Niti Aayog, Intel India come together to launch first 10 Atal Tinker Labs

Aiming to inculcate creativity, curiosity and imagination among growing minds, Niti Aayog on Tuesday signed a two-year statement of intent (SOI) with tech giant Intel India to set up the first 10 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in the country.

The partnership will result in the setting up of laboratories in schools aimed at teaching skills such as computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing and developing a design mindset among young students between 12-18 years of age.

A sum of $15 million has been earmarked to be spent over a period of next five years to build and manage 500 ATLs in schools and communities around the country and these first 10 ATLs will act as exemplars for the rest of them.

“The Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) will provide school students the opportunity to work with tools and equipment, fostering inventiveness. Students will also be able to exchange knowledge and learn from one another through regional and national-level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem-solving, designing and fabrication of products, so that," Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, told reporters in New Delhi.

As part of the initiative, Intel India will facilitate ideation, design thinking, and prototyping workshops through industry experts and co-lead an innovation festival.

Rosalind Hudnell, Vice president (Corporate Affairs) at Intel Corporation and President of the Intel Foundation said, "We are proud to be part of the Atal Innovation Mission to launch tinkering labs throughout India, which will ultimately help millions of children across the country develop the skills they need to be competitive as tomorrow's workforce."

NITI Aayog also organized an expert consultative group meeting on creating a framework for operationalizing 500 ATLs.