National Space Innovation Challenge 2023 Launched by AIM, NITI Aayog in Collab with ISRO and Navars Edutech

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Navars Edutech successfully launched the National Space Innovation Challenge (NSIC) 2023.

NSIC 2023 is a National-level campaign designed to ignite next generation space enthusiast to understand and contribute towards growing Indian space economy and future space workforce. It’s a National platform to get inspired by industry leaders, seek opportunities for exploration and showcase ones innovation to the world.

NSIC 2023 is a unique challenge for school students across India that aligns with the nationwide excitement around the successful launch of Chandrayaan III by ISRO.

School Teachers, ATL In-Charges and mentors are encouraged for active participation.

With the goal of fostering innovation and curiosity among school students across the nation, the Atal Innovation Mission is proud to announce National Space Innovation Challenge (NSIC) open for all the school students across the country. Students of Classes 5 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves to solve modern-day space technology problems from August 11 to September 20, 2023.

Students (from ATL and Non-ATL schools) can submit their entries on the automated technology platform implemented by Navars Edutech through the link -https://navarsedutech.com/nsic/. Each student based on their interest and understanding, must select one problem which falls under any one of the Challenge themes.

NSIC offers integrated content from Industry mentor videos, resources and challenges for Junior Scientists (Grade 5-8) & Senior Scientists (Grade 9 -12) which the students can use to ideate and submit a short research report on a solution across diverse topics like Space Junk Collection Robot, Reusable Rocket Design, Satellite Design, Indian Spaceship Design for Mars, and more.

Navars Edutech is a Hyderabad-based astronomy and space edtech company that caters to school students.

SOI Signed Between Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Sabeer Bhatia’s ShowReel

SOI signed between Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Sabeer Bhatia’s ShowReel; Collaboration aims to tackle youth unemployment by fostering a culture of entrepreneurship in young Indians

• Aligned with AIM’s, Govt. of India’s, flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country, ShowReel will empower Bharat’s youth with the right tools and mindset to launch and sustain successful business ventures
• The SOI is aimed at empowering young Indian entrepreneurs from smaller towns and non-English speaking communities

A Statement of Intent (SOI) was signed between Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and ShowReel (Tiptop-ShowReel Private Limited) to create better opportunities for young and budding entrepreneurs in India. The collaboration aims to double down and support AIM in its efforts of fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in India. By democratising access to the right tools and resources, AIM and ShowReel want to empower young Indians, with a special focus on smaller towns and non-English speaking communities, to tackle the unemployment.

AIM has been at the forefront of providing infrastructure and support necessary to develop and promote an entrepreneurial ecosystem at universities, research institutes, the private sector, and MSME sector in India. All its initiatives are measured and monitored continuously for success and improvements to foster curiosity and innovation in young minds of the country. Sabeer Bhatia's ShowReel, an ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurship in the developing world, will deliver a TV show, software, video technology, and entrepreneurial skills through this SOI and provide aspiring entrepreneurs the tools they need to successfully obtain investment and launch a business.

Talking about the partnership, Sabeer Bhatia, Founder, ShowReel (Tiptop-ShowReel Private Limited), (co-founder, Hotmail) said, “Building technology with a purpose has always been my inspiration, and at ShowReel we are committed to providing youth in India web-based tools to succeed in business with skills, knowledge and support for entrepreneurial development. The current state of the global economy is a little challenging, with unemployment looming as a major issue that needs to be handled by national governments. We truly believe that the youth unemployment crisis can be solved through fostering a culture of entrepreneurship in India. AIM has proven to inspire young minds in the country by giving them opportunities to scale. We are happy to work with AIM and the Government of India to support youth in the country and help them successfully foster the “the next big idea”.

Looking at the potential of the partnership, Mission Director, Dr Chintan Vaishnav of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), said, “We are always looking to partner with organisations that can help in creating a collaborative working system to enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India. With ShowReel on board we feel Mr. Bhatia’s expertise will help us reach potential entrepreneurs from all parts of the country. Young people from smaller cities have had fewer opportunities and we want to help them by introducing them to the entrepreneurial way of thinking so that they can acquire the skills and mindset required to start their own successful business journey.”

This initiative will primarily target regional areas of the country in an effort to confront the existing, often class-room centered rote learning system, and to impart the knowledge and abilities needed to flourish as an entrepreneur in a social media-optimised environment. Both, AIM and ShowReel have a keen interest in building entrepreneurship journeys of people and both parties through this SOI want to educate, motivate and instill the feeling of building something of your own amongst the youth of the country. The SOI will provide various avenues to budding entrepreneurs in the country including the platform of ShowReel TV along with other initiatives to further India's innovation ecosystem. This SOI will create a huge impact on the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem as millions of youngsters will now have an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs.

