The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog in 2016 to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country. The AIM 2.0 initiative with an enhanced scope of work and an allocated budget of Rs.2,750 crore is approved for the period till March 31, 2028. AlM's objectives are to create and promote an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country at school, university, research institutions, MSME and industry levels. AIM 2.0 Whereas AIM 1.0 involved implementing programs that built new innovation infrastructure to strengthen India’s then nascent ecosystem, AIM 2.0 involves piloting new initiatives designed to fill gaps in the ecosystem and scaling successes through central and state governments, industry, academia and community. AIM 2.0 is designed to strengthen India’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in three ways: by increasing input (i.e., ushering more innovators and entrepreneurs) by improving the success rate or ‘throughput’ (i.e., helping more startups succeed) and by improving the quality of ‘output’ (i.e., producing better jobs, products and services). Two programs target increasing input to the ecosystem: The Language Inclusive Program of Innovation (LIPI) to build innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in India’s 22 scheduled languages for lowering entry barrier confronting innovators, entrepreneurs and investors who don’t speak English. 30 Vernacular Innovation Centers will be established in existing incubators. The Frontier Program to create customized templates for the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Ladakh, the North Eastern states (NE), Aspirational Districts and Blocks where 15% of India’s citizens live. 2500 new ATLs will be created for template development. Four programs target improving the throughput of the ecosystem: The Human Capital Development Program to create a system for producing professionals (managers, teachers, trainers) to build, operate, and maintain India’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The pilot will produce 5500 such professionals. The Deeptech Reactor to create a research sandbox for testing ways of commercializing research-based deep tech startups that require significantly longer time and deeper investment to get to market. Minimum 1 Deeptech Reactor will be piloted. The State Innovation Mission (SIM) to assist states/UTs with building a strong innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that focuses on their areas of strength. SIM will be a component of the NITI Aayog’s State Support Mission. The International Innovation Collaborations program to take India’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem international. Four areas of intervention are identified: (a) an Annual Global Tinkering Olympiad (b) creation of 10 Bi-lateral, multilateral engagements with advanced nations (c) as a knowledge partner, helping the United Nation’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) spread the models of AIM and its programs (ATL, AIC) to the countries of the global south, and (d) anchoring the Startup20 Engagement Group of the G20 for India.Two programs target improving the quality of output (jobs, products, and services): The Industrial Accelerator program to increase industry involvement in scaling-up advanced startups. Minimum 10 Industry Accelerators in critical sectors will be created in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The Atal Sectoral Innovation Launchpads (ASIL) program to build iDEX-like platforms in central ministries for integrating and procuring from startups in key industry sectors. Minimum 10 launchpads will be built across key ministries. AIM 1.0 Functions The Atal Innovation Mission has following two core functions: Entrepreneurship promotion through Self-Employment and Talent Utilization, wherein innovators would be supported and mentored to become successful entrepreneurs. Innovation promotion: to provide a platform where innovative ideas are generated. Implementation framework AIM has multiple programs to encourage and support innovation in the country. Atal Tinkering Labs To promote creative, innovative mind set in schools. At the school level, AIM is setting up state of the art Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) across all districts across the country. These ATLs are dedicated innovation workspaces of 1000-1500 square feet where do-it-yourself (DIY) kits on latest technologies like 3D Printers, Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), Miniaturized electronics are installed using a grant of Rs 20 Lakhs from the government so that students from Grade VI to Grade XII can tinker with these technologies and learn to create innovative solutions using these technologies. This will enable create a problem solving, innovative mind set within millions of students across the country. More than just grants, the ATL program is undertaking on-the-ground activities to engage students and teachers in identifying problems in and around their communities and creating innovative solutions leveraging the ATL technologies to achieve the objectives of the program. Every school would have an ATL In charge appointed by the school as well as Mentors associated to mentor the ATL students. All ATL in charges to date have received training