Guided by ARISE’s motto of Student First, the Awards recognise schools that are going beyond conventional academic outcomes to build resilient learning ecosystems, nurture future-ready learners, strengthen teacher capacity and drive meaningful change within their communities. Over the past three editions, the ARISE Excellence Awards have steadily evolved into a highly regarded benchmark within the K-12 ecosystem, bringing forward inspiring stories of impact and transformation from schools across India.
The Awards have witnessed growing participation from both private and government schools, reflecting the silent yet significant shift taking place across India’s school education landscape. From rural and low-resource settings to progressive urban institutions, schools across diverse contexts are increasingly emerging as catalysts of innovation, equity and change, aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Instituted as part of ARISE’s Impact Initiatives, the Awards seek to spotlight institutions building future-focused ecosystems through meaningful interventions in areas such as future-ready skills and experiential learning; teacher development; digital transformation and compliance; sports, visual and performing arts; sustainable development goals (SDGs); global impact leadership; and reviving Indian knowledge systems.
A defining strength of the ARISE Excellence Awards continues to be its rigorous and transparent evaluation framework. As in previous editions, the Awards will follow a robust two-tier jury process involving eminent experts from academia, governance, public policy and industry, ensuring a holistic assessment lens that combines educational depth with institutional impact. The process will once again be independently tabulated by Ernst & Young (EY), reinforcing the credibility, integrity, and transparency associated with the Awards.
The Awards aim not only to recognise excellence, but also to document and amplify scalable practices that can meaningfully contribute to the future of school education in India.
Speaking on the launch of the Awards, Ms Jyoti Vij, Director General, FICCI, said, “The ARISE Excellence Awards have steadily established themselves as a credible platform for recognising excellence and innovation in school education. The strength of the initiative lies in its rigorous evaluation process, diverse jury representation, and focus on identifying scalable models that can inspire the broader education ecosystem. FICCI is pleased to continue supporting an initiative that brings together schools, educators, and institutions committed to strengthening the future of education in India.”
Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Dr Arunabh Singh, President, ARISE, said, “Schools today are navigating a rapidly evolving educational landscape shaped by technology, changing learner expectations, future skills, and the need for more inclusive and holistic learning environments. Through the ARISE Excellence Awards, we aim to recognise schools that are responding to these shifts with innovation, intent, and measurable impact. It is especially encouraging to see growing participation from government schools, many of which are leading transformative work in their communities as the Awards are ultimately about celebrating practices that place students meaningfully at the centre of educational change.”
The Awards will culminate with the announcement of winners at ARISE Annual School Education Conference on September 25–26, 2026, bringing together school leaders, policymakers, educators, and industry stakeholders from across the country.
Applications for the ARISE Excellence Awards 2026 are now open at: awards.ariseedu.in.
The last date for submission of applications is 30 June 2026.
About FICCI
Established in 1927, FICCI is the largest and oldest Apex business organisation in India. Its history is closely interwoven with India's struggle for independence, its industrialization, and its emergence as one of the most rapidly growing global economies. A non-government, not-for-profit organisation, FICCI is the voice of India's business and industry. It serves its members from the Indian private and public corporate sectors and multinational companies, drawing its strength from diverse regional chambers of commerce and industry across states, reaching out to over 2,50,000 companies.
About ARISE
Founded and Incubated in Year 2016 under FICCI, ARISE is a not-for-profit, independent industry Chamber body focused on advancing K-12 education in India through research backed strategic interventions in policy & regulatory framework. The body also serves as a platform for school founders and educators to share best practices, record learnings, build sustainable knowledge ecosystems and come together to drive a common purpose for Nation building through school education.
