Latest news with #AtalInnovationMission
United News of India
21-07-2025
- Science
- United News of India
Chhagan Bhujbal inaugurates Atal Tinkering Laboratory in Nashik
West Nashik, July 21 (UNI) Maharashtra Food, Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal today inaugurated Interactive Panel Board, AI (Artificial Intelligence) Course and Atal Tinkering Laboratory at Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Vidyalaya and Junior College at Vinchur in Niphad taluka of the district. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the main objective of starting Atal Tinkering Lab at the school-level under the government's Atal Innovation Mission is to increase curiosity and experimentation among students. Through Atal Tinkering Lab, the attraction of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, teaching through hands-on experiments, creating your own models, and implementing ideas will be made available, he informed. As a result, students in rural areas will have access to modern facilities, equipment and computer knowledge like in the city, the minister said. Innovators, startup entrepreneurs, data scientists, and robotics engineers of tomorrow will be trained here, he said. Highlighting the role of teachers in shaping students, Bhujbal urged them to strive to make students aware of new technologies. UNI RDS SS
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Deepak Bagla joins AIM as mission director
Deepak Bagla , the MD and CEO of Invest India , on Monday assumed charge as the mission director of the Atal Innovation Mission ( AIM ) under NITI Aayog . Bagla joins AIM with an extensive background spanning banking, investment promotion, policy advisory, and institutional leadership, the Aayog said in a statement. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Technology Operations Management Healthcare Project Management PGDM Management Design Thinking Artificial Intelligence others Product Management Data Science MBA Digital Marketing MCA Finance Cybersecurity CXO Data Science Data Analytics Leadership Public Policy healthcare Others Degree Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details 'His experience extends across multilateral institutions, the private sector, and government, bringing a unique blend of strategic insight and operational execution to the role,' it added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like After Losing Weight Kevin James Looks Like A Model 33 Bridges Undo Prior to this, Bagla was heading India's national investment promotion and facilitation agency, Invest India. Under his leadership, Invest India emerged as a key institution supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and startup growth across the country, the Aayog said. The Atal Innovation Mission continues to play a central role in advancing the government's mission on innovation and entrepreneurship. 'With a renewed mandate approved by the union cabinet, AIM is set to scale its impact through focused, outcome-driven initiatives aligned with national development priorities, it added. Live Events
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
How public sector incubator AIC is helping startups turn ideas into impact in Hyderabad
Imagine enjoying a sweet treat with no calories — just protein. Or savouring your favourite meat dish without the animal fat? Or drinking milk that doesn't come from a buffalo or a cow? What if scientists could work with stem cell-based 'organoids' instead of animals in the labs? These are not pipe dreams, but innovations nurtured at the Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), located in Uppal, Hyderabad. It was the only one from the public sector out of 10 incubators selected by NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) in 2017 under the Atal Innovation Mission, with ₹6-crore seed capital to support startups in life sciences. Starting with four budding firms, the institute now hosts 23 companies and has mentored about 160 startups over the past six years with total funding arranged, including support from angel investors, reaching upto ₹250 crore 'There are 13-14 firms that have already made a mark and are generating revenue. It is difficult to say if they will produce earth-shaking or disruptive products, but they are going to do well,' affirms Chief Executive Officer N. Madhusudhana Rao. Among the exciting ventures are f Althion Tech Innovations which has developed a dialysis-grade water purification unit, Oncosimis which is focused on biopharmaceuticals, Sway (or Sweetway)which is creating natural sweet protein products with zero calories, and Phyx44 which is working on cultured meat and milk, to name a few. 'Access to equipment is key but real value lies in mentoring. We provided initial research support in our lab, guided them towards funding and scaling up. We have about 70 mentors drawn from CSIR labs, industry, intellectual property rights and other domains,' says the CEO. CSIR-CCMB Director Vinay Kumar Nandicoori notes that AIC has been supporting young, aspiring scientists with bright ideas by providing key infrastructure. 'Moreover, they also benefit from accessing CCMB's facilities at nominal charges and interacting with an outstanding pool of scientists,' he adds. The Incubation Centre was clear about its direction from the beginning. 'Our primary focus is on life sciences and biotechnology. We look for original ideas and give them a platform to test their product or process in our lab at a low rate,' says Mr. Rao. From 'Idea to Proof of Concept', startups are helped in developing samples in real-world settings like hospitals and are guided to understand the timelines involved. They receive help with idea validation, physical incubation, seed funding, product validation, and regulatory approvals. Most funding comes from Central government ministries and departments such as the NIDHI-Seed Support Programme, Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Board (NSTEDB) and the likes. The AIC conducts workshops and fellowship programmes to attract emerging entrepreneurs. 'Biological sciences is a risky business. Unlike IT/ITES, turnaround times here are longer. It takes at least five years unless you import readymade products from foreign partners,' says Mr. Rao, a former CCMB scientist who has led AIC since its inception. AIC-CCMB's success stems from the experience of working in a top research organisation and the 'frustration and disappointment' when scientists like Dr. Rao were unable to bring their own research outcomes closer to the public. 