Durga Das Honoured with BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year

At the landmark 25th anniversary of Global Business Week (GBW2025) in the Maldives, one of the event’s most distinguished honours — the BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year — was awarded to Durga Das, Founder and CEO of Aeronero, in recognition of her visionary leadership, groundbreaking innovations in water technology, and profound social impact across continents.

The award was presented by Andrii Azarov, President of Global Business Week and Head of the Supreme Council of the European Association of Business Development (European Commission), as part of a powerful tradition of recognising outstanding contributions to innovation, sustainability, and humanity.

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🌍 A Vision for Global Water Security

Durga Das has emerged as a global changemaker through her pioneering work in Air Water Generation (AWG). As the founder of Aeronero, she leads the world’s only company deploying both condensation and desiccation technologies to extract clean, potable water from humidity in the air — a breakthrough solution for the world's escalating water crisis.

Under her leadership, Aeronero Systems is now serving diverse climates and communities, from urban hubs in India to rural villages and refugee camps in Africa and Latin America. The systems offer decentralised, sustainable, and independent access to clean water, helping build resilient infrastructure and drastically improving lives.

Her mantra — “Water for all, always” — is more than a slogan. It is the mission that drives an entire movement.

💧 Innovation Meets Social Justice

Durga’s contribution goes far beyond technology. She founded WODER, a UK-based charitable initiative, bringing together global water experts such as Amir AlKayed and Mansee Bal Bhargava to tackle water insecurity in refugee camps and empower women through water independence.

Her work has redefined innovation not only as a technical achievement but also as a human right and a tool for equality.

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🏆 Accolades and Global Recognition

In 2024 and 2025, Durga Das received multiple prestigious awards, each underscoring her impact as a woman leader, sustainability champion, and innovator:

• Best Innovator – HIEx platform, World Health Assembly, Geneva
• Woman Leadership Award – presented by Kiran Bedi in Delhi
• Most Meaningful Business Award – out of 883 global nominees
• Giving Economy SDG Award – Malaysia
• FEDEX Recognition – during Global Entrepreneurship Week
• MB100 Global Award 2024 – by Meaningful Business, for innovation aligned with the UN SDGs
• and now - BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year.

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🎓 A Lifelong Learner and Builder of Ecosystems

Durga is not just a business founder — she is a builder of ecosystems and knowledge platforms. She has completed:

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Programme
• Vital Voices Global Women Leadership Fellowship (Washington DC)
• Programmes at IIM Bangalore (Women in Tech) and ISB (Accelerating Growth)

Her involvement spans advisory roles in:

• WICCI – Water Industry Council
• Asian African Chamber of Commerce (Joint Secretary)
• World Talent Economic Forum

Through these platforms, she guides policy, supports startups, and mentors the next generation of innovators.

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🤝 Global Collaboration for Water Equity

Durga is also the co-founder of the Global Air Water Generation Initiative, a cross-sector alliance bringing together governments, entrepreneurs, scientists, and investors to accelerate water independence worldwide.

Aeronero’s inclusion in the 2024 MB100 List opened new pathways for impact through partnerships with: EY, Hogan Lovells, Babson College, Green Frontier Capital, Kenya Climate Ventures, Innovision

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🥇 Why She Earned the BOSS Award

The BOSS Award: Innovator of the Year celebrates those whose intellectual power and entrepreneurial courage result in global transformation. Durga Das was chosen because her work represents:

• Innovation with purpose
• Technology for inclusion
• Entrepreneurship that heals, not just scales

In presenting the award, Andrii Azarov stated:

“Durga Das reminds us that the best innovators don’t just build companies — they build futures. Her leadership in sustainable water solutions touches lives today and secures well-being for generations to come. This is the very essence of what the BOSS Award stands for.”

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🌟 Congratulations to Durga Das!

As the world faces urgent water crises, leaders like Durga Das offer real, scalable, and sustainable solutions. Her recognition at GBW2025 as Innovator of the Year is a global salute to her vision, integrity, and tireless pursuit of ‘water for all.’

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#BOSSAward2025 #InnovatorOfTheYear #GlobalBusinessWeek #GBW2025 #DurgaDas #Aeronero #WaterForAll #AirWaterGeneration #WomenInLeadership #SocialImpact #SustainableInnovation

BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year: Batyr Ravshanov, Turkmenistan

BOSS Award 2025 Innovator of the Year

At the landmark 25th anniversary of Global Business Week (GBW2025), held in the Maldives, one of the most prestigious honours of the international business community — the BOSS Award: Innovator of the Year 2025 — was officially presented to Batyr Ravshanov from Turkmenistan.

