What is Atal Innovation Mission?

The Government of India has set up the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. AIM's objective is to develop new programs and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation ecosystem of the country.

What are the initiatives taken under the AIM?

Atal Tinkering Labs - Over the last two years, AIM has launched the establishment of thousands of Atal tinkering Labs enabling students from grade 6 to grade 12 to have access to and tinker with innovative tools and technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturized electronics do-it-yourself kits, thus stimulating a problem solving innovative mindset to solve problems in the community they are in.

Atal Tinkering Labs are being established in schools nationwide with 4880+ operational in 650+ districts and over 2 million students having access to ATLs.

Atal Incubation Centres - To promote the creation of a supporting ecosystem for start-ups and entrepreneurs, AIM has been establishing world-class incubators called Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) in universities. Institutions, corporates, etc. that would foster world-class innovative start-ups and become scalable and sustainable enterprises.

To date, AIM has selected 102 universities / institutions / private players to establish world-class Incubators each of which will foster the creation and nurturing of 40-50 world-class Startups every four years. 50+ of them are already operational with 900+ operational Startups and the remaining will be operationalised during this year.

Atal Community Innovation Centres - To promote the benefits of technology-led innovation to the unserved / underserved regions of India including Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, aspirational districts, tribal, hilly and coastal areas, AIM is setting up Atal Community Innovation Centres with a unique partnership-driven model wherein AIM would grant up to Rs. 2.5 crore to an ACIC subject to a partner proving equal or greater matching funding.

Over 300+ Applications have been received across the country and 50+ ACICs will be established during the next two years.

Atal New India Challenges - To create product and service innovations having a national socio-economic impact, AIM has launched over 24 Atal New India Challenges in partnership with five different ministries and departments of the central government. 52 winners have been selected for grant aid and hand-holding by Incubators/mentors of AIM out of 950+ applications received for the same.

Applied Research and Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE) - To promote innovation in a phased manner in the MSME/Start-up sector AIM will be launching ARISE along with partner Ministries so that great research ideas are converted to viable innovative prototypes followed by product development and commercial deployment.

Mentorship and Partnerships with Public, Private sector, NGOs, Academia, Institutions - To enable all the initiatives to succeed, AIM has launched one of the largest mentor engagement and management program "Mentor India – The Mentors of Change".

To date, AIM has over 10000+ registrations nationwide on AIM with 4000+ of them allocated to ATLs and AICs.

What's even more promising is that other government agencies are also leveraging Innovation for Inclusive Growth. The Defence Institute for High Altitude Research (DIHAR) in Ladakh has played an innovative and transformational role in accelerating the socio-economic development of Ladakh.

Many initiatives like solar energy-based low-cost Green Houses, zero energy-based storage have transformed the vegetable and animal productivity and output, and even raised the tree line above 13000 ft.