubidri V. Shivaprasad, PhD – National Centre for Biological Sciences
Shivaprasad’s research tackles India’s challenge of feeding a population expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2050. Using epigenetic engineering and small RNA–based modifications in rice, his team enhances the crop’s resilience to climate stress while improving nutritional value. By precisely adjusting gene expression, his method outpaces slow, traditional breeding techniques, reducing reliance on fertilizers and pesticides and offering a scalable solution for climate-threatened crops worldwide.
Sustainability Award
Balasubramanian Gopal, PhD – Indian Institute of Science
Gopal has created a sustainable biomanufacturing platform that uses engineered E. coli to produce essential chemicals for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agriculture.
Combining AI with experimental biology, his team designs optimized enzymes and microbial strains that operate without antibiotics or environmentally harmful additives. The technology presents a cleaner alternative to energy-intensive chemical synthesis, strengthening India’s capacity for eco-friendly industrial production.
Healthcare Award
Ambarish Ghosh, PhD – Indian Institute of Science
Ghosh is developing magnetic nanorobots—microscopic helical devices guided by magnetic fields—as a novel approach to cancer treatment.
These nanorobots can navigate the body, differentiate cancer cells from healthy tissue, and deliver drugs directly to tumors. The research also includes advanced imaging tools for real-time monitoring during therapy.
The technology holds promise for more accurate, less invasive cancer care, with significant potential benefits for patients in low- and middle-income countries.
N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, praised the scientists’ achievements, noting that their work “is significant for India, and for humanity at large,” and reaffirmed the Tata Group’s commitment to advancing science and technology.
Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, highlighted the global importance of the winning projects, saying the prize recognizes innovations “with the power to address pressing societal challenges while fostering economic progress and global impact.”