The Earthshot Prize and Serum Institute Of India join forces to back climate innovation at Mumbai Summit 2026

The Earthshot Prize and Serum Institute Of India
Join Forces to Back Climate Innovation
at Mumbai Summit 2026

MUMBAI, INDIA - 30 September 2026: The Earthshot Prize has announced Serum Institute of India as a principal sponsor of its 2026 Summit in Mumbai, bringing together two organisations committed to supporting innovation with the potential to improve lives at scale. The collaboration will support a global gathering of environmental innovators, investors, philanthropists and business leaders focused on accelerating solutions to the world's most pressing environmental challenges.

The Earthshot Prize Summit Mumbai 2026 will be a key part of the programme, creating opportunities for leaders across sectors to build collaborations and mobilise support for environmental solutions.

Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, said: "India has an extraordinary track record of turning ambitious ideas into solutions that improve lives at scale. As we bring The Earthshot Prize to Mumbai for the first time, we are delighted to welcome Serum Institute of India as a principal sponsor of the Summit. Their global experience in taking breakthrough solutions from innovation to impact reflects the ambition at the heart of The Earthshot Prize. Together, we want to help environmental innovators connect with the people collaborations and support that can help their solutions go further, faster."

Adar C. Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India, said: "Some of the world's greatest challenges can only be addressed when bold ideas are backed with the resources and collaborations needed to make them accessible at scale. We are proud to support The Earthshot Prize Summit in Mumbai and the innovators working to build a healthier and more sustainable future. India has always been a country of ingenuity and enterprise, and we look forward to seeing that spirit come together with global innovation through The Earthshot Prize."

The sponsorship builds on Serum Institute of India's wider support for scientific discovery and education. The Mumbai programme will culminate in The Earthshot Prize Awards Night, where five Winners will each receive £1 million to accelerate their environmental solutions. The event will bring together global leaders, entrepreneurs, environmental champions and cultural voices to celebrate the 15 Finalists and their work to protect and restore the planet.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The following link will allow you access to a microsite which - alongside the Matthew McConaughey trailer - features the full global press release announcing 2025 Finalists, 15 bespoke Finalist releases, and b-roll and images of every Finalist:
https://earthshotprize.canto.global/v/EarthshotPress2025/landing?viewIndex=0

About The Earthshot Prize

For more information about The Earthshot Prize, visit: www.earthshotprize.org

Follow The Earthshot Prize on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok

Founded by HRH Prince William and incubated in the The Royal Foundation in 2020 for a year before becoming an independent organisation, The Earthshot Prize is the world's most prestigious and impactful award designed to identify, back and celebrate groundbreaking leadership in environmental action. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy's Moonshot, which united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon, The Earthshot Prize is designed to mobilise a decade of action for the planet. The five challenges are: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean Our Air; Revive Our Oceans; Build a Waste-Free World; and Fix Our Climate.

The Earthshot Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism by championing inspiring leadership and helping to scale incredible cutting-edge solutions. It will discover 50 Winners over 10 years with the power to repair the planet. More than an award, The Earthshot Prize works in partnership with a Global Alliance of Partners to support the scaling of the solutions discovered and selected each year.

The Global Alliance Founding Partners are a group of leading global organisations and philanthropists, which act as strategic funding partners to the Prize, including Aga Khan Development Network, AL Philanthropies, Allen Family Philanthropies, Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Breakthrough Energy Foundation, Builders Vision, Coleman Family Ventures, DP World, Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation, Eleven Eleven Foundation, Giving Grousbeck Fazzalari, Holch Povlsen Foundation, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Rob Walton Foundation, Sandy and Paul Edgerley, Standard Chartered Bank, Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, Temasek Trust, and Uber.

Global Alliance Partners are non-profit environment and sustainable development organisations that bring expertise, global reach and serve as nominating organisations each year. For a full list of our Global Alliance Partners, visit: https://earthshotprize.org/people-partners/global-alliance/
Global Alliance Members are some of the world's largest and most influential companies and brands that will support The Earthshot Prize, implement ambitious changes within their businesses and accelerate the advancement of the solutions of The Earthshot Prize Finalists and Winners. They are Arup, Bloomberg L.P., British Airways, Deloitte, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Hitachi, Ingka Group (IKEA), Microsoft, The Multichoice Group, Natura &Co, Safaricom, Salesforce, Unilever, Vodacom Group, and Walmart.

About Serum Institute of India Private Limited (SIIPL)

Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., part of Cyrus Poonawalla Group is a global leader in vaccine manufacturing, dedicated to providing affordable vaccines worldwide. Present across 170+ countries, including the US, UK, and Europe, SII holds the distinction of being the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. SIIPL's multifunctional production and one-of-the-largest facilities in Hadapsar & Manjari, Pune, with an annual capacity of 4 billion doses, has saved over 30 million lives over the years.

Founded in 1966, SIIPL's primary mission is to produce life-saving immunobiological drugs, with a particular emphasis on affordability and accessibility. Guided by a strong commitment to improving global health, the company has played a pivotal role in reducing the prices of essential vaccines, such as Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, HIB, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. Notably, they are the manufacturers of 'Pneumosil,' the world's most affordable PCV, 'Cervavac' the first indigenous qHPV vaccine in India, and R21/Matrix-M™, the second Malaria vaccine to be authorized for use in children in malaria-endemic regions, 'MenFive', the first in the world Pentavalent (ACYWX) Meningococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine, approved and WHO-prequalified for use in the pediatric and adult population. Moreover, SIIPL has been at the forefront of the global fight against COVID-19, delivering over 2 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide.

To further expand its global presence and ensure widespread vaccine availability, SII has established Serum Life Sciences Ltd, a subsidiary in the UK and Serum Inc., a subsidiary in the US. Through relentless pursuit of innovation, SII continues to champion the cause of affordable vaccines, making a positive impact on the lives of millions worldwide. www.seruminstitute.com