'I know what is required since I was in the game for many years and have a fairly good idea of what works. Having the backing of then CSIR-CCBM director Rakesh Mishra during inception and the CCMB's brand value helped us, as people wanted to be associated with us,' he recalls. The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased trust in science, and 'suddenly we also had angel investors coming forward to fund. We are also helping such investors conduct due diligence. Usually, we nudge the startup after two years, once they gain traction, to look for greener pastures with six-monthly reviews', explains the scientist. Over the years what the CEO has realised is that 'many people are not smart in their spending'. 'We also help them review their balance sheets, burn rates and expected product timelines to ensure they stay on course. We also support some companies virtually,' he says. He says technology entrepreneurship is the way forward for the country. 'People have ideas; all they need is support and autonomy. We also need technology transfer offices in all universities and labs just like the IITs,' asserts AIC-CCMB is also working on a revenue model where successful firms will be ready to pay back. The incubator has recently expanded its activities into wildlife conservation — helping in Hangul deer preservation, introducing a PCR-based method to test for authenticity of Pashmina shawls etc. Biodimension which is into bio-fabricated human tissues as efficient alternatives for drug screening, Cellverse, intending to use 3D bioprinting to create human cancer-on-chip models, PopVax which is into mRNA modelling and a few others are among the promising startups from the AIC stable Despite the progress, what still rankles Mr. Rao is that Magellen Life Sciences (2018), one of the first promising startups, could not get funding even after having developed a protein '1,200 times sweeter than sugar' based on an African fruit. 'Fed up with the experience where he could not even get proper food labelling, the entrepreneur left for the UK and has now received generous funding. We felt bad when there were no takers then. But today, I am sure he would have got proper backing,' he says.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UAE-India CEPA Council, Atal Incubation Centre join hands to boost innovation
Varanasi: The UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) and the Atal Incubation Centre - Mahamana Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Institute of Management, Banaras Hindu University (AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday. The MoU was signed by director, UAE-India CEPA Council, Ahmed Aljneibi and professor-in-charge, AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU PV Rajeev. The event marked a significant milestone in UAE-India collaborations, highlighting the growing importance of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as innovation hubs and reaffirming UICC's commitment to expanding its outreach beyond India's metropolitan centres. Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed Aljneibi said, "The UAE-India CEPA Start-Up Series is about more than opportunity — it's about access, ambition, and acceleration. Through this initiative, we are positioning the UAE as an international scale-up launchpad for India's most promising next-generation ventures, particularly those emerging from Tier-2 and Tier-3 innovation hubs." Prof Rajeev said, "This collaboration marks a pivotal moment for our institution and the broader start-up community in Varanasi." It aims to foster youth-led ventures and technology-driven enterprises by enabling cross-border scaling, knowledge exchange, and institutional linkages between India and the UAE. It will also support start-ups from AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU and the wider eastern region in accessing incubation programs, mentorship, investor networks, and fast-track licensing pathways in the UAE. The UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) is a dedicated bilateral platform established to advance trade, investment, and innovation under the UAE–India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The Atal Incubation Centre - Mahamana Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Institute of Management, Banaras Hindu University (AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU) is a premier incubation and innovation hub established under the Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog, govt of India. The signing ceremony was attended by director, Institute of Management, prof Ashish Bajpai, dean, Institute of Management, prof SK Dubey, UAE Embassy in India Latieta Bruce Wairiri and others.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Teacher professional devpt training conducted in Udupi
Udupi: In an effort to integrate sustainability, innovation, and critical thinking into ATL school education, a teacher training session under the Shell NXplorers programme was conducted in Udupi for the academic year 2025-26. The programme, run in collaboration with the Learning Links Foundation and supported by NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission, aims to empower educators to guide students in tackling real-world challenges using STEM. This year's training brought together 18 Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) teachers from 16 schools, many of whom were part of the NXplorers journey for the past two years. These educators underwent an immersive session on the NXplorers Foundation Curriculum, equipping them with tools and strategies to facilitate student-led change projects in their respective schools. The event was honoured by the presence of Ashoka Kamath, principal in-charge, DIET Udupi, and Suresh Bhat, lecturer, DIET, who expressed appreciation for the programme's alignment with national educational priorities. The Shell NXplorers programme, implemented in Udupi since 2023, led to the successful mentorship of numerous student projects, some of which received recognition at district and state levels. With sustained support from NITI Aayog, local authorities, and proactive school leadership, the NXplorers initiative continues to build a strong foundation for education that is responsive to global sustainability challenges. By investing in teacher capacity building, the programme ensures that students are mentored by facilitators who are equipped to inspire inquiry, creativity, and practical problem-solving in the next generation of changemakers.
