From Tinkering Labs to Global Tech: PM Modi Pitches India's Decade-Long Innovation Architecture

Addressing the India–France Innovation Forum in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the platform to frame India’s innovation story as a deliberate, decade-long buildout—one designed to move ideas from classrooms to companies.

His message to international partners and domestic industry leaders was direct: India is no longer treating innovation as episodic, but as an ecosystem with pipelines, incentives, and scale.

From school labs to startup pathways

Modi highlighted what he described as an end-to-end network that begins early—“from schools to industries.” At the school level, he pointed to Atal Tinkering Labs as a starting point, backed by mentorship, scholarships, and access to startup capital.

The aim, he suggested, is to normalise experimentation among students and create a smoother transition from early problem-solving to entrepreneurship and product development.

Hackathons as an engine of scale

A key marker of that scale, Modi said, is India’s hackathon ecosystem, which he described as among the largest in the world. The pitch here is not just participation, but volume—more teams, more prototypes, more problem statements, and a faster cycle of learning.

In policy terms, hackathons also function as a bridge: they connect students, developers, institutions, and industry to real-world challenges, while creating a talent map that incubators and companies can tap.

Incentives for research and deep-tech

Modi also underscored government efforts to push innovation beyond apps and services into research-led, deep-tech work. He referenced direct support through a private sector Research Innovation Scheme, positioning it as a route to strengthen industry-led R&D.

Alongside this, he pointed to Startup India 2.0 as a vehicle for mobilising capital for deep-tech innovation—signalling an intent to fund longer-gestation ideas that typically require patient capital, specialised talent, and lab-to-market support.

Atal Innovation Mission turns 10 on 24 February

A major milestone, he noted, is the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) completing one decade on 24 February. He described AIM as one of the world’s largest grassroots innovation missions, anchored by more than 10,000 tinkering labs working with over one crore student innovators.

Modi said the mission connects over 100 incubators and a growing pipeline of deep-tech startups, indicating a structure that goes beyond ideation into incubation and early-stage scaling.

Call to industry leaders: “Associate with AIM”

Closing with an explicit ask, Modi urged industry captains present to “definitely associate” with the Atal Innovation Mission. The subtext was clear: public platforms can create reach, but partnerships with industry—mentorship, pilots, procurement, and R&D collaboration—are what convert innovation into deployable solutions at national and global scale.