Shishir Joshi, chief convener of Mumbai Climate Week and founder-CEO of Project Mumbai, has joined the nine-member Earthshot Prize India Advisory Council ahead of the global environmental initiative’s awards events in Mumbai on November 16 and 17.
The council will help shape The Earthshot Prize’s programmes and partnerships in India, with a focus on helping climate and environmental solutions secure funding, networks and partnerships needed to expand. The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 17.
India has more Earthshot Prize finalists and winners than any other country, while more than 300 Indian solutions are part of the initiative’s wider nominee portfolio, according to the report. The council’s stated ambition is to support the scaling of these solutions and contribute to The Earthshot Prize’s goal of reaching one billion people in India.
“India is home to some of the most promising environmental solutions and climate leaders, demonstrating that economic growth and environmental progress can go hand in hand,” Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, said. He added that the India Advisory Council would help deepen the organisation’s engagement in the country, build partnerships and amplify solutions with the potential for lasting impact.
Joshi said the council would focus on creating a more reliable route for climate solutions to move from working ideas to larger-scale implementation. “India has never had a shortage of solutions. What it has lacked is a reliable route from a working idea to the money and the networks that let it scale. That is the work this council can do,” he said.
The council includes philanthropist and business leader Roshni Nadar; Shloka Nath of Dorahi; Ishwar Narayanan of The Nature Conservancy; sustainable investment expert Riddhima Yadav; and Mayank Sen of the Serum Institute of India. It also includes Kaushik Kappagantulu of Kheyti, which won the 2022 Earthshot Prize; Nidhi Pant of S4S Technologies, a 2023 winner; and Kaushik Deb of Gujarat ETS, a 2025 finalist.
Launched by Prince William in 2020, The Earthshot Prize recognises solutions across five categories: nature, clean air, oceans, waste-free living and climate. It identifies 15 solutions each year, with five winners receiving £1 million each.
The Mumbai events will place the city at the centre of an international climate innovation platform while linking the awards to the larger question of how environmental solutions can move beyond recognition and reach communities at scale. The second Mumbai Climate Week, convened by Project Mumbai, is scheduled for February 23 to 26, 2027, at the Jio World Convention Centre. It is expected to bring together governments, businesses, financial institutions, innovators and climate leaders, with a focus on the Global South.
