DTS

Objective
Governance Now Digital transformation Awards will appreciate and recognise the efforts and initiatives of the government towards Digital India.

Awards Process
The Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 follows the route of nomination and jury. The process would start with the filing of nominations by the centre and State Government departments and agencies in predefined categories. Based on the verification and evaluation, the scores will be assigned by the Research Team. Shortlisted nominations will then be presented to the Jury.

The winners will be decided based on the decision of the high-powered Jury, which would meet to evaluate the score presented by the research team and adjudicate the winner in each of the awards categories. Shortlisted participants may be invited for a presentation

Who Should Apply
The applications are open to the Central government and state governments (up to the district level) and Corporates.

Nomination Fees
No fee for Government & Public Sector
For Corporates: Rs 12000 plus Taxes (per category)

Key Categories
The Award felicitates the centre and state government departments and agencies that have displayed exemplary work in the following categories.

1. Innovative use of digital technology in enhancing public service delivery
Honoring initiatives that leverage cutting-edge digital technologies to improve the accessibility, efficiency, and reach of public services. This includes pioneering efforts in e-governance, m-governance, digital identity solutions, and public service platforms that simplify and transform citizen engagement

2. Best Smart City and Urban Development Initiatives
Recognizing smart city solutions that have significantly improved urban infrastructure, safety, and quality of life. This includes outstanding projects in smart city development, urban mobility technologies, smart energy systems, and the use of IoT in urban planning and management.

3. Digital Initiative for Ensuring Rural Connectivity and Digital Services
Recognizing projects that have successfully bridged the digital divide by bringing connectivity and e-services to rural and remote areas

4. Innovative Digital Health Services and Public Health Data Analytics
Recognizing digital health solutions that make healthcare more accessible and affordable through telemedicine, health data management, digital diagnostic tools, and AI in public health

5. Digital Payment Systems and Fintech Solutions for Public Services and Financial Inclusion
Honoring digital tools and technologies that promote financial inclusion and streamline digital payments. This includes innovations in digital banking, mobile payment solutions, blockchain for financial transparency, and tools designed to expand financial access in rural areas. Also recognized are systems that enhance the efficiency and transparency of government functions such as tax collection, public finance management, and welfare distribution.

6. Excellence in E-learning, Assessment and Digital Education Platform
Recognizing technology solutions that improve educational access and outcomes such as e-learning platform, digital literacy initiative, remote learning innovation, and VR/AR in education. Recognizing government initiatives that have successfully integrated digital education technologies, online learning platforms, and AI-driven educational tools for improving education quality and accessibility.

7. Digital Initiative in Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment
Recognizing digital technologies that support agriculture and empower rural communities such as mobile solutions for farmers, precision farming, agricultural supply chain digitalization, and rural development tech.

8. Leveraging Digital Solutions for Sustainable Environmental Management and Climate Change Innovation
Recognizing Technology Solutions and Government Initiatives for Sustainability, Environmental Conservation, and Climate Action, Including Innovations in Renewable Energy, Climate Data Analytics, Smart Water Management, and Sustainable Practices

9. Digital Initiative in Cybersecurity and Digital Safety
Recognizing advancements in protecting data privacy and ensuring digital safety such as best cybersecurity solution, innovations in digital identity verification, public safety technology, and anti-fraud platforms.

10. Best Use of AI/ML, Data Analytics and Emerging Technologies in Public Services
Recognizing AI/ML and big data applications to solve societal challenges and enhance decision-making in the public sector across sectors. Solutions may include predictive maintenance in smart cities, smart factories, robotics for industrial processes, enhanced transparency through blockchain, etc.

11. Excellence in Digital Infrastructure and Public Infrastructure Development (DPI)
Recognizing achievements in building robust, scalable digital infrastructure that enhances connectivity, accessibility, and digital service delivery, driving economic growth and public welfare across communities such as broadband networks and data centers.

12. Digital Transformation Leader in Public Sector
Recognizing achievements in demonstrating exceptional leadership in driving technological innovation and digital transformation within government agencies or public institutions

13. Excellence in Smart Mobility and Transportation Technologies
Award for the digital transformation of transport through smart mobility systems, e-mobility, traffic management, autonomous vehicles, and intelligent transport systems

14. Innovation in Public Sector Procurement (e-Procurement & Digital Tenders)
Recognizing best practices and digital solutions in e-procurement, digital tenders, and contract management that improve transparency, efficiency, and fairness in government procurement

15. Impactful Waste-to-Energy Projects
Awarding transformative waste-to-energy initiatives that convert waste into renewable energy, reducing environmental impact while promoting sustainability and energy self-sufficiency

16. Best Use of Biometric Technology, Identity, Authentication and facial Recognition Systems
Recognizing initiatives that leverage digital identity systems to streamline public services, Identity documents, ensure inclusivity, and enhance security across sectors like healthcare, education, and finance.

