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Honouring Leaders & Changemakers Who Transform Rural India

A platform that celebrates outstanding Individuals driving transformation and inclusive growth across rural India.

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RMAI LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Recognising Leadership and Legacy

RMAI Leadership Excellence Awards, instituted by the Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI), are designed to recognise and celebrate individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and created measurable impact in India’s rural and emerging markets.

RMAI is a not-for-profit industry body committed to strengthening the rural and development ecosystem by fostering knowledge exchange, encouraging best practices, and promoting collaboration among industry, government, academia, and grassroots stakeholders. Through its initiatives, RMAI aims to highlight work that contributes to inclusive growth, sustainable livelihoods, and meaningful transformation at the grassroots level.

This year, award submission and declaration will be conducted online, with physical processes planned from next year onwards.

The RMAI Leadership Excellence Awards, seek to honour individual changemakers—professionals, entrepreneurs, practitioners, and leaders—who have shown vision, innovation, and commitment in addressing rural challenges and unlocking opportunities. These awards acknowledge leadership across different stages of life and career, recognising that impact can be created at any age.

By celebrating individual excellence, the RMAI Leadership Excellence Awards, aim to inspire the next generation of leaders, showcase role models from the sector, and reinforce the importance of committed leadership in building a resilient and future-ready rural India.

To ensure equitable recognition, the awards are presented across three age-based categories*:

– Rural Young Changemaker Award (Under 30 Years) – Young Individuals demonstrating strong potential and creating meaningful early impact
– Rural Emerging Leader Award (30–40 Years) – Emerging Individuals driving scalable and sustainable rural initiatives
– Rural Impact Champion Award (Above 40 Years) – Seasoned Individuals whose long-term contribution has shaped rural development and markets in India.

*The applicant must meet the age requirement as on 31 December 2025.

Who Can Participate

1. The RMAI Leadership Excellence Awards are open to individual professionals and practitioners who have demonstrated leadership and created tangible impact in rural and emerging markets.

2. While the awards recognise individual achievement, nominations may be submitted through multiple routes to encourage wider participation and inclusion.

• Individuals may self-nominate by submitting their own entry
• Organisations, companies, agencies, NGOs, institutions, or clients may nominate an individual who has led or contributed significantly to rural impact initiatives

3. In all cases, the award is granted to the individual, irrespective of whether the entry is submitted by a company or by the nominee themselves. The organisation’s role is limited to nomination support and validation of the work undertaken.

4. Eligible participants may include, but are not limited to:

• Corporate professionals working on rural markets or development initiatives
• Entrepreneurs and startup founders operating in rural ecosystems
• Professionals from NGOs, social enterprises, cooperatives, and FPOs
• Consultants, practitioners, and independent professionals
• Individuals associated with government, policy, or implementation roles

5. The submitted initiative/project must have been implemented between 1 Jan 2024 and 31 Dec 2025, with its primary impact delivered within this period. If it began earlier, the majority of the impact must fall within the defined period.

6. The individual applying for the Rural Young changemaker Award should have minimum three years of experience in the current role as on Dec 31, 2025 

7. The individual applying for the Rural Emerging Leader Award should have more than three and upto ten years of experience in the current role as on Dec 31, 2025

8 The individual applying for the Rural Champion Award should have more than ten years of experience in the current role as on Dec 31, 2025

9. Participants will be evaluated based on leadership demonstrated, innovation, scale of impact, sustainability, and measurable outcomes relevant to rural and emerging markets.

Jury Members

Dr. Anup Kalra

RMAI National Advisory Committee
Business Advisor - Zenex Animal Health India Private Limited

Biswa Chakrabarti

RMAI National Advisory Committee
President – Operations & Business Advisory, Metrix Research and Analytics Pvt Ltd

Pradeep Lokhande

RMAI National Advisory Committee
Founder & CEO, Rural Relation

Puneet Vidyarthi

President , RMAI
Head Brand Marketing - APAC & India, CASE Construction Equipment

Raj Kumar Jha

RMAI National Advisory Committee
Director, Rural Campus

Sanjay Kaul

RMAI National Advisory Committee
Chairman, Impact Group of Companies

Sanjay Panigrahi

RMAI National Advisory Committee
Former Chief Customer Officer - Pidilite Industries

Sunny Vohra

General Secretary , RMAI
CEO Madison TurnT & Anugrah Madison

Sandip Bansal

Treasurer, RMAI
Partner, ROOT Works

Venkatram Vasantavada

Vice President , RMAI
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer - Seedworks International Ltd.

How to Enter

  • Last Date of Entry 31st March, 2026

Complete the Online Application Form

Fill in the award submission form with accurate personal, professional, and project-related details.

Choose the Appropriate Category

Select the relevant age category:

Under 30, 30–40, or Above 40.

Provide Impact Information

Share a clear description of your leadership role, rural initiative(s), measurable outcomes, and the impact created in rural or emerging markets.