through AIM and its partners. AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education) is also partnering with AIM to ensure that the closest universities to a school can also mentor ATL students. Atal Innovation Tinkering challenges are regularly held in the school as well as by AIM every month to ensure students active involvement in creating innovative solutions to solve problems in their community and in the country. The vision is to have every school have access to at least one or more Atal Tinkering Labs in each district of the country, as well as to scale the same up with the help of state education ministries across the length and breadth of the country. Also Government / Govt Aided schools, and Girls schools, North East and Hilly District schools get a special preference in the consideration of ATL selections. To know more, click here. Atal Incubators Promoting entrepreneurship in universities and industry. At the university, NGO, SME and Corporate industry levels, AIM is setting up world-class Atal Incubators (AICs) that would trigger and enable successful growth of sustainable startups in every sector /state of the country, thereby promoting entrepreneurs and job creators in the country addressing both commercial and social entrepreneurship opportunities in India and applicable globally. AIM is also providing scale up support to existing incubators for scaling up their operations. AIM is providing a grant of upto Rs 10 crores to successful applicants for setting up greenfield incubators or scaling up existing ones. The idea is that every one of the 110 named smart cities and the top 5-10 educational / industrial institutions of every state should aspire to have a world class incubator that will provide the youth / startup communities in the universities / industries opportunity to create new start ups. Women led incubators and entrepreneurial startups are strongly encouraged by AIM. Again here, the longer term approach would be to scale up with the help of other ministries / states / sectors / public sector organizations as this would be crucial to create thousands of job creators in India. To know more, click here. 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 upto Rs 2.5 crores to an ACIC subject to a partner proving equal or greater matching funding. To know more, click here. Atal New India Challenges and Atal Grand Challenges To promote technology driven innovations and product creation for social and commercial impact. Atal New India Challenges / Atal Grand Challenges are being launched in specific areas and sectors of national importance - such as Renewable Energies, Energy Storage, Climate-smart precision agriculture, Universal drinking water, Swaach Bharat, Transportation, Education, Healthcare using Robotic, IOT technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Block-chain, Augmented and Virtual reality, Battery Technologies etc. The successful applicants will get a grant of upto Rs 1 crore for Atal New India Challenges and larger grants of upto Rs 30 crores for Atal Grand Challenges. AIM is also partnering with corporates and other institutions to launch such challenges to stimulate new product and service development in various sectors. To know more, click here. Mentor of Change - Industry, Academia, Government, Global Collaborations To enable a vibrant ecosystem of innovation, AIM is promoting active collaboration between Government, Academia, Industry, Individuals and Societal focused NGOs. AIM has set up one of the largest Mentoring networks in India called Mentor India from the professional and industry community who can help mentor students at Atal Tinkering Labs and AIC Incubators / startups. Qualified mentors will be assigned to various AICs. A number of industry leaders and corporate organizations have volunteered to adopt ATLs/AICs in their vicinities to ensure close mentoring and success of these initiatives. AIM is also actively working on establishing collaborations with innovation systems and entities in other countries in APAC, Europe, UK, USA, Africa and Latin American Countries. To know more, click here. Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-ANIC The Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-ANIC program is a national initiative to promote research & innovation and increase competitiveness of Indian startups and MSMEs. The objective of Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-ANIC program is to proactively collaborate with esteemed Ministries and the associated industries to catalyse research, innovation and facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems. Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-ANIC Challenge Statements included 15 focus challneges from 5 ministries. To know more, click here. Acheivements The acheivements of AIM 1.0 are: 10000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), 1.1 Crore + Students actively engaged in ATLs 72 Atal Incubation Centers (AICs), 32000+ Jobs Created 14 Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACICs) 3500+ Startups Supported, 1000+ Women Lead Startups 6200+ Mentors of Change The total budgeted expenditure of Rs.2000+ crore shall be incurred in the process of the establishment and supporting the beneficiaries. For more details, visit https://www.aim.gov.in/ Source : NITI Aayog