ATL Sarthi, Mentor India Academy to Drive School-to-Startup Innovation Across 379 Labs in Telangana
Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla addresses the launch event in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Cluster-based mentorship model to strengthen grassroots innovation and build future-ready talent pipeline
Hyderabad: In a significant push to strengthen India’s grassroots innovation ecosystem, the Atal Innovation Mission under NITI Aayog has launched the ATL Sarthi and Mentor India Academy in Telangana, extending structured mentorship and institutional support to 379 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across the state.
The initiative aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and aims to enable school students to transform ideas into scalable solutions, positioning Telangana as a key hub in India’s expanding innovation landscape.
The launch event on Saturday was attended by Governor of Telangana Shiv Pratap Shukla and Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, along with senior officials from AIM and the state government, signalling a coordinated push to nurture future-ready innovators.
The ATL Sarthi and Mentor India Academy introduces a cluster-based model that moves beyond access to sustained engagement. Under this framework, ATLs will be grouped regionally and connected with leading institutions to ensure continuous mentorship, teacher training, and incubation pathways. Vardhaman College of Engineering has been onboarded as the nodal institution for Telangana to anchor the initiative.
“The initiative strengthens the foundation of innovation in our schools by creating meaningful linkages between young learners and institutions of excellence. It will empower students to think creatively and solve real-world problems,” Shukla said, adding that such programmes are critical to building a confident and future-ready generation.
The programme focuses on equipping students with hands-on exposure to emerging technologies, structured problem-solving approaches, and opportunities to scale innovations. It also aims to build teacher capacity and embed innovation as a continuous process within the school ecosystem.
Mission Director of AIM, Deepak Bagla, said the initiative is designed to create a robust pipeline of talent by connecting schools with institutions and the broader innovation ecosystem. “Our focus is on enabling every young innovator to move from ideation to impact, driving India’s growth and self-reliance,” he said.
The rollout builds on AIM’s national network of over 10,000 ATLs and reflects a broader strategy to foster collaboration between government, academia, and industry. The initiative is expected to strengthen regional innovation hubs and accelerate the journey from school-level tinkering to startup creation.
With structured mentorship and institutional backing, the programme is poised to significantly enhance innovation outcomes and contribute to India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation.
