FAQ

About the Prize


Emerging Ventures


Established Organizations

  • Does the Piramal Prize accept entries that focus on global healthcare issues?
  • The Piramal Prize specifically focuses on entrepreneurial innovations that address the health crisis in India. We welcome global models, but entries must also address a specific challenge on-the-ground in India.
  • What do you mean by 'democratize healthcare'?
  • The Piramal Prize was created to encourage and reward solutions that bring highest standards of health within the reach of all socio-economic classes of India. We encourage you to define the term as it makes most sense to you. To us, 'Democratizing healthcare' means reducing the disproportionate burden of disease that is associated with poverty or geography: creating better health outcomes accessible to more people in more places than ever before. We encourage innovations that directly provide healthcare services, indirectly reduce the cost of maintain health, or any other creative ideas that provides access to better health and life expectancy.
  • What exactly does the Rs. 10,00,000 prize mean?
  • There are two prizes, one for each category. For Established Organizations, the prize is a cash contribution to the organization. For Emerging Ventures, the prize is seed funding that is disbursed on a mutually decided timeline, and may be considered an equity investment if the winning entrant is a for-profit enterprise.
  • Can entries be based on charitable (donation-driven) models?
  • Purely donation-driven organizations are discouraged. Not-for-profit models are encouraged to apply, but must involve a revenue source that is not wholly dependent upon donations. While charitable models are often effective in social development, the Piramal Prize strongly believes that true democratization of the Indian health system will only be enabled by self-sufficient models. Therefore, all Piramal Prize entries should look to both maximize social impact and be financially sustainable.
  • Will there be 2 prizes given for Piramal Prize 2010?
  • Yes, there will be 2 prizes given for Piramal Prize 2010, one for Emerging Ventures, and another for Established Organizations. Details of each type of group are detailed in the About Page.
  • Will my application be viewable to the public?
  • Applications will not be viewable to the public or disclosed to any third party organization. All materials will be held in the strictest of confidence with CIIE and Piramal Foundation.
  • Can I make changes to my application?
  • Yes. There are two options during the application process: Save and Submit. If you do not SUBMIT, your application may be modified until the deadline of 11:59 PM IST on August 15, 2010. Once you click SUBMIT, your application can no longer be modified. If you have already submitted your application please contact support@piramalprize.org for any questions.
  • Who will be judging entries?
  • Entries at all stages will be judged by prominent practitioners in the field of healthcare, social entrepreneurship, business, as well as academic experts from the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad.
  • Can individuals/teams outside of India apply?
  • Yes. Entries from international applicants are encouraged, but must address healthcare issues on-the-ground in India.
  • Can we nominate our own organization in Category - Established Organizations?
  • Yes, self-nomination is encouraged.
  • For the Established Organizations Category - how will entries be evaluated?
  • The Piramal Prize Jury will short list organizations by evaluating the nomination form, available public information, and conversations with the nominee. Members of the Piramal Prize evaluation team will visit shortlisted organizations before the Jury determines the recipient.