The Indian Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, and Steel, recently inaugurated the Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC), a new initiative under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). ACIC aims to foster a socially inclusive innovation ecosystem to bridge the gap in infrastructure and inspire innovation across the country.
Objective of ACIC Program
The ACIC program aims to stimulate innovation in areas of India that suffer from a lack of infrastructure. It seeks to create an environment conducive to innovation by providing the necessary support and resources. The idea is to encourage the spirit of innovation and facilitate an ecosystem that stimulates it.
Coverage: Who Can Apply
In line with the mission’s goal to support innovators in unserved/underserved regions equitably, the focus areas for ACIC establishment include Tier-2, Tier-3 cities, rural and tribal areas, aspirational districts, North East region, Jammu & Kashmir cities, Smart Cities identified by the Government of India, as well as underserved areas of Tier-1/Metro cities.
Eligibility Criteria
ACIC program is open to diverse applicants. The academic ones include University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) affiliated universities/colleges, and educational institutions like ITIs and technical diploma colleges. Aside from academic institutions, non-academic organisations with a strong background in promoting Science & Technology are also eligible to apply.
Finance Mechanism
The AIM, under its ACIC program, evaluates applications for grant-in-aid support. The support can go up to Rs. 2.5 Crore in multiple tranches over a maximum period of 5 years, covering capital and operational expenditure of the proposed ACIC up to 50% of the total project cost. The remaining financial input is expected from the applicant. One of the objectives of the ACIC is to materialise a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with participation from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds or other funding sources.
Facts About ACIC Program:
| Full Form | Atal Community Innovation Centre |
|---|---|
| Under the Aegis of | Atal Innovation Mission |
| Objective | Foster Innovation, bridge infrastructure gap |
| Grant-in-Aid Support | Up to Rs. 2.5 Crore |
| Focus Areas | Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, Rural and Tribal areas, NE region, J&K cities |
Expected Outcomes of the ACIC
The ACIC is designed to propel several key actions, including building capacity of potential innovators through community engagement in innovation-related events; conducting events like ideathons for scouting solutions to address community challenges, providing training and mentorship to entrepreneurs, and helping startups in unserved and underserved regions create sustainable, scalable, and profitable business models.
Societal Benefits
The ACIC program promises tangible societal benefits. It will help address problems such as pollution and high fossil fuel import bills while establishing India as an innovation and technology-led start-up nation. This, in turn, is expected to improve India’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index.