Chitkara University launched the Atal Incubation Centre - Chitkara Incubation Foundation (AIC-CIF) and AIC-PRIDE Labs at its Punjab campus on July 11, 2026, backed by a combined investment of ₹20 crore over five years from the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the university. The centre is designed to nurture deep-tech startups in drone technologies, agritech, and renewable energy. The launch also saw the introduction of the ATL Sarthi Punjab initiative, aimed at mentoring Atal Tinkering Labs across the state and building a seamless innovation pipeline from schools to startups.
What Is the Atal Innovation Mission?
The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, established in 2016 under NITI Aayog to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country. Headquartered in New Delhi, AIM functions as an umbrella structure that brings together academia, industry, and government to create an enabling ecosystem for startups and innovators.
AIM operates through several key programmes. The Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) are set up in schools (Classes 6 to 12) to inculcate skills such as design thinking, computational logic, and problem-solving among young students. Over 10,000 ATLs have been established across 722 districts, engaging more than 1.1 crore students. The Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) are world-class business incubators established at universities, research institutions, and corporate bodies to support startups in building scalable enterprises. More than 72 AICs are operational across India. Other programmes include the Atal Community Innovation Centres (ACICs) for Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the Atal New India Challenges (ANIC) offering grants of up to ₹1 crore for technology solutions, and the Mentor India programme.
AIM provides grants of up to ₹10 crore to establish each AIC, covering infrastructure, operational costs, and mentorship support. The mission’s budget was extended until March 2028 with an allocation of ₹2,750 crore, reflecting the government’s sustained commitment to building India’s innovation economy.
AIC-CIF and AIC-PRIDE Labs: What Was Launched
The Atal Incubation Centre - Chitkara Incubation Foundation (AIC-CIF) is the new incubation hub established at Chitkara University’s Punjab campus in Rajpura. It is supported by a combined investment of ₹20 crore over five years from AIM, NITI Aayog, and Chitkara University. Alongside it, the AIC-PRIDE Labs were inaugurated as state-of-the-art laboratory facilities where startups can test, validate, and refine their products.
AIC-CIF is designed as a full-service launchpad for high-impact technology ventures. It offers entrepreneurs structured acceleration programmes, expert mentorship, access to funding opportunities, product validation support, industry partnerships, intellectual property facilitation, and regulatory guidance. The centre aims to help innovators transform breakthrough ideas into commercially scalable enterprises.
The inauguration was led by Amit Dhaka, IAS, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Punjab, as the Chief Guest. Prateek Deshmukh, Programme Lead at AIM NITI Aayog, and Deepakshi Jindal from AIM also attended, underscoring the mission’s continued engagement with institutional partners. From the university, Dr. Ashok Chitkara, Chancellor, and Dr. Madhu Chitkara, President and Co-founder, led the proceedings. Dr. Deepak Bagla, Mission Director of AIM, was acknowledged for his leadership in enabling the centre’s establishment.
Focus Sectors: Drone Tech, Agritech and Renewable Energy
The selection of drone technologies, agritech, and renewable energy as the centre’s focus areas aligns with India’s national priorities and emerging market opportunities.
India’s drone ecosystem has grown rapidly, with over 38,500 registered drones, nearly 40,000 certified remote pilots, and 244 approved training organisations as of early 2026. The government has introduced the Drone Rules, 2021, a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones worth ₹120 crore, and the DigitalSky platform for unmanned traffic management. The Indian drone market was valued at $1.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $3.2 billion by 2030, with applications in agriculture, defence, infrastructure monitoring, and logistics.
Agritech has become a critical sector for Indian agriculture, which supports nearly half the country’s workforce. Startups are developing solutions in precision farming, soil health monitoring, supply chain optimisation, and market linkage. Government schemes such as PM-KISAN, Soil Health Cards, and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund have created a favourable policy environment for technology-driven farming innovations.
India’s renewable energy sector has set ambitious targets of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and Net Zero emissions by 2070. The country has already reached over 200 GW of installed renewable capacity. The upcoming Carbon Credit Trading Scheme and the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana are expected to further accelerate clean energy adoption. The climate tech sector has attracted over $12.8 billion in cumulative funding across more than 1,580 companies.
ATL Sarthi Punjab: Connecting Schools to Startups
Alongside the incubation centre, the ATL Sarthi Punjab initiative was launched by AIM to strengthen and mentor Atal Tinkering Labs across the state. Outstanding ATL Sarthis from Punjab were felicitated for their work in nurturing scientific curiosity and problem-solving among school students.
The initiative creates a structured pathway from school-level tinkering to startup incubation and venture creation. Students who develop early-stage ideas in ATLs can receive mentorship to advance their projects, and promising concepts can then move into the AIC-CIF incubation pipeline. This approach connects the Atal Tinkering Labs at the school level directly with the Atal Incubation Centre at the university level, forming a complete innovation ecosystem.
The ATL Sarthi initiative complements the national vision of Startup India, the Atal Innovation Mission, and Viksit Bharat 2047 by ensuring that innovation talent is identified and nurtured from an early age rather than waiting until the college or postgraduate stage.
Significance for Punjab’s Startup Landscape
The establishment of AIC-CIF at Chitkara University is a significant boost for Punjab’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The state has traditionally been strong in agriculture, manufacturing, and small-scale industries, but its startup ecosystem has lagged behind metropolitan hubs such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR.
Invest Punjab, the state’s investment promotion agency, has been actively working to attract capital and build infrastructure for startups. Amit Dhaka, IAS, the CEO of Invest Punjab, who served as the Chief Guest at the launch, noted that initiatives like AIC-CIF will strengthen Punjab’s startup landscape and create new opportunities for technology-led entrepreneurship.
Chitkara University itself is well positioned to anchor this effort. Established initially as the Chitkara Institute of Engineering and Technology in 2002 and granted university status in 2010, it is a UGC-recognised and NAAC A+ accredited private university with campuses in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. It has over 2,000 campus recruiters and 300+ international academic and industry collaborations, providing incubated startups with access to talent, research capabilities, and global networks.
The centre is expected to generate multiple downstream benefits: creating jobs in deep-tech sectors, promoting research commercialisation, reducing brain drain by providing local opportunities for talented innovators, and attracting venture capital interest to the region. By focusing on drone tech, agritech, and renewable energy, the centre targets sectors where Punjab already has natural advantages in terms of agricultural base, industrial manufacturing capacity, and solar energy potential.
Key Takeaways
- Chitkara University launched the Atal Incubation Centre - Chitkara Incubation Foundation (AIC-CIF) and AIC-PRIDE Labs at its Punjab campus on July 11, 2026.
- The initiative involves a combined investment of ₹20 crore over five years from the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and Chitkara University.
- The centre will focus on deep-tech startups in drone technologies, agritech, and renewable energy.
- The ATL Sarthi Punjab initiative was also launched to mentor Atal Tinkering Labs across the state, creating a pipeline from schools to startups.
- The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was established in 2016 under NITI Aayog and has set up 72+ Atal Incubation Centres and 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs across India.
