Google unveils ATL Saathi AI app for teachers in India
Google unveils ATL Saathi AI app for teachers in India, a Gemini-powered tool aligned with Atal Tinkering Labs, piloting in 100 schools in 2026.
A new classroom helper is here! Google’s DeepMind unit in India has introduced ATL Saathi, a desktop web application that gives teachers access to a Gemini-powered assistant trained on a curriculum designed by Atal Tinkering Labs under NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission.
The goal is to make it easier for educators to plan hands-on experiments that align with local learning goals while keeping students engaged.
A teaching assistant built for Indian classrooms
Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots, ATL Saathi is designed specifically for educators. It is trained on the curriculum developed for Atal Tinkering Labs under NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission, enabling it to recommend age-appropriate experiments, step-by-step activities and classroom tips.
By combining generative AI with curriculum-specific content, the tool helps teachers spend less time searching for resources and more time focusing on students. It can also suggest ways to adapt activities for learners with different skill levels within the same classroom.
Making hands-on learning easier
ATL Saathi is built to support project-based learning rather than replace teachers. Educators can use it to organise experiments, connect activities to learning objectives and plan classroom sessions more efficiently.
With AI handling much of the preparation, teachers can dedicate more attention to guiding discussions, ensuring safety during experiments and providing personalised feedback. Since the recommendations are based on the Atal Tinkering Labs framework, the activities remain relevant to Indian classrooms and learning goals.
Pilot begins with 100 schools
Google announced ATL Saathi at Google I/O Connect India in Bengaluru on July 14, 2026. The pilot programme will begin with 100 schools this year, allowing the company to gather feedback and improve the platform.
Over time, Google aims to expand the initiative to as many as 10,000 schools through partnerships and continued development. The pilot phase will also help refine the AI assistant's responses and ensure better alignment with different state education boards.
Part of Google's wider AI push in India
The launch of ATL Saathi is one of several AI initiatives Google recently announced for India. Alongside the classroom assistant, the company is expanding access to its Gemini models for businesses and enabling deployment through Google Distributed Cloud hosted in Indian data centres to support data localisation.
Together, these efforts highlight Google's growing investment in India's AI ecosystem. If the ATL Saathi pilot proves successful, it could become a valuable tool for teachers while encouraging more students to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics through practical learning.