The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is Narendra Modi government’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Its objective is to develop new programmes and policies for nurturing innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders and create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country.
Recently, this programme received a major impetus when German enterprise software maker SAP signed a statement of intent with NITI Aayog. As part of this agreement, SAP in 2018 will adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education among secondary school children across India, specifically in the states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Bernd Leukert, a member of the executive board of SAP SE, Products & Innovation, said, “We are passionate about using technology to improve people’s lives. One example is to empower the world’s youth, working adults, differently-abled people and the unemployed with the right skills they need to thrive in the digital economy.”
The programme aims to enable students to learn advanced technology topics relevant to digital transformation and the Internet of Things, for example, design thinking methodology, introduction to programming languages and experiential science learning. SAP employee volunteers will coach and mentor students in advanced technology topics, and the design lab of SAP Labs India, will provide students hands-on experience with technology gadgets. SAP will also provide CSR grants through non-profit partners so that ATLs can provide students with holistic learning experiences that extend their school curriculum.
Acknowledging the importance of such collaborations, Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, said, “India’s growth for the next few decades will depend on the innovations coming out of these tinkering labs. This is possible only through effective public-private partnership and we are delighted to have SAP partner with us on AIM to nurture the future talent of our country.” NITI Aayog’s AIM envisions the creation of a collaborative ecosystem, where students, teachers, mentors and industry partners work to facilitate innovation, foster scientific temper and an entrepreneurial spirit in children.