This esteemed award recognises the most outstanding innovators who have made bold breakthroughs across industries such as agriculture, technology, education, IT & AI, retail, and green innovation. These individuals were also featured speakers at the BIGBOSS Business Forum 2025 (#bbbf25), where they showcased their achievements in front of a global audience of business leaders, investors, educators, and changemakers from over 35 countries.

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🌟 Batyr Ravshanov: Turning Desert Into Abundance

Batyr Ravshanov received the Innovator of the Year 2025 Award for his remarkable contribution to sustainable agriculture — the creation of an advanced method for cultivating strawberries in greenhouse systems located in the desert climate of Turkmenistan.

His innovation not only overcame extreme environmental challenges but also scaled rapidly to become the largest strawberry production facility in Asia. Through his solution, he helped reduce import dependence, generated local employment, and introduced climate-resilient food production methods to the region.

Batyr’s work is a shining example of how intelligent, adaptive innovation can bring prosperity even in the harshest conditions — proving that agriculture and innovation can, and must, work hand in hand to feed the world sustainably.

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🏅 Presented by Global Business Leadership

The award was personally presented by Andrii Azarov, President of Global Business Week and Chairman of the Supreme Council of the European Association of Business Development (European Commission).

In his speech, Mr Azarov highlighted:

“Innovation is the rarest and most valuable resource in the world. It is not mined — it is imagined, created, and refined by brilliant minds and visionary teams. Today, we honour such a mind — Batyr Ravshanov — for proving that ideas can bloom even in the desert.”

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🔬 Why Innovation Matters More Than Ever

In today’s fast-changing world, innovation is no longer optional — it is the engine of global progress. It is the product of intellectual capital, experimental thinking, and entrepreneurial courage.

Innovations:

• Create new products and services
• Solve pressing global challenges
• Improve standards of living
• Generate new markets and job opportunities
• Accelerate digital and ecological transformation

By recognising innovators on the world stage, Global Business Week cultivates a culture of creativity, risk-taking, and forward-thinking leadership — all of which are vital for a more sustainable and prosperous global economy.

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Congratulations to Batyr Ravshanov!

This award is a testament to vision, persistence, and the belief that impossible is just a challenge waiting for innovation. On behalf of the entire GBW community, we celebrate this outstanding achievement.

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#bossaward2025 #GlobalBusinessWeek #globalbusinessweek2025 #bbbf25 #BOSS_Award #innovation #agritech #leadership

The 25th Startup World Cup Championship took place in the Maldives

Startup World Cup Championship 2025: A Global Celebration of Innovation, Youth, and Impact

Hundreds of the world’s brightest minds unite in the Maldives for the 25th Anniversary of the Championship 

The Startup World Cup Championship 2025, held from July 7–15, 2025, as part of Global Business Week, marked a defining moment in the history of global entrepreneurship. Hosted on the pristine islands of the Maldives, this 25th-anniversary edition brought together finalists from 35+ countries, ranging in age from 6 to 50, to present their boldest business ideas and innovative solutions on a world stage.

This year’s Championship was more than a competition — it was a festival of global talent, generational collaboration, and visionary leadership.

 🌍 A Truly Global Event

For over two decades, the Startup World Cup Championship (SWCC) has empowered children, teens, youth, and adults to think like entrepreneurs and act like changemakers. The 2025 edition gathered national champions from local Startup World Cup Leagues across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, making it the most globally inclusive edition to date. 

Global Business Week 2025: A Historic Milestone of Global Impact & Business Diplomacy

The 25th Anniversary Edition of GBW Unites Business Leaders from 5 Continents in the Maldives

From July 7 to 15, 2025, the tropical archipelago of the Maldives became the epicentre of global entrepreneurship as it hosted the highly anticipated Global Business Week (GBW) 2025. Marking its 25th anniversary, this prestigious international event drew together over participants from 35 countries, including visionary entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, investors, educators, and young innovators from all generations.

Global Education Forum 2025 in the Maldives

Maldives – July 9, 2025 – The picturesque Maldives served as the backdrop for a landmark convergence of global leaders last week, as the World Education, Science, and Innovation Organisation (WESIO) successfully hosted both the 2025 Global EdTech Conference and the broader Global Business Week 2025 (GBW 2025) from July 7th to 15th. The idyllic Kurumba Island buzzed with activity as policymakers, educators, tech innovators, investors, and business leaders from across the globe gathered under the Maldivian sun.

GBW 2025: A Week of Synergy and Success
More than just a series of forums, GBW 2025 delivered on its promise of an immersive experience combining high-level business strategy, innovation showcases, personal development, and unparalleled networking. The integrated format proved highly effective:

Flagship Forums Deliver Results:

• BOSS Business Forum (BBBF 2025): Facilitated strategic alliances between top-tier executives and investors, with several significant cross-border investment deals finalized during private sessions.
• Global EdTech Forum (EdTech 2025): Emerged as the undisputed highlight for education technology (see detailed outcomes below).
• Startup World Cup Championship (SWCC 2025): Crowned a promising AI-driven learning platform from Southeast Asia as the global champion, securing them significant seed funding and mentorship opportunities announced live on stage.
• World Woman Forum (WWF 2025): Forged powerful connections and launched new initiatives focused on accelerating female leadership pipelines in tech and business globally.
• MINIBOSS & BIGBOSS Camps: Attendees actively participated in one-on-one coaching sessions with renowned experts. The innovative "POWERKIDS" Family Business Camp was hailed as a resounding success, engaging youth aged 6-20 alongside their parents in entrepreneurial workshops and team-building activities, fostering the next generation of business minds. Wellness activities like sunrise yoga and snorkeling provided essential balance.

Networking Reaches New Heights: Exclusive gala dinners, vibrant yacht parties, and curated meetups facilitated high-impact connections. Numerous participants reported forging partnerships and securing leads that would have taken months to develop otherwise, crediting the unique "business-meets-vacation" environment.

EdTech 2025: Concrete Steps Towards Transformative Learning
Held on July 9th within the GBW framework and building on the WESIO conference momentum, the Global EdTech Forum (EdTech 2025) delivered tangible outcomes:

AI in Learning Takes Center Stage: Major announcements included the launch of a new open-source framework for adaptive learning AI, developed collaboratively by several attending universities and tech firms, aiming to make personalized education more accessible globally.

Immersive Tech Gains Traction: Demonstrations of advanced AR/VR classroom applications and gamified learning modules received overwhelming interest. Pilot partnerships between EdTech developers and school networks from 3 continents were signed to implement these technologies in diverse educational settings.

Blockchain Credentials Move Forward: A consortium of accreditation bodies and universities unveiled a joint pilot program for blockchain-secured digital diplomas and micro-credentials, set to begin trials in Q4 2025, addressing long-standing verification challenges.

Investment Floodgates Open: The dedicated "Pitch Arena" saw over 15 EdTech startups present. Cumulative investment interest exceeding $120 million was generated during the forum, with several term sheets signed on the spot. A dedicated "Global EdTech Scaling Fund" was also announced by a coalition of impact investors present.

School Leaders Find Solutions: School owners and directors actively engaged with innovators, reporting finding concrete solutions for their institutions and successfully initiating international collaboration agreements.

Over 150 educators and school leaders benefited from grants covering up to 50% of their participation costs (accommodation, meals, registration), significantly enhancing global representation at the EdTech events.

Speakers and exhibitors leveraged their free access to showcase groundbreaking work to a highly relevant international audience, generating significant leads.

Participants departed with valuable gifts, including subscriptions and exclusive discounts on business education programs.

The dual hosting of WESIO's Global EdTech Conference and GBW 2025 in the Maldives has been widely declared a resounding success. The unique combination of stunning location, integrated forums focusing on business, innovation (especially EdTech), family, and wellbeing, coupled with the substantial WESIO support, fostered an environment ripe for breakthrough ideas, strategic partnerships, and significant investment. The outcomes announced – from major tech launches and pilot programs to closed deals and new investment funds – solidify the event's role as a pivotal moment in shaping the future of education technology and global business collaboration. Participants left Kurumba Island not just inspired, but equipped with actionable results and valuable new connections.

10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025, According to the World Economic Forum

In June 2025, the World Economic Forum published the report “Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025,” which presents key technologies capable of shaping the development of the global economy and industry over the next decade . The selection is based on a strategic-foresight methodology that considers technological maturity, social readiness, environmental and economic impacts, and the political frameworks for deployment.

1. Composite Structural Batteries

Combining structural elements and energy storage into a single component, known as structural battery composites (SBCs), reduces vehicle weight and increases the driving range of electric vehicles without sacrificing structural integrity . According to the WEF, implementing SBCs in the automotive industry could cut weight by 10% and boost range by 6–8%.

2. Osmotic Energy Systems

Proton-exchange and reverse electrodialysis technologies (PRO and RED) harvest energy from the salinity gradient between seawater and freshwater. New semipermeable membranes and optimized system designs provide not only clean energy generation but also desalination capabilities—particularly valuable for coastal regions.

3. Advanced Nuclear Technologies

Small modular reactors (SMRs) and Generation IV reactors using alternative coolants (molten salts, liquid metals) deliver flexible, low-carbon energy for remote locations and industrial zones. High-temperature reactors (600–950 °C) can supply process heat to metallurgical and chemical plants, aiding in the decarbonization of heavy industry.