10K Atal Tinkering Labs In Last 11 Yrs Fuelling Innovation From Schools: FM

New Delhi: Ten thousand Atal Tinkering Labs have been established in the country in the last 11 years, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday.

In a post on social media platform X, Sitharaman said that Atal Tinkering Labs, under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the NITI Aayog, is fuelling innovation among school children.

“10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs have been set up in the country since 2016. Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reforms are fuelling a maker mindset, where curiosity leads to innovation from schools," Nirmala Sitharaman's Office stated on X.

The Atal Tinkering Labs have contributed to over 12 lakh innovation projects. It has actively engaged more than 1.1 crore students in innovation and creative problem-solving.

Maharashtra has the highest number of Atal labs (1,033) followed by Tamil Nadu (975), and Uttar Pradesh (955), as per data from the Ministry of Planning.

In the Union Budget 2025, the finance minister announced plans to establish 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools in the next five years. The initiative has been taken to cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation and foster a scientific temper among young minds.