Empowering India’s next generation of innovators with ATL Saathi

July 14, 2026 Responsibility & Safety

Seshu Ajjarapu and Arka Dhar

Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) is bringing access to new technology—such as 3D printing, IoT, and robotics—for over 1.1 crore students across India. The initiative is now leveraging AI to scale high-quality mentorship, shifting the focus from access to providing physical lab infrastructure to driving meaningful outcomes like accelerated innovation and enhanced learning metrics.

At the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, Google DeepMind announced that it will help incorporate robotics and coding into local curricula, integrate Gemini thoughtfully into teacher workflows, and build a safely guardrailed AI assistant for students grounded in national curriculum standards that can act as an educational partner. I am happy to share that today we are launching a live pilot of ATL Saathi, a Gemini-powered web application that provides every Tinkering Lab educator with a 24/7 planning and training assistant, transforming ATLs into AI-Augmented Discovery Labs.

A new contribution to Indian Education with Atal Innovation Mission

We believe behind every good student is a great teacher. That’s why for over 20 years, Google has been dedicated to supporting the education ecosystem by introducing technology into teaching and learning through a teacher-led approach. With foundational platforms like Google for Education and Google Classroom, we build products tailored to the needs of schools, keeping the teacher in the lead. To further support the empowerment of educators, our new Google Educator AI Series ensures teachers are equipped with both the tools and the digital skills required for today's classrooms. We see Gemini as a great tool to enable our partners to create unique, augmented learning experiences.

Here are some of the key features in the ATL Saathi: