Afcons Infrastructure Limited has emerged as India's most innovative company, clinching two top honours at the CII Industrial Innovation Awards 2025. The infrastructure engineering and construction company received recognition for its cutting-edge engineering solutions and innovation-driven approach to complex projects.

Award Recognition and Categories

The company secured two prestigious awards at the ceremony held in New Delhi:

These accolades reaffirm Afcons Infrastructure's reputation as a pioneer in engineering excellence and innovation-driven infrastructure solutions, setting new benchmarks for the industry.

Rigorous Evaluation Process

The recognition came after an intensive three-stage evaluation process that demonstrated the company's innovation capabilities among industry leaders. The comprehensive assessment included:

• Participation Scale: Over 900 leading organizations and multinational corporations competed for the awards
• Evaluation Stages: Online application, assessor-led evaluation, and final review by Grand Jury
• Jury Composition: Directors of IITs and IIMs, industry stalwarts, and international experts
• Selection Process: Intense deliberations at the prestigious forum where Afcons Infrastructure's cutting-edge innovations stood out

Consistent Innovation Leadership

This latest recognition adds to Afcons Infrastructure's impressive track record of innovation awards. The company holds the distinction of achieving global recognition as the Most Innovative Knowledge Enterprise (MIKE Award) for eight consecutive years, awarded by a distinguished global jury. Both the recent CII Industrial Innovation recognition and the MIKE award in 2025 serve as testament to the company's emphasis on innovation in every project it undertakes.

Industry Leadership and Global Standing

The awards were received by senior company officials including Mr V Manivannan, Director Chief Technical Officer, Mr Jayadatta Lad, Deputy General Manager, and Mr Prajwal Halagatti, Manager. Speaking about the recognition, Mr V Manivannan stated that innovation is at the heart of everything the company does, and these awards validate their commitment to delivering sustainable, technologically advanced engineering solutions across geographies.

With these honours, Afcons Infrastructure strengthens its position as a global infrastructure leader, driven by knowledge, operational excellence, and a relentless pursuit of innovation in executing technologically complex EPC projects both within India and internationally.

Afcons Infrastructure Limited has announced the grant of over 1 crore employee stock options to its eligible workforce under the newly established Employee Stock Option Plan 2025. The board committee approved this significant employee benefit initiative on December 12, 2025.

ESOP Grant Details

The committee approved the grant of 1,01,71,230 employee stock options to identified eligible employees. This grant operates under the Afcons Infrastructure Limited - Employee Stock Option Plan 2025 (ESOP 2025), which has been structured in compliance with SEBI (Share Based Employee Benefits and Sweat Equity) Regulations, 2021.

Vesting and Exercise Terms

The granted employee stock options feature a flexible vesting structure designed to retain talent over the medium to long term. The vesting period for the granted options ranges from a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 5 years from the date of grant. This staggered approach allows the company to align employee incentives with long-term performance objectives.

Once vested, the options entitle holders to acquire an equal number of equity shares upon payment of the exercise price and applicable taxes, in accordance with the terms and conditions of ESOP 2025. Option grantees have the flexibility to exercise all vested options at one time or at various points within the prescribed exercise period, as detailed in individual grant letters.

Regulatory Compliance and Disclosure

The company has fulfilled its disclosure obligations under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. The intimation was formally communicated to both BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India Limited, ensuring full transparency with market participants.

The ESOP grant represents a strategic human resource initiative aimed at employee retention and motivation. Each option carries a nominal exercise price of ₹10.00, representing the face value of fully paid-up equity shares. The exercise period and specific vesting schedules will be communicated to individual option grantees through their respective grant letters.

Implementation Timeline

The Employee Stock Option Plan 2025 framework has been designed to provide clear guidelines for option exercise and share acquisition. The company has indicated that details regarding subsequent changes, cancellations, or exercise of options, as well as diluted earnings per share calculations, will be disclosed as and when applicable during the plan's implementation phase.