The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) on Thursday announced six winners of the Infosys Prize 2026, recognising their outstanding contributions to research across economics, engineering and computer science, humanities and social sciences, life sciences, mathematical sciences and physical sciences.
Each recipient will receive a gold medal, a citation and a cash prize of USD 100,000. The awards recognise researchers below the age of 40, following the foundation’s decision in 2024 to focus on early-career research talent.
The winners include Karthik Sastry (Economics), Swarun Kumar (Engineering and Computer Science), Gautam Bhatia (Humanities and Social Sciences), Isha Jain (Life Sciences), Riddhi pratim Basu (Mathematical Sciences) and Manoj Kumar Joshi (Physical Sciences).
Their research spans climate change and technological innovation, wireless sensing networks, constitutional and legal scholarship, oxygen biology and potential treatments for metabolic disorders, probability theory and programmable quantum systems.
The laureates were selected by an international jury. The winners were announced by ISF trustees, including President Srinath Batni, K. Dinesh, Kris Gopala krishnan, Pratima Murthy and S. D. Shibulal. Narayana Murthy addressed the gathering through a recorded message.
For Kolkata, the recognition highlights the importance of strengthening research-driven education, scientific institutions and innovation-led industries. The award could also encourage young researchers and academic institutions in the city to pursue advanced research and global collaborations.
Established in 2009, the Infosys Prize is regarded as one of India’s leading recognitions for excellence in science and research.