Six Scholars Win Infosys Science Foundation Prizes

Six researchers have won the Infosys Prize for 2026 across six distinct fields, as announced by the Infosys Science Foundation on Thursday, November 12, 2026. The awards cover Economics, Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

Winners and Fields

Karthik Sastry of Princeton University won for his work on climate change, technological innovation, and business cycle fluctuations. Swarun Kumar of Carnegie Mellon University received the award in Engineering and Computer Science for his work extending low-power wireless networks. Gautam Bhatia of Jindal Global Law School and the University of New South Wales won in Humanities and Social Sciences as a legal scholar. Isha Jain from the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California was recognized for discoveries in oxygen biology. Riddhipratim Basu from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bengaluru won for contributions to probability theory and statistical physics. Manoj Kumar Joshi of the Singapore University of Technology and Design secured the prize in Physical Sciences for work with trapped ions and quantum machines.

Prize Details

Each category winner receives a gold medal, a citation, and a cash prize of $100,000 or its equivalent in Indian rupees. An international panel of jurors selected the laureates. ISF Trustee Kris Gopalakrishnan stated that 222 applications were received this year, up from 150 last year, with the highest numbers coming in the Engineering and Computer Science category. The youngest winner this year is 31 years old. Since 2024, the prize has focused on honoring researchers under the age of 40 to encourage early career recognition.

Context

The Infosys Prize is one of India's prominent academic honors, acknowledging research that impacts both scientific fields and broader societal challenges. Recognizing researchers early in their careers helps provide them with the support needed to pursue complex questions and long-term innovations.