Amrita University’s Project Wins Best Innovator Award at World Sustainable Development Summit

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has been honoured at the 25th World Sustainable Development Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where its “Blue is the New Pink” ocean farming initiative received the SGP Best Innovator Award. The recognition was conferred under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), a global partnership that supports community-based environmental initiatives. The award highlights the university’s work in advancing women-led climate action and sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities.
The project is implemented by the Center for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality (CWEGE) at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham – a pioneering research center, honoured with UNESCO Chair since 2016. The award was received on behalf of the university by Dr. Bhavani Rao R., the project director, during a ceremony held at the Taj Palace New Delhi.
The award recognises the project’s innovative contributions to environmental conservation through grassroots initiatives led by women. By integrating ocean-based farming with life-skills and entrepreneurship training, the program supports coastal women in developing sustainable livelihoods while contributing to ecological restoration. Through seaweed cultivation and strengthening value chains, the initiative enhances the resilience of coastal communities while advancing greater economic independence for women.
Through the initiative, women’s collectives cultivate seaweed and convert the harvest into value-added products such as pickles and soaps, which are marketed locally and nationally. The project has also contributed to the restoration of more than six hectares of seagrass meadows and the cleaning of 12 kilometres of coastline, supporting the protection of fragile marine ecosystems.
Beyond cultivation, the project provides comprehensive training for participating women, including swimming, seaweed farming techniques, processing, product development and marketing. The aim is to equip participants with the skills needed to become self-reliant entrepreneurs within the emerging blue economy.
The initiative is implemented under the SGP with support from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of the India, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Additional co-financing support has been provided by ESRI and Transworld Group.
Project team members noted that the guidance of Amrita University Chancellor Mata Amritanandamayi Devi and the leadership of Dr. Bhavani Rao R. were instrumental to the initiative’s success. Receiving the award during the Summit’s Silver Jubilee, they added, made the recognition particularly meaningful.
Representatives of CWEGE said the recognition would encourage more women to engage in climate action and environmental stewardship in the years ahead.