SKOCH Challenger Awards, instituted in 2003, salute people, projects and institutions that went the extra mile to make India a better nation. SKOCH Challenger Awards – the highest independently instituted civilian honours – have been conferred, the mighty and the ordinary have shared this platform for their extraordinary achievements in contributing to the society.
The SKOCH Challenger Awards cover the best of efforts in the area of digital, financial and social inclusion. They encompass the best of governance, look at excellence in academics, change management, inclusive growth, citizen services delivery, capacity building, empowerment and other such softer issues that get normally lost in the glamour and the glitz of industry-sponsored or advertising focused jamborees.
The SKOCH Challenger Awards are coveted for their independence, primary research and a distinguished jury based approach. The SKOCH Challenger Awards are distinctive for its approach of selection of awardees, which is not based on nomination but on discovery.
No industry or government support or endorsement is either expected, accepted or solicited for the SKOCH Challenger Awards and they remain independently instituted and conferred as a third party perspective. The Roll of Honour of the SKOCH Challenger Awards over the years is a testimony to this. The SKOCH Challenger Awards not only acknowledge exceptional achievers but also spurs inspirational guidance and motivational leadership.
SKOCH Challenger Award Recipients
Bhaskar Chatterjee
Former Secretary, Government of India
New Delhi, 20th September 2025: He has made path-breaking contributions to the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility in India. Widely acclaimed as the architect of India’s CSR policy, he was instrumental in crafting the pioneering Guidelines on CSR and Sustainability for Public Sector Enterprises in 2010, which laid the foundation for integrating social responsibility into corporate practice. He went on to play a decisive role in shaping Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, making India the first country in the world to mandate CSR.
As the first Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, he provided a dynamic institutional platform for research, training, and capacity-building. He has championed innovation, measurable impact and equitable distribution of CSR resources, ensuring that corporate contributions advance inclusive and sustainable growth. A tireless advocate, he has championed innovation, impact assessment and the equitable distribution of CSR funds, ensuring that corporate contributions align with inclusive and sustainable growth. Even beyond government service, he continues to guide and inspire CSR practice and philanthropy in India.
Justice M N Venkatachaliah
Former Chief Justice of India
New Delhi, 14th May 2022: Justice M N Venkatachaliah is adjudged the most erudite and urbane judge, who has adorned the Supreme Court of India. A judge with a deep knowledge of the philosophy of law and the ways of men, he provided moral and intellectual leadership. While being not wedded to any ‘ism’, he is devoted to constitutionalism and pragmatism, which makes for judicial statesmanship which has truly been his hallmark. During his term of seven years at the Supreme Court, he authored 90 judgments and was a part of 482 benches. His commitment to reducing the pendency of cases and making the judiciary more and more accountable was unwavering. During his tenure, the pendency fell to below 19,000. He served as the Chief Justice of India between 1993-1994.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
for COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
Justice Dipak Misra
Former Chief Justice of India
Jayant Sinha
Member of Parliament – Lok Sabha
Amar Patnaik
Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha
Karan Bajwa
Vice President, Asia Pacific, Google Cloud
Reema Nanavaty
Executive Director, Self-Employed Women's Association of India
Dhanendra Kumar
Former Chairman, Competition Commission of India
Sutapa Sanyal
Former Director General of Police
About SKOCH Group
SKOCH Group is India’s leading think tank dealing with socio-economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997. SKOCH Group is able to bring an Indian felt-needs context to strategies and engages with fortune-500 companies, state owned enterprises, government to SMEs and community-based organisations with equal ease.
Phone: 0124-4777444Email: info@skoch.in
Our Mission
The repertoire of services include field interventions, consultancy, research reports, impact assesments, policy briefs, books, journals, workshops and conferences. SKOCH Group has instituted India's highest independent civilian honours in the field of governance, finance, technology, economics and social sector. The group companies include a consulting wing, SKOCH Consultancy Services Private Limited; a media wing, SKOCH Media; and a charitable foundation, SKOCH Development Foundation.