Kumar Bahukhandi
Prince William and Catherine at the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards at Alexandra Palace, London, on 17 October 2021. File photo: Office of the US Ambassador to the UK, via Wikimedia Commons.
India will host the environmental awards for the first time on Tuesday, 17 November. Five winners will receive £1 million each to expand their projects.
Key Highlights
- The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit Mumbai from 16 to 18 November 2026.
- The awards bring together 15 finalists across five categories, including two from India.
- Filmmaker Karan Johar will host the awards ceremony on 17 November.
Mumbai: Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, will begin a three-day visit to Mumbai on Monday, 16 November, with the 2026 Earthshot Prize awards as the centrepiece of their programme. Kensington Palace confirmed that the couple’s engagements would focus on sustainability, innovation, youth leadership and ties between India and the United Kingdom. The visit will also include events linked to cricket, fashion and cinema.
William launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020 to help promising environmental projects reach more people. The awards recognise work in five areas: protecting and restoring nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, reducing waste and tackling climate change. The Mumbai summit will bring finalists together with investors, business leaders and philanthropists who can help their projects grow.
Two Indian organisations are among this year’s finalists. Mahindra Last Mile Mobility is in contention in the clean air category, while Mahila Housing Trust is a finalist in the climate category. The five winners will be announced at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Catherine last attended the Earthshot Prize awards with William in Boston in December 2022. In Mumbai, the ceremony will bring together guests from sport, film and music, including Sachin Tendulkar, Alia Bhatt and British pop group Take That, who are scheduled to perform in India for the first time.
