Nasscom announced the launch of the inaugural edition of Makers Honor, India’s most prestigious recognition for engineers, developers and technologists who power the country’s $224 billion tech export industry. At a time when the nation celebrates founders, valuations, and IPOs, this initiative shines a spotlight on the unsung heroes, the builders, optimizers, and quiet revolutionaries whose work sustains the present and defines the future of technology.
This initiative is guided by a distinguished council of India’s most respected technologists — Nandini Harinath (Scientist, ISRO), Anand Deshpande (Founder, Persistent Systems), Kailash Nadh (CTO, Zerodha), and Ankit Mehta (CEO & Co-Founder, Ideaforge Technology Ltd). With GitHub as the outreach partner, it will spotlight engineering excellence across AI and DeepTech, large-scale digital infrastructure, open-source innovation, and societal impact solutions.
Nandini Harinath, Scientist, ISRO, “Some of the greatest leaps in science and society are made not in the spotlight, but in silence. The Makers Honor is an excellent initiative from Nasscom to celebrate minds who push the boundaries of possibility and bring science and technology closer to everyday life.”
Anand Deshpande, Founder, Persistent Systems, “Engineering is not just about building systems, but also about solving the right problems with creativity and compassion. This is a tribute to those who build with skill, vision and create impact that transcends code and systems.”
Kailash Nadh, Chief Technology Officer, Zerodha, said, “I am happy that Nasscom is shedding light on the people who actually push technology forward meaningfully-the engineers. This is a refreshing break from the Indian industry’s relentless techno-business obsession.”
Ankit Mehta, CEO & Co-Founder, IdeaForge said, “India’s engineers have always risen to meet the world’s most complex challenges with extraordinary ingenuity and resilience, but often without fanfare. Through Makers Honor, we are recognizing not just technical excellence but also the spirit of problem-solving and purposeful innovation that drives our nation forward. This initiative will inspire young minds to dream beyond conventional boundaries and reaffirm the pivotal role of engineers as the architects of a better, more inclusive future.”
Martin Woodward, VP, Developer Relations at GitHub, said, “Software is shaping the future, and with more than 18 million developers building on GitHub in India and the second-largest contributor to open source, the country is leading the charge. We are honoured to partner with Nasscom to help them bring much deserved recognition to the individuals who are driving this global technological revolution from the cities, towns and villages all across India.”
The initiative is co-curated by author and journalist Pankaj Mishra, who has tracked India’s technology industry for over two and a half decades, inspired by the engineers behind it—and driven by a shared belief that great engineering deserves to be seen as a cultural and social force.
The Makers Honor will identify and celebrate exceptional engineers across five foundational domains:
1. The Innovators – Visionaries redefining industries with groundbreaking technologies, new business models, and pioneering solutions for Viksit Bharat, sustainability, and healthcare innovation.
2. The Scale Builders – Engineers behind platforms that serve billions, power national digital public goods, and safeguard mission-critical systems.
3. The Open-Source Titans – Contributors advancing global ecosystems with India-first AI/ML frameworks, secure open infrastructure, and collaborative technology foundations.
4. The AI & Deep-Tech Pioneers – Builders pushing the frontiers of science and advanced technologies across AI, space tech, life sciences, autonomous systems, and next-generation materials.
5. The Problem Solvers – Engineers addressing societal, environmental, and civic challenges through impactful digital solutions for inclusion, water security, disaster resilience, and more.
A special Jury Spotlight Award will further recognize extraordinary engineering contributions that may not fit conventional categories but carry deep national significance.
The inaugural edition was unveiled at the Nasscom Tech Developers Confluence which brought together coders, architects, researchers, and student innovators for a full day of hands-on exploration. Earlier last month, Nasscom also announced two dedicated hackathons, offering developers the opportunity to build real-world solutions around critical industry challenges.
The first award is to be presented at the Nasscom Technology & Leadership Forum 2026. About Nasscom
Nasscom represents the voice of over $284bn technology industry in India with the vision to establish the nation as the world’s leading technology ecosystem. Boasting a diverse and influential community of over 3500 member companies our network spans the entire spectrum of the industry from DeepTech and AI start ups to multinationals and from products to services, Global Capability Centres to Engineering firms. Guided by our vision, our strategic imperatives are to accelerate skilling at scale for future-ready talent, strengthen the innovation quotient across industry verticals, create new market opportunities – both international and domestic, drive policy advocacy to advance innovation and ease of doing business, and build the industry narrative with a focus on Trust, and innovation. And, in everything we do, we will continue to champion the need for diversity and equal opportunity.
