What defines the GRI Awards? Honouring excellence as Indian Real Estate nominations open

Welcome to the GRI Awards 2026

With the opening of nominations for the GRI Awards Real Estate India 2026, we wanted to share the foundational ideals, values, and objectives on which the GRI Institute’s most prestigious honours are built, while also taking a look back at the origins and past editions of the Awards and detailing the processes and timeline of the upcoming celebration.

➤ Submit your nominations for the GRI Awards Real Estate India 2026 here.

The Heart of the GRI Awards

Created in 2019 to honour excellence not as a matter of visibility alone, but as a standard proven through quality, leadership, integrity, and market relevance, the GRI Awards exist to recognise the people, projects, and organisations that move real estate and infrastructure forward.

Across regional and global editions, the Awards celebrate those who do more than succeed within conventional boundaries - they elevate industries, shape cities, strengthen communities, and set new benchmarks for what responsible growth can achieve.

At the heart of the GRI Awards is the belief that true distinction must be earned through both rigour and recognition from one’s peers. Every finalist and winner represents more than technical achievement - they reflect vision, discipline, innovation, and a clear commitment to creating value for society as well as for the market. 

Through a transparent process that combines expert evaluation with open voting, the Awards affirm credibility, reward excellence, and give deserved prominence to organisations and individuals whose work demonstrates transformational quality in development, investment, architecture, infrastructure, sustainability, and leadership.

More than a celebration, GRI Awards is a platform for progress. Their purpose is to highlight best practices, inspire new ideas, foster meaningful connections, and encourage the advancement of businesses that generate enduring value across the built environment. 

In recognising outstanding achievement, the Awards help spread knowledge, strengthen trust, and reinforce the standards that define a more innovative, sustainable, and globally connected industry. 

This is the enduring intent of the GRI Awards - to honour excellence, to legitimise merit, and to inspire the leaders shaping the future of real estate and infrastructure.

Past Edition Highlights 

Brazilian Origins

The GRI Awards began in 2019 in Brazil, launched to address a clear gap in the Brazilian real estate market for a credible, sector-led honours programme. The inaugural edition recognised the most outstanding projects, companies, and personalities in Brazilian real estate across 12 categories. 

The selection process combined industry nominations, online voting by market professionals, and audit oversight, giving the Awards an early reputation for transparency, relevance, and industry endorsement ahead of the winners being announced and celebrated at a gala dinner in São Paulo on 3rd December 2019.

➤ See full details on the latest edition of the GRI Awards Real Estate Brazil 2026 here.

Regional Expansion

Building on this early success in Brazil, the GRI Awards expanded in 2024, launching new editions across APAC, European, and Latin American real estate markets with the creation of GRI Awards India, GRI Awards Europe, GRI Awards Mexico, and GRI Awards Andean & Central America.

Bringing the same rigorous evaluation and celebration of excellence to the Indian real estate market, the GRI Awards India culminated in its ceremony on 16th October 2024 in Mumbai, where fourteen winners were announced across key categories spanning sustainability, innovation, and transformative built‑environment impact. 

The Indian and other regional editions demonstrated the Awards’ growing relevance in recognising companies and projects that push beyond boundaries of design, ESG performance, and leadership in a complex economic context.

Continuous Growth

Alongside new editions of the regional GRI Awards, the evolution continued in 2025 with the introduction of the GRI Awards Global, marking a watershed moment for the programme as it transitioned from strong regional recognition to truly global stature. 

The first Global edition was held at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi on 5th November  2025, aligned with the GRI Global Summit and attended by senior executives from over 100 countries. 

This inaugural Global Awards celebrated iconic architecture, urban development, infrastructure, sustainability, and leadership on an international scale, bringing together regional winners from India, Europe, GCC, Brazil, Mexico, Andean & Central America, and beyond to compete for the highest distinction. 

➤ See all of the winners from the GRI Global Awards 2025 here.

The success of the event underscored not only the Awards’ expansion but also their role as a platform connecting global leaders and setting new standards for excellence across the real estate and infrastructure sectors.

➤ Learn more about the 2026 edition of the GRI Awards Global here.

Past Winners

Previous winners of the GRI Awards India already show the breadth and calibre the programme has established in a short time. 

In its inaugural Indian edition in 2024, the Awards recognised 14 winners across projects, transactions, and leadership, highlighting themes that continue to define the platform - decarbonisation, regeneration, institutional investment, innovation, and social impact. 

The 2024 India Awards also gave special prominence to leadership through the Person of the Year distinction, awarded to Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, one of the pioneers who reshaped India’s urban development landscape as the Founder and Chairman of the Hiranandani Group.

In recognition of his pivotal role as the 'Industry Guru' of real estate, Dr. Hiranandani also participated in a live on-stage interview with Gustavo Favaron, Global CEO at GRI Institute, at India GRI 2024. 

In this discussion, he offered his predictions for the future of Indian real estate, reflected on his personal journey, and provided valuable advice for young entrepreneurs. 

➤ See all of the winners from the GRI Awards India 2024 here.

The 2025 edition reinforced that trajectory, with winners selected across 12 categories at the Mumbai ceremony on 9th October 2025. 

Last year, the India Awards gave special prominence to leadership with the Person of the Year distinction, awarded to Mr. Vikas Oberoi, Chairman and Managing Director of Oberoi Realty Ltd., and presented by Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani.

With over three decades of experience, Mr. Oberoi has led Oberoi Realty to become one of India’s largest publicly listed real estate firms, setting new benchmarks across the residential, office, retail, and hospitality sectors.

The Real Estate Leadership Impact Award was presented to Mr. Vivek Anand Oberoi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of BNW Developments, for his entrepreneurial approach and commitment to sustainable, community-focused real estate projects. 

His work, alongside his efforts with the Oberoi Family Office, earned him recognition on Forbes' 40 Under 40 Heroes of Philanthropy list for using business as a force for social good.

The Inspiring Female Leader of the Year award was presented to Nirupa Shankar, Joint Managing Director of Brigade Group, for her leadership in overseeing the company's Hotel, Office, and Retail portfolios. 

As a serial entrepreneur, she has pioneered ventures such as Brigade REAP and BuzzWorks, and has earned accolades including recognition on Business Today’s and Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women lists, as well as inclusion in the ET 40 Under 40 list.

➤ See all of the winners from the GRI Awards India 2025 here.

GRI Awards India 2026

Nominations for the GRI Awards Real Estate India 2026 are now open for submission, offering an exceptional opportunity to showcase the best projects, initiatives, and leadership in the Indian real estate sector. 

This year’s awards promise to elevate excellence across a range of categories, recognising achievements in architecture, sustainability, innovation, and more.

Key Dates:

• Nominations Period: 9 March - 5 June
• Evaluation by Jury: 8-12 June
• Disclosure of the Top 10: 15 June
• Public Vote: 15 June - 31 July
• Disclosure of the Top 3: 3 August
• Winners Announcement: 8th October 2026

The awards ceremony will take place at The St. Regis Mumbai, bringing together the top three in each category to celebrate outstanding achievements and recognise excellence in projects, leadership, and innovation.

As always, the GRI Awards celebrate not just the size or visibility of projects but their true impact - through innovation, leadership, and a commitment to sustainability and positive social change. 

This is your opportunity to highlight your achievements, position your company at the forefront of the real estate sector, and gain recognition for the extraordinary work you’re doing for the industry.

➤ Ensure your place among Indian real estate’s finest - nominations now open!