Meta joins Atal Innovation Mission to set school labs

New Delhi: Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and Meta (formerly Facebook) on Wednesday announced the launch of Frontier Technology Labs (FTLs) to democratise future technologies and empower youth to innovate.

Atal Innovation Mission and Meta will set up FTLs in schools of strategic importance to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds across the country will have equal opportunities to learn and engage with frontier technologies. "These Labs will serve as hubs for innovation, providing students with the necessary tools to explore and contribute to the cutting-edge fields that will shape the future," said Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog.

The FTL is an advanced version of the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, including all components of the Tinkering Lab to empower students to innovate using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented & Virtual Reality, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Robotics, 3D Printing, and Internet of Things. Students will be trained on using AI tools effectively, understanding generative AI & prompt engineering, and exploring scientific concepts interactively using AR & VR, among other things, via engaging workshops, interactive sessions, and project-based learning. "By enabling students to build solutions using generative AI, AR, VR, and other technologies that are reshaping our world, we are fostering an ecosystem of innovation, creativity and problem-solving," said Shivnath Thukral, Director and Head of Public Policy India, Meta.

To date, AIM has established 10,000 ATLs in schools across 722 districts in India.

The FTLs are a part of Meta’s Education to Entrepreneurship initiative, launched in September 2023. These labs will be managed by the tech giant’s partner 1M1B (One Million for One Billion).