Upload Supporting Documents

Attach relevant supporting materials such as reports, photographs, presentations, case studies, media coverage, or links to videos/websites (if applicable).

Submit the Declaration

Complete and accept the online declaration confirming the authenticity of the information provided.
Employer/Organisation Acknowledgement Letter (mandatory for self-nomination)

Final Submission

Review the application carefully and submit the entry through the online portal before the stated deadline.

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Leadership Excellence Awards

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Award Categories

Rural Young Changemaker Award (Under 30 Years)

Eligibility: Age below 30 years as on Dec 31, 2025
Focus: Early-stage leadership, innovation, and grassroots action

Who should apply / be nominated

  • Young rural entrepreneurs, agri-innovators, social entrepreneurs
  • Founders/co-founders of rural startups, FPOs, SHGs
  • Professionals or volunteers driving change in rural ecosystems
  • Minimum three years of experience in the current role as Dec 31, 2025

Key Evaluation Criteria

  • Innovation or new approach introduced between Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2025
  • Measurable outcomes and growth
  • Challenges faced and solutions offered
  • Individual contribution and future growth

Rural Emerging Leader Award (30–40 Years)

Eligibility: Age between 30 and 40 years as on Dec 31, 2025
Focus: Growth-stage leadership and sustainable rural impact

Who should apply / be nominated

  • Entrepreneurs scaling rural businesses or enterprises
  • Leaders in FPOs, NGOs, cooperatives, CSR initiatives
  • Professionals driving rural programs, market linkages, or policy impact
  • More than three and upto ten years of experience in the current role as on Dec 31, 2025

Key Evaluation Criteria

  • Innovation or new approach introduced between Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2025
  • Measurable outcomes and growth
  • Challenges faced and solutions offered
  • Individual contribution and future growth
  • Ability to inspire and mentor others

Rural Champion Award (Above 40 Years)

Eligibility: Age above 40 years as on Dec 31, 2025
Focus: Long-term contribution and legacy in rural development

Who should apply / be nominated

  • Senior leaders, practitioners, institution builders
  • Policy influencers, development professionals
  • Founders/leaders with 20+ years of rural engagement
  • More than ten years of experience in the current role as on Dec 31, 2025

Key Evaluation Criteria

  • Innovation or new approach introduced between Jan 01, 2024 to Dec 31, 2025
  • Measurable outcomes and growth
  • Leadership & vision for building rural markets
  • Introduction of Policies, new market or community influence to promote rural innovation

RMAI LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Submit Awards Entry

  • Award Entry Fee : Rs. 15,000 + 18% GST Per Entry
  • Last Date of Entry 31st March, 2026
RMAI Award Rate

Supporting Information

Download Sample Company Approval Letter Template

Declaration of authenticity of information

Statement

Please check the tick box to submit your application form. For any queries, please write to us on secretariat@rmai.in

  1. I/We hereby authorize and permit RMAI and its affiliates to use all the content and information submitted along with this application form including case studies and other details to use and display it during the Award Ceremony including for trade publications, press releases, Award website, and electronic hyperlinks to the website of the candidate or to use it in any other manner as required by them during the Award Ceremony and thereafter, for a period of five years
  2. I/We further confirm that all the information made available by me is complete and accurate. If any information or material is found to be incomplete, incorrect or false then management shall have the right to disqualify my entry
  3. I/We hereby authorize and permit RMAI and its affiliates to use all the content and information submitted along with this application form for the following:

    - PR & digital activities
    - Media & press coverage
    - Social media coverage

  4. I/We hereby agree and accept that during the application process "Personally Identifiable Information including Sensitive Persona Information" (as defined by applicable regulation) will be collected, processed, stored and otherwise used by the Award Management and its affiliates, its contractors or sub-contractors including but not limited to its affiliates, Jury Members for the purpose of conducting and administering the Award. RMAI is committed to protecting the security of the personal information so collected. RMAI takes reasonable physical, electronic and administrative safeguards to help protect the information from unauthorized or inappropriate access or use. All personal information that is collected is subject to RMAI's Privacy Policy, located at: RMAI Registered Office.
  5. I/We confirm that by clicking/selecting the appropriate option presented on the website you have read and understood the consent form and related policies in its entirety, and give your explicit consent to the Award Management for holding and processing your personal data.
  6. I/We agree and accept the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy for the RMAI Rural Leadership Awards 2026 as mentioned on the website

Payment Details

Total: ₹17,700 (Rs. 15,000 + 18% GST)

For Online Payments IFSC/NEFT/RTGS – The banking details are listed below:

Beneficiary Account Name: Rural Marketing Association of India
Account Number: 401745052
Bank Name & Address: Indian Bank A-12 A Sector -19 Noida
Uttar Pradesh – 201301(INDIA),
IFSC/NEFT/RTGS Code: IDIB000S152

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