Conscious Innovators 2026
Terms & Conditions

Nomination deadline: On or before 5 November 2026.

1. Organiser and acceptance

The programme is organised by Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited through Godrej Design Lab (“GDL”). By submitting a nomination, the institute and its faculty representative accept these Terms. Each named graduate accepts these Terms through a signed participation authorisation or an equivalent auditable electronic acceptance. If there is a conflict between these Terms and the collection-point Consent Notice on personal-data processing, the Consent Notice will govern that processing.

2. Nature of the programme

Conscious Innovators is a recognition, mentorship and showcase platform. It is not an incubator, accelerator, competition for investment, funding programme, procurement process, offer of employment or promise of a commercial relationship. Recognition, feedback or participation creates no employment, agency, partnership, funding, procurement or other business commitment by GDL, G&B, a juror or mentor.

3. Eligibility

Nominations may be made only by higher-education institutes based in India through a designated faculty representative. A project must be a graduation, thesis, capstone or final-semester major project completed in 2024 or later. Every nominated graduate must be at least 18 years old on the nomination date. Each institute may submit up to six projects. GDL may seek proportionate proof of eligibility and reject or remove a nomination that is ineligible, incomplete, misleading or unsupported.

4. Submission requirements

Each nomination must follow the published format, content order, page limit, file/link requirements and deadline. The institute is responsible for ensuring that links remain accessible through evaluation and that files are safe and readable. Late, corrupted, inaccessible, materially incomplete or non-compliant entries may be rejected. GDL is not responsible for transmission failures outside its reasonable control.

5. Institute and nominator assurances

The institute and faculty representative confirm that:

(a) the nomination is institutionally authorised;

(b) every named graduate knows of and has independently accepted the nomination;

(c) all submitted information is accurate;

(d) all contributors, guides, collaborators, sponsors and industry partners are correctly credited;

(e) required institutional, sponsor and third-party clearances have been obtained; and

(f) the submission does not expose confidential, restricted, personal or proprietary information without authority.

The nominator must not sign privacy consent for a graduate.

6. Student assurances

Each graduate confirms that the submitted work fairly represents their contribution; is original except for clearly credited material; does not knowingly infringe intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, publicity or other rights; and is not subject to a restriction that prevents evaluation, publication or exhibition as contemplated here. Team projects must identify all creators and the contribution of each person. GDL may require consent from every relevant team member before public use.

7. Intellectual property and programme licence

Ownership of the project remains with its existing owner(s). Each rights-holder grants G&B and its authorised programme partners a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to reproduce, adapt only for formatting/length/accessibility, display, exhibit, publish, communicate and archive submitted project titles, descriptions, excerpts, images, drawings and audiovisual material for administering, evaluating, documenting, publicising and archiving the programme and Conscious Collective. The licence is unlimited. Creators and institutes will be credited where reasonably practicable. No transfer of the underlying project IP occurs.

8. Third-party material and takedown

Submissions must use third-party content only with permission or a legally valid basis and with appropriate attribution. On a substantiated rights complaint, GDL may suspend access, request evidence, edit a public display to remove disputed material, or withdraw the submission/recognition. The responsible submitter will reasonably cooperate in resolving the complaint.

9. Evaluation and decisions

An expert jury may assess eligible nominations against published lenses and any additional disclosed rubric. Evaluation involves qualitative judgment. GDL may, in its sole discretion, select winners, seek clarification and may decide not to fill every recognition category. Subject to fraud, conflict, manifest error or breach of these Terms, jury/GDL decisions are final. Individual feedback is not guaranteed. Jurors should disclose material conflicts and GDL may recuse or replace a juror.

10. Recognition and finalist obligations

GDL presently intends to select six finalists, including two Showcase Finalists and four Notable Finalists, but may adjust the structure for justified programme reasons. Finalists must respond within stated timelines, sign the finalist participation agreement (including event, media release and code-of-conduct terms), attend onboarding/mentoring, supply production-ready materials, and remain available for the Conscious Collective showcase scheduled for 26–28 February 2027 in Mumbai. Failure to comply may result in replacement or withdrawal of recognition after a reasonable opportunity to respond.

