Atal Innovation Mission

• To promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the country
• Create and facilitate an environment for transformation of ideas into innovative and impactful solutions at schools, universities, research institutions, MSME and industry level across the country

What are the initiatives undertaken by AIM?

• Encouraging innovation at institute level
• Supporting tech development, deployment and commercialization in important sectors
• Building a robust ecosystem in unserved/underserved regions of India
• Supporting research and innovation in MSME Sector

AIM has various initiatives to achieve its objectives

Atal Tinkering Labs

Atal Tinkering Labs or ATLs are dedicated innovation workspaces of 1200-1500 square feet where Do-It-Yourself (DIY) kits on latest technologies like 3D Printers, Robotics, Internet of Things (IOT), Miniaturized electronics are installed. A grant of Rs.20 Lakhs is offered from the government to encourage students from Grade VI to Grade XII to experiment with these technologies and learn to create innovative solutions for indigenous use.

The purpose of this scheme is to foster curiosity, innovation and imagination in young minds; and to inculcate skills such as mindset design, creative thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.

It also conducts various activities at periodic intervals, ranging from regional and national competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, product design and manufacturing, lecture series etc.

Financial Assistance

AIM will provide a grant-in-aid of Rs. 20 lakhs to each school that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakhs for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.

Eligibility

Schools (minimum Grade VI - X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society to set up ATL.

Atal Incubation Centre

AIM works to foster the creation of new incubation centres called Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) to promote creative start-ups to become scalable and sustainable businesses. The AICs plan to build world-class incubation facilities in different parts of India with adequate physical infrastructure with regard to capital resources and operating facilities, and the availability of sectoral experts to mentor start-ups, business planning support, access to seed capital, industry partners, trainings and other relevant components required for encouraging innovative start-ups. In addition, AICs will be set up in different subject areas such as manufacturing, transport, energy, health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation etc.

Eligibility

Entities such as higher educational institutions, R&D institutes, corporate sector, alternative investment funds registered with SEBI, business accelerators, group of individuals, and individuals are eligible to apply.

Financial Support

AIM will provide a grant-in-aid of up to Rs. 10 crores for a maximum period of 5 years to cover the capital and operational expenditures to establish the AIC.

Requirements

The applicant should possess at least 10,000 sq. ft. of ready-to-use, built-up space, for the exclusive use of the AIC.

Atal New India Challenge (ANIC)

One of the primary goals of the Atal Innovation Mission is to incentivize innovation in areas crucial to the development of India. Innovative solutions in areas such as health, housing, hygiene, energy, and water can impact all sections of society directly on livelihoods. Researchers have always spoken about the 'Valleys of Death' during the early stage of the marketing period of bringing products into the market. The Atal New India Challenge seeks to tackle the second Commercialization Death Valley of, in which innovators are unable to access funding for piloting, developing, and building markets. Total of 24 challenges are launched in partnership with five different ministries and departments of the central government.

ANIC works with a two-fold vision: 

1. Assist with the creation of products from existing technologies relevant to national and social causes (productization)

2. Help new deep-tech products find markets (commercialization) and early consumers in India

The programme 's scope extends to the establishment of an institutional framework and structure to channel potential creative ideas for Start-ups and MSMEs' products and innovations on their own or together with R&D organisations, academic institutions and even individual innovators.

Mentor of Change Program

The Mentor of Change Program is a strategic nation-building initiative to engage leaders who can guide and mentor students through the Atal Innovation Mission programs across India in thousands of Atal Tinkering Labs and start-ups and incubators. The programme is looking for leaders who can spend 1 to 2 hours per week in one or more of these laboratories or with the start-ups / incubators and allow them to experience, learn and practice future skills such as design and analytical thinking and instil the spark of creativity and entrepreneurship.

Such laboratories are by definition non-prescriptive and mentors should be enablers rather than instructors.

Possible contributing areas may be, but not limited to:

• Technical Knowhow: Building Prototypes
• Innovation and Design: Inculcating Solution-Oriented Approach
• Inspirational: Leadership and Self-Motivation
• Business and Entrepreneurship: Encouraging Ideas and Team Building
• Sounding Board / Guide: Break stereotypes and bias to bring about mind set and behavioural change.

Atal Community Innovation Center

Atal Innovation Mission took this new initiative in support of the country's drive for community innovation. The curriculum is aimed at promoting the spirit of creativity to benefit the community through solution oriented design thinking. This will concentrate on the country's underserved regions that currently lack a thriving ecosystem for start-ups and innovation.

Proposed Focus Areas: Underserved / Unserved regions of Tier 1 / Metro cities, Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities, Smart Cities, Aspirational districts, North-East, J&K and Rural and Tribal regions of India.

Purpose: To provide innovative and sponsored solutions that will inspire students, researchers or any individual / group of individuals to come up with new solutions and develop them. The program provides infrastructure for developing innovation ecosystems in the above-mentioned locations to accomplish this function.

Funding Mechanism: The centres are set up either in PPP mode or with funding from PSU and other agencies. Up to Rs. 2.5 crores will be the maximum grant-in-aid support from AIM following compliance with the program guidelines and contributing matching from the host institutions and their funding partners.

ARISE - Atal Research & Innovation for Small Enterprises (Coming Soon)

ARISE is an initiative aimed at fostering science, innovation and competitiveness among Indian start-ups and small businesses, including micro, small and medium businesses. The program aims at catalysing research, creativity, seeking solutions to sector specific problems and then triggering the development of new industrial sectors, with the help of Central Government Ministries / Departments, which will become the first buyer of solutions / products innovated by start-ups and small businesses under the ARISE programme.

ARISE will be a multi-phase, multi-sector, and multi-stakeholder initiative to define, fund, direct, manage, and procure start-ups and small businesses from India. It aims to inculcate a culture and mentality of engaging and co-creating between industry and government, enhance the capacity of India to import substitute, build export leadership in nation-critical sectors, and provide indigenous solutions to challenges in India.

AIM – Atal Innovation Mission FAQs: