Days After Ban on Chinese Apps, PM Modi Launches ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ aimed at improving the app ecosystem in the country and to facilitate IT professionals and start-up communities to create world-class ‘Made in India’ apps. The project was unveiled by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission and Niti Aayog. The move comes days after the government banned 59 mobile linked to China including TikTok, UC Browser, SHAREit, MI Community among others.

“Today there is immense enthusiasm among the tech & start-up community to create world-class Made in India Apps. To facilitate their ideas and products @GoI_MeitY and @AIMtoInnovate are launching the Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter.

Stressing the need to create a vibrant ‘Aatmanirbhar App Ecosystem’ in India, PM Modi wrote on LinkedIn, “Today, when the entire nation is working towards creating an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, it is a good opportunity to give direction to their efforts, momentum to their hard-work and mentorship to their talent to evolve Apps which can satisfy our market as well as compete with the world.”

PM Modi said that the government will first identify the best Indian apps that the citizens are already using and have the potential to scale and become world-class apps in their respective categories, in Track 1 of the challenge. Track 2 of the challenge, will identify companies and entrepreneurs who can build apps for the country. The second track will run longer than the first. Moreover, the project is being launched in eight categories, which include Office Productivity & Work from Home, Social Networking, E-Learning, Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Business including Agritech and Fintech, News and Games.

“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 further said.

To identify apps that are worthy, the government has also announced various cash awards and incentives, including Rs 20 lakh, Rs 15 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh for the first, second, and third-placed apps in each category. There will also be a sub-category where winners will be awarded Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, and Rs 2 lakh for the first, second, and third spot respectively.

The project is only open to Indian citizens and interested applicants need to apply online by submitting their proposals by registering and logging on: https://auth.mygov.in/user/login?destination=oauth2/authorize. The last date of submission is July 18, 2020.