NITI Aayog plans to set up 1,000 new innovation labs this year

In a bid to facilitate innovation in schools, NITI Aayog is gearing up to open 1,000 new Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) this year, all across India.

ATLs will conduct different activities ranging from regional and national level competitions, designing and fabrication of products, lecture series, exhibitions, workshops on problem-solving, etc., "to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students in the nation."

With the latest project, the count of total labs will shoot up to about 1,500. The schools which will house these labs will receive a grant of Rs20 lakh each to provide proper facilities and infrastructure. Companies like IBM, Intel as well as founders of Ola, Paytm, and Oyo have already expressed their interest in mentoring the students.

Niti Aayog’s CEO Amitabh Kant said, “India has jumped 21 positions in the global innovation index over the last two years. The objective of these labs is to push innovation culture vigorously at the school level."

He further added, "To maximise the impact of the ATLs, AIM will soon be launching Mentor India—a strategic nation-building initiative to engage leaders who can guide and mentor students in the ATLs. Mentor India is envisaged to be the largest formal volunteer network in India."

Moreover, an online monitoring system will be developed to ensure on-ground successful implementation of these labs.

Last year, the Aayog had received over 13,000 applications from several schools all across the states and Union Territories, while only 457 schools were chosen to establish these labs under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).