About ShowReel:

Founded in 2021, ShowReel is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. ShowReel is founded by Indian - American tech entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia who co-founded Hotmail in 1996 which was later acquired by Microsoft. ShowReel is a global, secure, and credible platform that brings alive conversations that are purposeful and empowers individuals with opportunities to get one step closer to their goals and dreams.

Learn more on: https://www.showreelapp.com/


About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):

Atal Innovation Mission(AIM), NITI Aayog is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country. Over the last 6 years, AIM has established 10000 Atal Tinkering Labs(ATLs), 69 Atal Incubation Centers(AICs), 14 Atal Community Innovation Centers(ACICs) and supported 55 Startups/Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through its various schemes.

AIM has engaged and supported more than 75 lakh students, 9800 teachers, 3300 startups, 5800 mentors and hosted 100+ challenges to create an Innovation Ecosystem.

T-Hub and Atal Innovation Mission to Nurture and Scale Indian Semiconductor Startups

• The semiconductor cohort of the AIC T-Hub Foundation program is designed to help a group of promising semiconductor startups to encourage innovation in this space.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog partnered with T-Hub to set up AIC T-Hub Foundation and launched three cohorts focused on healthcare, mobility, and sustainability.
• Selected startups will be provided expert-led workshops, specialised mentorship, market access, and investor and industry connect.

T-Hub, which leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem, today announced the launch of the semiconductor cohort of the AIC T-Hub Foundation program to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across the semiconductor sector. The program is designed to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of scaling the startup through expert-led workshops, specialised mentorship, market access, and investor and industry connect.

This is a six-month-long intense hybrid cohort-based program which will mentor 20 startups with potentially disruptive technologies that could reshape semiconductor supply chains in the future. The startups will be selected based on technological innovation, go-to-market readiness, scalability, and team composition. Interested startups can apply here, and the application closing date is 5 September 2022.

MSR, CEO of T-Hub, said, “Indian engineers have contributed massively to the semiconductor sector while working with global companies. Therefore, we must aid them in setting up and scaling their design startups with solid support from the ecosystem. T-Hub and AIC, together with other ecosystem enablers through this program, are trying to provide the semiconductor startups access to the right mentorship, funding channels and networking opportunities.”

The semiconductor cohort of the program will ensure that the selected startups get customised consultation for product commercialisation and market access with the help of global mentors from the industry. T-Hub and AIM will help the startups gain government connections with Indian Semiconductor Mission (ISM), Semiconductor Complex and GAETEC(Galium Arsenide Technology Centre) for quick compliance, certification, and testing to go to market seamlessly. T-Hub partners like the Central Institute of Tool Design (CITD) and Qualcomm will provide startups free access to Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software tools for Very Large Scale Integration(VLSI) front and back-end development and evaluation platforms to design, validate, and simulate fabless designs. Furthermore, T-Hub and AIC, along with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and IIT -Hyderabad (Indian Institute of Technology), will help startups leverage free access to the Multi Project Wafer (MPW) shuttle. This will enable them to prototype pre-production concepts of semiconductors, verify IP, and characterise device performance with a low-cost, fast feedback loop.

Rajesh Adla, CEO of AIC T-Hub Foundation, said, “Semiconductors are more strategically and economically essential to the world than ever, and we need to significantly scale up research, innovation, design, and production facilities to support our industry’s future growth. Our program is a much-needed initiative that will play a key role in helping startups accelerate their products and solutions, elevating India’s global semiconductor market position.”

The startups will be mentored by researchers, namely Venkata Simhadri from MOSCHIP, Pradeep Vajram from AlphaICs, Muthukrishnan from SAFL (Semiconductor Fabless Accelerator Lab), Sagar Pushpala from Orcha Systems and other elite institutions like INCeNSE of The Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) for quick product architecture. Startups will also stand a chance to gain a free interface with semiconductor foundries and assembly houses to manufacture IC prototypes, test and simulate.

The startups will be provided access to T-Hub’s network of premium service providers and global investor pool, including HNIs and banks, for debt or equity financing to access capital needs and invest in the product. In addition, T-Hub will help them with government grants, funds, and incentives, like T-Fund, SISF (Startup India Seed Fund), Meity, and ISM for quick monetary gains.

T-Hub’s programs have been successfully scaling startups in partnership with a robust ecosystem of partners. T-Hub, to date, has impacted over 2000 startups through various programs and initiatives, has over 600 global and national corporate partners and has provided 2000 mentor connects to help the startup scale.

T-Hub and Atal Innovation Mission Selects 16 Sustainability Startups

• The sustainability cohort of the AIC T-Hub Foundation program is designed to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of scaling a sustainable startup.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog last year partnered with T-Hub to set up AIC T-Hub Foundation and launched two cohorts focused on healthcare and mobility.
• Selected startups will be provided expert-led workshops, specialized mentorship, market access and investor and industry connect.

