CII Startup Champion Awards 2026

Supported by Qualcomm

Under 12th CII Industrial IP Awards 2026

Background

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), under the prestigious 12th CII Industrial IP Awards 2026, is proud to introduce the CII Startup Champion Awards 2026, supported by Qualcomm. This initiative has been conceptualized to recognize, encourage, and celebrate startups that are effectively leveraging Intellectual Property (IP) as a strategic business tool to drive innovation, create competitive advantage, and build sustainable enterprises.

As India rapidly evolves into a global innovation and technology hub, startups are playing a pivotal role in shaping the country's innovation ecosystem through cutting-edge research, product development, technological advancement, design innovation, and brand creation. Recognizing this transformation, the CII Startup Champion Awards aim to provide a national platform for emerging enterprises to gain visibility, industry recognition, and strategic encouragement for their IP-driven journey.

Purpose of the Awards

The primary objective of the award is to promote the importance of Intellectual Property among emerging startups and foster a culture of innovation-led growth in India. Through this initiative, CII aims to identify and showcase startups that have demonstrated exemplary efforts in creating, protecting, managing, and commercializing IP assets such as patents, trademarks, and industrial designs. The award also seeks to highlight the role of IP in strengthening business value, attracting investments, enhancing market positioning, and enabling global competitiveness.

Award Categories

Startup Categories

SECTOR IP PORTFOLIO COVERED
Engineering/Manufacturing Sector Patents (P), Trademarks (TM), Designs (D)
Life Sciences & Agriculture (Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology) Patents (P), Trademarks (TM)
ICT & Services Sector Patents (P), Trademarks (TM)

IP Portfolios Covered

Patents P
Designs D
Trademarks TM

Evaluation Process

CII Industrial IP Awards is a Five-stage funnel process:

Stage 1: Application Review & Validation
Stage 2: Expert Panel Assessment
Stage 3: Jury-based Scoring
Stage 4: Shortlisting and Validation
Stage 5: Final Selection

How To Apply

  • REGISTRATION – The applicant needs to register through link in website by filling up the form, which includes details about the organization.
    Register on CII IP Awards website: http://ciiipr.in/IP-Awards/
  • SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION – After registration, the applicant must fill up the application form, according to the categories.
  • PARTICIPATION FEE – No Participation fee involved.
  • DOCUMENT SUBMISSION – While submitting the application, the applicant also needs to share/upload the relevant documents.

Why To Participate

Benefits For All Applicants

  • Report card with feedback on the IP status of the company
  • First-hand information of all IP and start-up related initiatives of CII
  • 10% discount for taking services from CII's National IP Facilitation Centres
  • Certificate of Participation

Key Benefits

  • Gain national recognition as an IP-driven startup
  • Enhance visibility among industry leaders, investors, and policymakers
  • Showcase innovation excellence and strengthen market credibility
  • Demonstrate strategic use of Intellectual Property for business growth
  • Build connections with industry experts, academia, and innovation stakeholders

Benefits For Winners

  • Trophy and Certificate
  • Detailed case study in the CII Industrial IP Awards Compendium of CII Industrial IP Awards 2026, disseminated widely to government / media / foreign embassies / industry / other relevant stakeholders
  • Use of CII Industrial IP Awards logo for marketing and promotion of business
  • Promotion through CII's website, social media and other channels
  • Promotion through CII platforms (national and international) as one of the top IP-driven organizations
  • Opportunity for taking leadership role in CII's National Committee related to Intellectual Property

Schedule

Milestone Dates
Announcement of Awards 16th February 2026
Last date for Submission of Applications (Along with Fees) 15th June 2026
Announcement of Results and Award Ceremony December 2026

*The award ceremony date is subject to change and will be announced at least one month prior to the date of the event.

For more details please contact:

CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRY
The Mantosh Sondhi Centre
23, Lodhi Road Institutional Area
New Delhi-110003

Mr. Shwetabh Raj
Associate Counsellor, CII
Email: shwetabh.raj@cii.in
M: +91-95659 17648
Ms. Nabanita Mukherjee
Director, CII
Email: nabanita.mukherjee@cii.in
M: +91-9910209252