The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog marked a significant milestone today with the formal recognition of its fourth cohort of Community Innovator Fellows (CIFs). This year, the program has been further strengthened with the support of Capgemini India, marking a key partnership in fostering grassroots innovation across the country. The CIF initiative continues to empower local innovators, enabling them to address community-specific challenges through creative and sustainable solutions.
In conjunction with the cohort recognition, AIM commenced a two-day intensive bootcamp aimed at equipping these CIFs with the necessary skills and knowledge to scale their innovative solutions as part of AIM’s continued commitment to fostering grassroots innovation and promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem across India, particularly in underserved regions. AIM, through its Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACIC) program has envisaged to serve the unserved/underserved areas of the country and provide support to every grassroots innovator and work towards accelerating the pathway to reach SDGs 2030.
The CIF Program is a one-year intensive initiative designed to provide aspiring innovators from all socio-economic backgrounds with the infrastructure, training, and mentorship necessary to scale their ideas and build sustainable businesses. Each Fellow is hosted at an Atal Community Innovation Center, where they receive entrepreneurial, SDG-focused, and life skills training while working on solutions tailored to their community’s unique challenges.
Capgemini India, a global leader in consulting, technology services, and digital transformation, is supporting this cohort by providing grants of INR 1 lakh each to 15 CIFs, helping them scale their innovative solutions. SRF Foundation is leading the program’s implementation in collaboration with AIM and Capgemini.