T-Hub, which leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem, today selected 16 startups for the sustainability cohort of the AIC T-Hub Foundation program to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across the sustainability sector. The program is designed to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of scaling a sustainable startup through expert-led workshops, specialized mentorship, market access and investor and industry connect.

This is a three-month-long intense hybrid cohort-based program that selected technology startups working in the areas of agricultural sustainability, solid waste and recycling, environmental sustainability, and sustainable lifestyle space.

MSR, CEO of T-Hub said, "It has never been more important to support the entrepreneurs whose technology-based solutions can fast-track the urgent needs of our planet for a sustainable future. Over the next three months, we will work closely with these inspiring entrepreneurs, presenting them with an extraordinary opportunity to refine their innovations through tailored mentorship, as well as take advantage of T-Hub’s global ecosystem to scale their products and solutions. The strong support of AIM will enable us to continue accelerating innovative businesses across the country and grow a supportive network that can tackle sustainability."

The startups have been handpicked after an extensive screening process by T-Hub, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), and external industry experts. The startups were selected based on their technological innovation, go-to-market readiness, scalability, team composition, etc.

The selected 16 startups are -

1. Jivoule Biofuels
2. Autostudio Pvt. Ltd.
3. Eunoia Innovations
4. Animal ICU, 
5. ELAI Agritech
6. EcoOrbit Solutions Pvt Ltd
7. Elemantra Enterprises Pvt Ltd
8. Himalayan Hemp Org
9. Blueleaves Farms
10. Sup-Eco App
11. Onelements
12. Happily Ever
13. Ngage
14. Neerovel Innovations Pvt. Ltd
15. Period Health Care
16. Waste Care.

Rajesh Adla, CEO, of AIC T-Hub Foundation said, "Through the AIC T-Hub Foundation program, we aim to enable startups to scale their solutions that can address the world’s crucial sustainability problems. Our robust innovation ecosystem combined with a dedicated pool of mentors will help startups gain incredible knowledge that will help them scale their businesses and drive real impact across the globe. We look forward to empowering these next-generation leaders who play an important role in creating a sustainable future for the world.”

The sustainability cohort of the program will ensure that the selected startups get customised consultation for product commercialization and market access with the help of global mentors from the sustainability industry. T-Hub and AIM will also help the startups in getting regulatory compliance testing and certification through their government connects. The startups will also be provided with access to T-Hub’s network of premium service providers and the technology and research facilities from partners and universities to refine their products and solutions.

AIM last year partnered with T-Hub to set up AIC T-Hub Foundation and launched two cohorts focused on healthcare and mobility. The mobility cohort of the AIC T-Hub Foundation program supported 10 startups in the Electric Vehicles (EV), Autonomous Vehicles (AV) and Assistive Technology (AT) space EV. The startups got access to marketing pilots with government organisations like Telangana Tourism (TGTDC), HMDA, TSRTC, Yadagirigutta Temple Authority, Smart City Maharashtra, and Greater Hyderabad Municipality (GHMC). Some of them also got the opportunity for marketing pilots with organisations like Woxen University, Birla Institute of Technology (BITs), GITAM University, Ramoji Film City, IIIT Hyderabad, T-Hub 2.0, and Senatla EV Products Pvt Ltd. One of the startups from the cohort, Nova Avenue, got selected for INR 10 lakhs fund from CIE - Hyderabad.

T-Hub’s programs have been successfully scaling startups in partnership with a strong ecosystem of partners. T-Hub to date has impacted over 1800 startups through various programs and initiatives, has over 600 global and national corporate partners and has provided 2000 mentor connects to help the startup scale.

Rajesh Kanakagiri Founder of Joulepoint, which is from previous cohort of startups, said, “We would like to thank AIC T Hub, from the bottom of the heart, for the kind of support and guidance it has extended to us. during the program, we got market access and were happy to be part of the new beginnings in mobility.”

Mayank Jain, Founder of E-Fill Electric said, “AIC T-Hub is truly creating an ecosystem for empowering the new-gen entrepreneurs by providing them access to mentors, customers, corporates, investors, and government agencies. With all the right partners & corporates on board with T-Hub, it has helped E-Fill Electric on many fronts. The ecosystem at T-Hub provides different startups to explore synergies with each other for pilots and further. The best part is that unlike other incubation centres in India, AIC T-Hub supports the startups at different phases starting from ideation to the growth stage.

T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler. Based out of Hyderabad, India, T-Hub leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem. With a mission of enabling and empowering an ecosystem hungry for innovation, T-Hub is creating impact for startups, corporations, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders. Incorporated in 2015, it has provided over 1800 national and international startups with access to better technology, talent, mentors, customers, corporates, investors, and government agencies. It has elevated innovation for leading national and global corporations, transforming their business models for the better. Working in collaboration with innovation partners and enablers in Telangana, India and worldwide, T-Hub is building a future-ready innovation ecosystem.

For more information about T-Hub, visit www.t-hub.co.