IAS Gyan

Daily News Analysis

AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers on Innovations, Market-Readiness & Entrepreneurship) initiative

1st April, 2021 Education

Context: Atal Innovation Mission launches 'AIM-PRIME', in partnership with & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), which will be implemented by Venture Center - a non-profit technology business incubator.

About the initiative:

  • It is a major push towards deep technology and driving the country to become a digitally transformed nation.
    • Deep technology is an outcome of very intense research and development (R&D) with high knowledge content.
  • NITI Aayog launched AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers on Innovations, Market-Readiness & Entrepreneurship) initiative to promote and support science-based deep-tech startups & ventures across India.
  • The first cohort of the program is open to technology developers (early-stage deep tech start-ups, and scientists/ engineers/ clinicians) with strong science-based deep tech business ideas.
  • The program is also open to CEOs and Senior incubation managers of AIM Funded Atal Incubation Centers that are supporting deep tech entrepreneurs.
  • The benefits of this program are aimed at addressing specific issues through training and guidance over a period of 12 months.
  • Candidates selected for the program will get access to in-depth learning via a comprehensive lecture series, live team projects, exercises, and project-specific mentoring.
  • They will also have access to a deep tech startup playbook, curated video library, and plenty of peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
  • The AIM-PRIME program is specifically tailored for the rapid scaling up of deep-tech science ventures in India, providing not just the necessary intellect and support but also the exposure they rightly deserve.
  • This initiative builds on the foundation laid by AIM to support startups and provides specialized services to transition research to industry.

About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):

  • It is Government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of our country.
  • AIM’s objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platforms and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, and create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystem of the country.
  • AIM’s initiatives have played an important contributory role in the advancement of India from a position of 81 in the Global Innovation Index in 2015 to a position of 48 in 2020.
  • AIM has adopted a holistic approach encompassing schools, universities, research institutions, industry, MSME, NGOs, Ministries, at district, state and national levels.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1708798