About the Mission

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country. It was setup in 2016.
• Towards this end, AIM has taken a holistic approach to ensure creation of a problem-solving innovative mindset in schools and creating an ecosystem of entrepreneurship in universities, research institutions, private and MSME sector. 

Initiatives under Atal Innovation Mission

Atal Tinkering Labs – at School Level

• 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, miniaturised electronics do-it-yourself kits, thus stimulating a problem solving innovative mindset to solve problems in the community they are in. 

Atal Incubators at Universities, Institutions, Industry Level

• To promote 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 innovative start-ups and become scalable and sustainable enterprises. 

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 (ACICs) 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. 

Atal New India Challenges

• To create product and service innovations having national socio-economic impact, AIM has launched Atal New India Challenges in partnership with five different ministries and departments of the central government.  

Applied Research and Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE) 

• To promote innovation in a phased manner in the MSME/Start-up sector, AIM launched 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 

• To enable all the initiatives to succeed, AIM has launched the “Mentor India – The Mentors of Change” programme, in collaboration with the public sector, corporates and institutions, to support all the initiatives of the mission.

Why in News?

• In a strategic move to foster and nurture innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem throughout India, Atal Innovation Mission is set to organize a peer-to-peer workshop focusing on the development of state-level innovation ecosystems.
• The purpose of this workshop is to unleash the power of peer learning across the states/UTs in order to propel each state-level ecosystem forward.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1974040