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Karan Johar Meets Prince William in London Ahead of Earthshot Prize 2026 in Mumbai: Filmmaker and broadcaster Karan Johar met Prince William in London ahead of the 2026 Earthshot Prize Awards, which will be held in Mumbai on November 17, 2026.
The meeting brought together two prominent figures from the worlds of entertainment and global environmental advocacy, with their conversation focusing on India’s environmental challenges, the 2026 Earthshot finalists and the potential of sustainable solutions to become commercially viable businesses.
The conversation was featured in a video released by The Earthshot Prize. During the meeting, Prince William highlighted concerns about inadequate rainfall in India and its consequences for farmers and water supplies.
“Almost three to four months without any proper rain. The farmers are struggling. Our water supplies are under stress,” Prince William said, adding that the situation was making more people aware that water is a precious resource.
Mumbai to Host the 2026 Earthshot Prize
Karan Johar confirmed during the conversation that Mumbai will host the sixth Earthshot Prize Awards Night on November 17.
The 2026 edition features 15 finalists, with five eventual winners set to receive £1 million each to help scale their environmental solutions.
Johar, who has been confirmed as the host of the Awards Night, welcomed Prince William and the Earthshot Prize to Mumbai.
The Earthshot Prize was established by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020 with the goal of identifying, celebrating and supporting solutions to major environmental challenges. The initiative was inspired by the ambition of the 1961 Moonshot program and has set a 2030 horizon for accelerating environmental progress.
India at the Centre of the Global Environmental Conversation
Prince William noted India’s significant representation in the Earthshot Prize community, saying that India has produced more finalists and winners than any other country.
The 2026 finalists include Mahindra Last Mile Mobility, an Indian electric-mobility company, alongside projects from countries and organizations across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
Johar said India’s representation made him particularly proud and highlighted another dimension of the Earthshot model: the possibility of combining environmental objectives with business opportunities.
He pointed to the potential for environmental innovation to bring together philanthropy and commercial incentives. Prince William agreed, emphasizing that many of the solutions being recognized are businesses capable of attracting investment while addressing environmental challenges.
15 Finalists Across Five Earthshot Categories
The 2026 finalists were selected from nearly 7,000 nominations across 169 countries, according to The Earthshot Prize.
They are competing across five categories:
- Protect and Restore Nature
- Clean Our Air
- Revive Our Oceans
- Build a Waste-Free World
- Fix Our Climate
Among the finalists are Satellites on Fire, an AI-powered wildfire detection and alert platform operating across 21 countries; Mahindra Last Mile Mobility; Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA); Ørsted; Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; and other community, corporate and government-led solutions.
The Earthshot Prize says the 2026 selection process incorporated the science of positive tipping points for the first time. The approach focuses on identifying solutions that have the potential to trigger wider, self-reinforcing environmental change as adoption grows, costs decline, policies evolve or ecosystems recover.
Karan Johar to Become First Indian Host
Johar has been confirmed as the first Indian to host The Earthshot Prize Awards Night.
The filmmaker described the opportunity to host the event in Mumbai as a significant personal moment and connected the work of environmental innovators with the ability to imagine and build new possibilities.
His involvement also places India’s entertainment industry in a prominent role in an international environmental initiative.
Beyond the Awards Ceremony
The Mumbai programme will extend beyond the awards night. The Earthshot Prize Summit will bring together global leaders, innovators, investors, businesses, funders and communities to build partnerships around environmental solutions.
The five winners will each receive £1 million, along with mentorship, technical support and access to a global network intended to help them expand their work.
The Earthshot Prize says its wider community has supported 75 finalists since 2020, whose collective work has contributed to significant environmental outcomes, including protection or restoration of tens of millions of hectares of land and ocean, reductions in waste and improvements in air quality.
A Conversation Linking Entertainment, Business and Sustainability
The London meeting between Karan Johar and Prince William comes at a significant moment for the Earthshot Prize, with Mumbai preparing to host its most prominent environmental event yet.
Their discussion underscored the increasingly interconnected roles of environmental innovation, investment, business and public awareness in addressing climate and sustainability challenges.
As Mumbai prepares for the November ceremony, the spotlight will now turn to the 15 finalists and the solutions they are developing to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems. The five winners will be announced at the Earthshot Prize Awards Night on November 17, 2026.
