Atal Community Innovation Centres (ACIC)

ACICs are community‑focused innovation centres under AIM that support startups and innovators in underserved regions with incubation, maker spaces, and capacity building. Each ACIC receives up to ₹2.5 crore grant‑in‑aid over 5 years. ACIC grants of up to ₹2.5 crore per centre are conditional on the host institution matching or exceeding that amount from its own resources, which is why ACICs tend to be run by established local institutions rather than first-time operators. The program specifically targets Tier 2/3 cities, aspirational districts, and the North East, J&K, tribal and hilly regions — areas AIM's mainstream Atal Incubation Centre network under-serves — with over 300 applications received against a target of 50-plus centres. For an individual innovator, this means funding and support flow through whichever ACIC operates in their region rather than a centralized national application.