Scientist who harnesses bacteria to deliver green solutions is winner in 2025 Tata Transformation Prize

A scientist who harnesses bacteria to deliver green solutions has been named as one of the winners of the 2025 Tata Transformation Prize.

Balasubramanian Gopal, PhD, Indian Institute of Science, has been named Sustainability Winner in the awards which were announced by The New York Academy of Sciences and Tata Sons.

Established to advance innovation and support visionary scientists in India developing breakthrough technologies to address India’s most significant societal challenges in Food Security, Sustainability, and Healthcare, the Tata Transformation Prize aims to generate improved quality-of-life outcomes and scale up the implementation of high-reward research for India and beyond.

Clean, green solutions

India’s growing biomanufacturing sector urgently needs cleaner, cost-effective alternatives to traditional energy-intensive chemical synthesis methods. Balasubramanian Gopal, PhD, has developed a green chemistry platform that harnesses bioengineered E. coli bacteria to produce key chemicals used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agriculture.

Integrating artificial intelligence with experimental biology, his lab rapidly designs efficient enzymes and optimizes microbial strains for high yields, without antibiotics or harmful additives. This sustainable technology can replace traditional chemical manufacturing, thus reducing pollution, enhancing domestic production, and positioning India as a global leader in environmentally responsible biomanufacturing.

Scientific breakthroughs

The Food Security Winner was named as Padubidri V. Shivaprasad, PhD, National Centre for Biological Sciences, whose groundbreaking work uses epigenetic engineering and small RNA–based modifications in rice, India’s primary staple crop, to enhance stress tolerance and nutritional quality.  

The Healthcare Winner is Ambarish Ghosh, PhD, Indian Institute of Science, who is pioneering a breakthrough in cancer treatment using magnetic nanorobots – tiny, helical devices that can be safely guided through the body using magnetic fields. 

“The Tata Transformation Prize celebrates scientific breakthroughs with the power to address pressing societal challenges while fostering economic progress and global impact. The 2025 Winners exemplify the power of Indian science to drive meaningful global change,” said Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences. “Their innovations span biology, engineering, and sustainability, reflecting the spirit of creativity and social purpose that this prize was designed to honor.”

Awards ceremony

Selected from a competitive pool of 212 nominations spanning 27 Indian states, the three Winners were chosen by an international jury of eminent scientists, clinicians, technologists, and engineers. Each Winner will receive INR 2 crores (approximately USD 228,000) to advance their research and scale its real-world impact.

The Winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony in Mumbai in December 2025. The jury, consisting of experts from leading academic, industrial, and governmental institutions across India, the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia, included representatives from IBM Research, Biocon, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Messina (Italy), Murdoch University (Australia), the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, the National Institute of Advanced Studies, and the CSIR - Central Drug Research Institute.