Entries Open: Nasscom Inclusion Awards 2026 (India)

Nasscom Inclusion Awards 2026 Overview

The Nasscom Inclusion Awards 2026 honor organizations and professionals that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to creating inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplaces within India’s technology ecosystem.

Aligned with the Nasscom DEI Charter, the awards recognize initiatives that promote equal opportunity, inclusive leadership, employee well-being, and sustainable organizational growth. They celebrate companies and individuals whose policies and practices create measurable impact across workforce diversity and inclusion.

Purpose

The awards aim to:

• Recognize excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• Promote gender inclusion and women’s leadership in technology.
• Encourage workplace diversity beyond gender.
• Support inclusive organizational culture and employee well-being.
• Highlight innovative inclusion strategies with measurable outcomes.
• Encourage leadership accountability for diversity and inclusion.
• Inspire the technology industry to adopt inclusive workplace practices.

Award Categories / Focus Areas

The awards recognize excellence across four major categories.

Gender Inclusion Excellence Award (Including Women in Tech)

This category recognizes organizations that:

• Increase women’s representation in the workforce.
• Promote women into leadership positions.
• Support career growth for women in technology.
• Implement inclusive hiring, retention, and advancement strategies.

Pioneering Inclusion Initiative Award (Diversity Beyond Gender)

This category honors initiatives supporting:

• Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
• LGBTQIA+ communities.
• Neurodivergent professionals.
• Other underrepresented workforce groups.
• Equal opportunity and accessible workplaces.

Culture & Well-being Excellence Award

This category recognizes organizations that promote:

• Inclusive workplace culture.
• Employee engagement.
• Mental well-being.
• Physical well-being.
• Financial well-being.
• Community well-being.
• Psychological safety and belonging.

Women Honour Awards – Innovators, Leaders and Allies

This category recognizes individuals who:

• Advance women’s leadership.
• Promote gender equality.
• Support women in technology.
• Serve as inclusion champions and allies.
• Drive innovation through inclusive leadership.

Award Benefits

Successful applicants receive opportunities to:

• Gain national recognition for inclusion excellence.
• Showcase successful DEI initiatives.
• Benchmark inclusion practices against industry leaders.
• Receive expert jury evaluation and feedback.
• Access data-driven insights to strengthen inclusion strategies.
• Build credibility within India’s technology ecosystem.
• Network with industry leaders, experts, and peers.
• Inspire other organizations through best practices.

Who is Eligible?

Organizations

Eligible organizations include:

• Technology services companies.
• BPM companies.
• Product and platform companies.
• Engineering Research & Development (ER&D) organizations.
• Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
• Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
• Startups.
• Organizations based in India.
• International organizations with offices in India where the nominated initiatives operate within India.

Organizations should demonstrate:

• Meaningful diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• Measurable inclusion outcomes.
• Sustainable workplace inclusion practices.

Individuals

Eligible applicants include:

• Women technologists.
• Technology innovators.
• Organizational leaders.
• Inclusion champions.
• Allies supporting women’s advancement.
• Professionals contributing to inclusive leadership and workplace equality.

Application Process

Applicants should:

• Select the most appropriate award category.
• Prepare evidence demonstrating measurable inclusion outcomes.
• Document policies, initiatives, and organizational impact.
• Complete the award application.
• Submit supporting documentation within the application timeline.

How the Awards Work (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Review the Award Categories

Identify the category that best reflects your organization’s initiatives or individual achievements.

Step 2: Confirm Eligibility

Ensure your organization or individual nomination meets the programme requirements.

Step 3: Prepare Supporting Evidence

Collect documentation such as:

• Inclusion policies.
• Workforce diversity data.
• Employee engagement initiatives.
• Leadership programmes.
• DEI metrics.
• Case studies.
• Impact reports.

Step 4: Complete the Application

Provide detailed information about your initiatives, achievements, measurable outcomes, and organizational impact.

Step 5: Submit the Entry

Submit the completed application along with all required supporting documents before the deadline.

Step 6: Jury Evaluation

Applications are reviewed by an expert jury based on innovation, measurable outcomes, leadership, sustainability, and overall impact.

Step 7: Recognition

Selected organizations and individuals receive recognition as leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion within India’s technology sector.

Why It Matters

The Nasscom Inclusion Awards help to:

• Strengthen diversity and inclusion across India’s technology industry.
• Promote equal opportunities for underrepresented groups.
• Encourage women to pursue leadership roles in technology.
• Foster healthier, more inclusive workplace cultures.
• Recognize organizations achieving measurable DEI outcomes.
• Support sustainable business growth through inclusive leadership.
• Share successful practices that inspire industry-wide transformation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

• Selecting the wrong award category.
• Submitting applications without measurable outcomes.
• Providing incomplete supporting documentation.
• Focusing only on policies without demonstrating impact.
• Ignoring employee well-being initiatives.
• Failing to provide diversity metrics or evidence.
• Submitting incomplete or unclear applications.

Tips for a Strong Application

To improve your chances of success:

• Choose the category that best aligns with your achievements.
• Demonstrate measurable DEI outcomes using data.
• Include evidence of long-term organizational impact.
• Highlight leadership commitment to inclusion.
• Showcase innovative workplace practices.
• Provide clear examples of employee benefits and business outcomes.
• Review the application thoroughly before submission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What are the Nasscom Inclusion Awards 2026?

The Nasscom Inclusion Awards recognize organizations and individuals advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across India’s technology sector through measurable workplace initiatives and leadership.

2. Who can apply for the awards?

Technology companies, BPM firms, startups, SMEs, ER&D organizations, Global Capability Centres, product companies, and eligible individuals such as women technologists, leaders, and allies can apply.

3. What areas do the awards recognize?

The awards recognize achievements in gender inclusion, diversity beyond gender, workplace culture, employee well-being, women’s leadership, and inclusive organizational practices.

4. Are international companies eligible?

Yes. Organizations headquartered outside India may apply if they have offices in India and the nominated initiatives are implemented within the country.

5. What benefits do award recipients receive?

Recipients gain industry recognition, benchmarking opportunities, expert jury feedback, networking opportunities, and valuable insights to strengthen their diversity and inclusion strategies.

6. What makes a strong award application?

A strong application demonstrates measurable outcomes, leadership commitment, innovative inclusion practices, documented impact, and clear evidence supporting diversity and inclusion achievements.

7. Why are the Nasscom Inclusion Awards important?

The awards encourage organizations to build inclusive workplaces, develop diverse talent, strengthen leadership, improve employee well-being, and drive sustainable innovation within India’s technology ecosystem.

Conclusion

The Nasscom Inclusion Awards 2026 celebrate organizations and individuals that are transforming India’s technology sector through meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. By recognizing measurable achievements in inclusive leadership, workplace culture, employee well-being, and equal opportunity, the awards encourage organizations to create environments where diverse talent can thrive, innovate, and contribute to long-term sustainable growth.