AIM’s Mega Tinkering Day 2025 Sets India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records

During the day-long event, students united to design and build their own DIY vacuum cleaners as a solution aligned with the vision of Swachh Bharat.

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog has achieved a landmark milestone as its flagship initiative, Mega Tinkering Day 2025, entered both the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records. The event, held on August 12, 2025, brought together 4,73,350 students from 9,467 Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) schools across the country, setting a new record for the maximum number of students participating in a tinkering activity on a single day.

Record-Breaking Innovation Drive

During the day-long event, students united to design and build their own DIY vacuum cleaners as a solution aligned with the vision of Swachh Bharat. The session was conducted through a live, step-by-step instructional broadcast, ensuring participation from every corner of India. On September 15, 2025, both the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records officially confirmed this remarkable achievement, recognizing the initiative as a unique milestone in grassroots innovation.

Mission Director’s Statement

Deepak Bagla, Mission Director of AIM, described the event as a transformative movement:

• He emphasized that Mega Tinkering Day was not merely about setting a record but about mobilizing young minds at scale.

• He connected the initiative with the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat, where youth-led innovation forms the cornerstone of national progress.

• He underlined that with the right tools, mentorship, and leadership, India’s children can become world-class problem-solvers, demonstrating their creativity from remote villages to urban centers.

Nationwide Participation Across Geographies

Mega Tinkering Day 2025 was not limited to metropolitan schools—it reached some of the most challenging and diverse geographies in India. Participation was recorded from:

• Frontier regions: Leh, Ladakh, Kargil, and Kashmir

• Aspirational districts: Virudhunagar and other priority regions

• North-Eastern states: Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh

• Distant geographies: Kanniyakumari in the South and Bhuj in the West

This wide reach highlighted AIM’s ability to overcome geographic and infrastructural barriers, bringing students together on a shared platform of innovation.

Building a Culture of Innovation

Since its inception, Atal Innovation Mission has set up over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs across India. These labs are equipped with modern tools and technologies including 3D printing, robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), and electronics. Beyond technical skills, the labs aim to cultivate:

• Problem-solving abilities

• Design thinking mindset

• Entrepreneurial spirit

Through these efforts, AIM has built one of the world’s largest grassroots innovation ecosystems, empowering students to dream big and prepare for real-world challenges.

A Movement for Tomorrow

The success of Mega Tinkering Day 2025 stands as a testament to India’s capacity to harness youth potential at scale. By enabling millions of students to think, create, and collaborate, AIM is paving the way for an innovation-driven India. As Bagla noted, the initiative is not just about numbers—it is about shaping the innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders of tomorrow.