PM Modi launches Aatmanirbhar Innovation Challenge to promote desi apps

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the Aatmanirbhar Innovation Challenge, inviting India’s tech and community to create an Aatmanirbhar App Ecosystem. Earlier in the week, India banned 59 Chinese apps including popular apps like TikTok, SHAREit, and others amidst the anti-China sentiment due to tension on the India-China border.

“This challenge is for you if you have such a working product or if you feel you have the vision and expertise to create such products. I urge all my friends in the tech community to participate.” PM Modi tweeted.

This challenge is for you if you have such a working product or if you feel you have the vision and expertise to create such products. I urge all my friends in the tech community to participate.

Sharing my thoughts in my @LinkedIn post. https://t.co/aO5cMYi4SH

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 4, 2020

The challenge will be regulated under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology along with Atal Innovation Mission and run in two tracks: Promotion of Existing Apps and Development of New Apps.

“The outcome of this challenge will be to give better visibility and clarity to existing Apps to achieve their goals, and to create tech products to find solutions to tech conundrums with the help of mentorship, tech support, and guidance during the entire life-cycle.” – PM Modi’s LinkedIn post said.