How to Nominate: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026

When a national award comes up in conversation, most founders, hospital heads and school leaders ask us the same two things. How does it actually work? And is it worth the time it takes to apply?

This post answers both for the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026, which OGEN Infosystem is supporting in association with the organiser, Topnotch Foundation. If you are short on time, here is the quick version.

To nominate, fill in the form on the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026 page and choose “Nomination”. The awards desk calls you at the time you pick and explains what to send. A research team then reviews your profile, and final awardees are invited to the ceremony in New Delhi on 17 December 2026.

What are the APJ Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026?

The APJ Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026, also written as the Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026, are a national recognition programme named after Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, India’s 11th President. They look for leaders, entrepreneurs and institutions in three fields: business, healthcare and education.

The 2026 ceremony takes place on Thursday, 17 December, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, at Hotel Shangri-La Eros on Ashoka Road, New Delhi. Ms Saina Nehwal and Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary Ji, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, are the chief guests, and more Ministers are due to be announced.

One thing worth checking when you search: several organisations run awards named after Dr. Kalam. If you want this one, look for the date and the venue above.

Who should apply for the Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026?

The programme is open to organisations, founders and leadership teams in its three sectors. In practice, that could be a manufacturer that has grown steadily for a decade, a hospital group that has expanded its reach, or a school that has built something other institutions now want to learn from.

You do not need to be a household name. What matters is whether you can show what you have done and why it counts. If you can, a nomination is worth the short time it takes.

What to keep ready for your nomination

The nomination asks for three things: your organisation’s details, your main achievements, and documents that support them. Having these in one place before the call makes everything quicker.

From our side, a few practical suggestions:

• Choose two or three achievements, not ten. A short list that you can prove reads better than a long one you can’t.
• Use numbers wherever you honestly can. Patients served, students placed, jobs created or years of growth say more than adjectives.
• Attach proof as you go. Certificates, audited figures and press coverage all help a reviewer trust what you have written.
• Decide who will speak for the organisation. The awards desk will call, so it helps if that person knows the story well.

What happens after you apply

The process has three stages. First, you send your nomination. Next, the research team checks your profile for eligibility and reviews it against the benchmarks for your category. Finally, awardees are confirmed and invited to the ceremony.

Do you have to pay to receive an award?

No. According to the organisers, awards depend only on the research-led review of your nomination. Separately, there are optional packages that pay for things like media coverage, venue, hospitality and promotion, and these play no part in selection. If you are curious about them, ask on the call and decide once you have the details in front of you.

What the evening looks like

The night starts with high tea, which gives awardees and guests time to meet. Speeches from the chief guests and Ministers follow, then the award ceremony, media interviews and a gala dinner. Awardees receive their honour on stage.

If your work deserves a wider audience, this is a good moment to put it forward. You can read the full details and nominate for the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Inspiration Awards 2026 on the official page.