17. Excellence in Use of Geospatial Technologies for Transportation, Urban Devlop., and other Projects
Awarding the most impactful applications of geospatial technologies, such as GIS, remote sensing, and satellite data, to solve complex challenges in urban planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster management

18. Digital excellence in Rural sector
Rural service delivery, rural empowerment, digital innovations done at gram panchayats, etc

19. Best Digital Governance Initiative (Central Ministry/Department)
Recognizing ministries and departments that have effectively used AI, blockchain, big data, and automation to enhance efficiency, transparency, and decision-making.

20. Innovation in Digital Skill Development & E-Learning
Recognizing programs launched to upskill government employees, empower citizens with digital literacy, and promote AI-driven learning platforms.

21. Smart Policing & Law Enforcement Technology Innovation
Recognizing state police forces and law enforcement agencies for adopting AI surveillance, digital case management, and crime analytics.

22. Best Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Digital Innovation
Awarding states that have successfully collaborated with private enterprises, startups, and academia to drive digital transformation.

Timelines
Nomination opens: 24th July 2025
Last Date for Submitting Nominations: 25th September 2025

HOW TO APPLY
Nominate Digital services/project/ infrastructure that has enhanced the key pillars of the governance process - Efficiency, Productivity Transparency, and Accountability. Tangible examples of clear benefits along with the financial cost and return.

Draft an application up to 2500-2000 words explaining the following:
- Project Details, Implementation and Performance
- Implementing Agency/Partners
- Project Cost
- Tech Architecture, solutions, applications
- Governance structures put in place
- Stakeholders & Key beneficiaries
- Scale of Stakeholder Engagement & Outreach
- Challenges and their management
- Change Management
- Key benefits/Value creation passed to key stakeholders such as government, citizens and business, community, economy, and environment. ‘
- Scalability
- Geographic and Demographic Coverage
- Other Efforts: Write a note on any special efforts the organization has taken up to ensure the success of the project
- Why should an applicant win the award?
- Anything else you think is important for Jury to know?

Please send your application along with relevant supporting documents and data to [email protected]

Guidelines
• Government and Public Sector Organisations: No application fee is applicable.
• Corporate Organisations: A nomination fee of ₹12,000 + applicable taxes per award category will be charged.
• The Applicant can send nomination in more than one category
• The Application must not exceed 2500 words
• The Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 is limited to Central ministries and state government departments and agencies up to the district level.
• Nominations to be submitted must cover the above-defined parameters along with mandatory declaration form signed and stamped by the competent authority. This will be scrutinised for awards by the esteemed Jury.
• All applicants are expected to provide complete details and data in the declaration form and format. However, in case they do not have data or information to share, they can mark the respective fields as NA.
• All the projects that are operational since 2021 are eligible to be nominated for awards

Terms & Conditions
• Governance Now and the Digital Transformation Awards 2025 Jury has absolute rights to change/merge/ delete / or create a new category of awards.
• Any misrepresentation of information could amount to disqualification of the nomination, without any prior notice.
• The Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 Secretariat reserves the right to ask for additional information or clarification from the applicants
• The nomination fee provides access only to the Awards Evening. It does not include entry to the full-day conference sessions. Separate registration is required for attending the conference.
• Once submitted the nominations cannot be withdrawn or modified by the applicant
• The organisers reserve the right to reproduce the submitted material, wholly or in part, without limitation, in both print and electronic format.
• All or part of any information, photographs, submissions or any details generated for Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 may be used for further research, analysis and promotional activity.
• The Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 Secretariat and Jury reserve the right not to declare an award in case the nominations received are not found fit enough in terms of quality and quantity.
• The Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 Jury will have the right to nominate any government initiative/ project for any special category award that it feels should be in the consideration set.
• The decision of the Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 Jury will be final and binding and no appeal will be entertained for change in the Jury decision. • The authority of deciding on the final winners lie with the Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 Jury and the final decision will it based on the report presented by the Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 research team.
• The Governance Now Digital Transformation Awards 2025 Jury will include nominees from Governance Now, its partner companies and eminent personalities from the government and corporate sector. It will be headed by a Chairperson and no effort to influence any jury member during the process will be entertained. This may amount to disqualification of the candidature of the applicant from the awards.
• Governance Now reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions at any point in time

For more details and queries please connect to Sunil Kumar, +91 9560136992, [email protected]/[email protected]