Atal Innovation Mission, Bayer collaborate to work on healthcare, agri innovations

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), the Government of India’s flagship initiative, and Bayer, a life science company, have come together to foster innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives across the country.

A Statement of Intent (SOI) of a strategic partnership between AIM and Bayer has been signed and exchanged to formalize the collaboration. The SoI will span the promotion of science education, advancing digital solutions, and agri-tech to strengthen supply chains as well as healthcare projects. Additionally, Bayer will collaborate with AIM to support their current and future programs and foster innovation and entrepreneurship across the agriculture and healthcare sectors.

A flagship program of AIM, ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ (ATL) has played a pivotal role in fostering creativity and imagination amongst school children. Bayer will explore opportunities to mentor school children, inculcate design thinking, problem-solving, and adaptive learning skills amongst them and support and adopt mutually agreed schools.

Additionally, as a part of the ‘Atal Incubation Centres’ (AIC) and ‘Atal Community Innovation Centres’ (ACIC), Bayer will mentor young innovators and start-ups and collaborate with them to further the cause of innovation. In the future, Bayer would also explore the association with technopreneurs in the area of digital solutions in the agriculture and healthcare sectors.

Mission director AIM, NITI Aayog, R Ramanan while exchanging the virtual SoI with Bayer said, “The collaboration with Bayer is a natural fit for Atal Innovation Mission as both their areas of specialization, agriculture and healthcare are areas of national priorities, especially more so in the times of the pandemic.”

Senior Bayer Representative South Asia and CEO- Bayer CropScience, D Narain said, “Through this collaboration, we endeavor to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in India across the sectors of agriculture and healthcare. It will enable us to provide multiple opportunities to mentor school children and inculcate scientific curiosity as a part of the ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ initiative, enable digital solutions across value chains, and partner with inventive start-ups.”

“At this critical time, entrepreneurship and science-led innovation can play an important role in accelerating our progress towards doubling farmer incomes and expanding access to health solutions across India,” Narain added.