11. Event logistics, costs and safety

GDL will communicate the travel, accommodation, staging, prototype, insurance and reimbursement support applicable to finalists. No expense is reimbursable unless expressly approved under the communicated process. Participants remain responsible for personal belongings, lawful travel documentation and disclosure of accessibility needs. Event-site safety, security and conduct rules must be followed. Prototypes must be safe, stable, non-hazardous, legally transportable and suitable for public display; GDL may refuse or modify a display for safety or operational reasons.

12. Publicity, photography and media

Programme-related name, biography, credited work, photographs, recordings, interviews and quotations may be used only as set out in the separately signed Consent Notice.Finalists may be photographed or recorded at programme activities and must be told the applicable capture zones and choices. Optional future marketing consent must not be a condition of nomination. GDL will not materially distort the project or imply endorsement of unrelated products by a participant.

13. Personal data

G&B will process personal data in accordance with the standalone Consent Notice and the Website Privacy Policy at https://www.godrejenterprises.com/legal/privacy-policy. Each individual may exercise applicable rights or withdraw consent through [email protected]. Institutes must securely transmit records, minimise data, avoid Aadhaar/PAN or unredacted identity documents unless specifically and lawfully required, and retain evidence of each student’s authorisation.

14. Confidentiality

The programme is designed for work capable of evaluation and potential public display. GDL cannot undertake to keep the substantive submission confidential unless it expressly agrees in writing before submission. Submitters must remove trade secrets, personal data of research participants, restricted client information and unpublished patent-sensitive material. GDL may share submissions confidentially with jurors, mentors and processors for programme administration.

15. Conduct and integrity

Participants must act respectfully and lawfully, avoid harassment, discrimination, manipulation of evidence, plagiarism, impersonation and interference with evaluation, and comply with event and platform rules. GDL may investigate credible concerns, seek a response, impose proportionate conditions, disqualify an entry, withdraw recognition or remove material. Urgent safety or legal risks may require immediate interim action.

16. Changes, suspension and cancellation

GDL may make reasonable changes to dates, venue, format, jurors, mentors, recognition structure or programme mechanics because of operational, safety, legal or force-majeure circumstances. Material changes will be communicated through the programme page and/or available contact details. If the programme is cancelled, GDL’s liability is limited to obligations expressly accepted in writing and any non-excludable liability under law.

17. Disclaimers and limitation

To the extent permitted by law, participation and feedback are provided without any guarantee of selection, publicity outcome, commercial success, uninterrupted platform availability or adoption of the project. Nothing excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded. Subject to that, neither GDL/G&B nor its jurors or mentors are liable for indirect or consequential loss arising solely from participation, and no juror or mentor assumes a professional advisory duty to a participant.

18. Withdrawal and disqualification

An institute or student may request withdrawal by writing to the programme contact and [email protected]. GDL will explain practical consequences for evaluation, recognition and already-produced materials. GDL may disqualify for ineligibility, false information, plagiarism, rights infringement, confidentiality breach, unsafe conduct, conflict manipulation or material violation, ordinarily after notice and an opportunity to respond. Withdrawal of optional marketing consent has no effect on eligibility.

19. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. The parties should first attempt good-faith resolution through the GDL programme contact. Privacy grievances may be sent to [email protected]. Subject to applicable mandatory law, courts at Mumbai, Maharashtra shall have jurisdiction.

20. General

If a provision is unenforceable, the remainder continues. A waiver must be in writing and is limited to the specific instance. GDL may use authorised vendors to administer the programme but remains responsible as required by law. These Terms, the Consent Notice, finalist agreement and published submission instructions form the applicable programme documents; later specific finalist terms prevail only for finalist activities to the extent stated.