Atal Innovation Mission (Atal New India Challenge) - UPSC Notes

Atal New India Challenge was launched under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to bring in innovations and technologies relevant to the masses. Details of the Atal New India Challenge scheme are discussed further in the article. 

The UPSC Syllabus covers this scheme under welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and the States in General Studies Paper-II.

Aspirants preparing for IAS Exam or any other government exam will be benefited from the information provided on Atal Innovation Mission in the article.

The candidates preparing for various government examinations can read related information on Indian government’s efforts related to innovation and its global rankings in the context of innovation from the links below:

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)

Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative launched to promote the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. The AIM, in partnership with the Railway Board, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has launched the Atal New India Challenge. The AIM, under the initiative, would invite potential innovators, start-ups and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises to innovate, create and design market-ready products with the help of cutting-edge technologies in 17 pre-identified focus areas.

Also read: Atal Tinkering Labs

Pre-identified Focus Areas of AIM

There are 17 pre-identified focus areas for the AIM. They are listed below:

• Waste in public spaces and dissuading public littering
• Mixing blades for composting
• Decentralized composting
• Quality of compost
• Garbage composition devices
• Waste management recycling/reuse
• Affordable desalination/recycling technology
• Instant portable water quality testing
• Safe transport
• Electric mobility
• Smart mobility
• Alternate fuel-based transportation
• Predictive maintenance of rolling stock
• Prevention of rail failure using emerging technologies
• Fog vision system for road and rail
• Climate-smart agriculture

Atal New India Challenge – Details

The National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog has launched the Atal New India Challenge under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) with the aim of bringing in innovations and technologies, relevant to the masses.

The programme will be driven by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and four ministries:

• Ministry of Defence;
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries;
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

The Atal New India Challenge Program is in line with the mandate of:

• Make in India
• Startup India
• Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Atal New India Challenge Objective

• To proactively collaborate with Ministries and the associated industries to catalyze research, innovation and facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems.
• To provide a steady stream of innovative products & solutions where the Central Government Ministries/Departments will become the potential first buyers.

Features of ANIC – Atal New India Challenge

• The initiative will help promote technopreneurs who deserve to be supported because of their immense potential of taking India forward.
• A total of 15 sector-specific challenges will be selected where three challenges are kept for each ministry.
• A grant-of-aid of up to Rs. 50 lakh for a period of 9 to 12 months have been earmarked for startups to develop a minimum usable prototype.
• Innovators would also be attracted by using the Mahatma Gandhi Challenge method.

The initiative lays its focus on solving such problems in the core areas, which would directly impact the quality of life of the citizens and also generate employment.

• The applicant displaying the capability and intent to manufacture marketable products under the 17 pre-identified focus areas will be granted an award grant of up to 1 crore rupees.
• The winning grantees would be provided support in terms of technical support, go-to-market strategies by leading experts, accelerators and incubators, technical support, mentoring and others.
• In order to generate wider deployment, mentoring and support would be provided at various levels of commercialization.
• The challenge is open to all the Startups, companies registered under the Companies Act 1956 and the Companies Act 2013, R&D institutions, academicians, academic institutions and individual innovators.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) – Latest News

1. In order to promote innovation across schools, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with IT company CGI India. 
2. As a part of the SOI signed between AIM, NITI Aayog and CGI, over 100 schools from Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai having ATLs will be adopted by CGI to promote and train students. Under this initiative, CGI volunteers will coach and mentor students at the ATLs to boost their technical literacy. Along with this, the students will also be exposed to immersive learning experiences using hands-on experience via STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) tools.

Strategic Campaigns of AIM

Some important strategic campaigns of AIM are listed and discussed below:

AIM-Prime Program

• Aim – To promote science based, deep technology ideas to market through training and guidance over a period of 9 months.
• Target Audience – Technology developers and incubations managers
• PRIME stands for Program for Researchers on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
• AIM has collaborated with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to launch this nationwide initiative, which will be implemented by Venture Centre – a non-profit technology business incubator.

AIM-iCREST

• iCREST stands for Incubator Capabilities enhancement for a Robust Ecosystem for high performing Startups.
• Aim – To enable the incubation ecosystem and act as a growth hack for AIM’s Atal and Established incubators across the country. 
• The core objective of AIM-iCREST program is:
  • To enable the incubators to design and implement world-class entrepreneurship programs, make their institution sustainable, and build credibility.
• Elements of AIM iCRESt are:
  1. Incubator Structured Training
  2. Startup Training
  3. Incubation Success E-Handbook
  4. Global Best Practices Study
• This program is aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. 
• This program is launched by AIM in collaboration with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation. 

Atal New India Challenge UPSC:- Download PDF Here

After learning about Atal Innovation Mission and Atal New India Challenge Programme, candidates preparing for Civil Services Exam can refer to the below-given links for assimilating comprehensive information related to Innovation, its challenges and other Government of India schemes to promote innovation.

Relevant Links