With less than 1% of people using blockchain technology, educating the uses, possibilities and dangers of this new technology to as many people as possible is critical for its popular acceptance. For example, the Atal Innovation Mission initiated by the government of Narendra Modi in collaboration with 5ire and Network Capital launched a first module of the ATL blockchain on January 23.
Blockchain ATL module
The Atal Innovation Mission is the flagship initiative of the Government of India to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country. Associated with the investment fund Network Capital and 5ire, an Indian Web3 unicorn, the Mission has developed its first blockchain module. Entitled Blockchain ATL modulethis first version of a first-layer blockchain seeks to revolutionize the way individuals and businesses interact, providing a decentralized and secure platform for storing and transferring data.
The ATL Blockchain module was launched on January 23 in the presence of the dr. Chintan Vaishnav (mission director of Atal Innovation Mission), van Mr. Pratik Gauri (CEO and co-founder of 5ire), van Mr. Utkarsh Amitabh (CMO of 5ire and CEO of Network Capital) and Madam Deepali Upadhyay (Program Director, Atal Tinkering Labs and Mentor India).
On the occasion of the launch of ATL’s Blockchain module, the mission director of Atal Innovation Mission emphasized the importance of “practical innovation” and the need to use blockchain technology to drive social change. From this idea, Pratik Gauri spoke about the to align sustainability with innovation. He underlined, in front of young students present at the launch, the infinite possibilities of blockchain and how this technology can help solve the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
Utkarsh Amitabh concluded the session with his thoughts on buildinga fairer and decentralized internet with which young students can build andlearn more freely.
A project that brings together the private sector and the government
ATL’s Blockchain module marks a milestone in India’s digital transformation.
In fact, the objective of the Atal Innovation Mission, piloted by NITI Aayog — a government policy committee tasked with outlining the major transformation projects India has undertaken — is the development of new programs and policies to encourage innovation in different sectors of the economy. In addition, it provides platforms and collaboration opportunities for various stakeholders, and is in the process of creating an “umbrella” structure, which will oversee India’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Under the umbrella of the mission, more than 10,000 Indian schools have Atal Tinkering Labs. The aim of this program is to encourage curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds and teach them skills such as design thinking, coding, computer science, etc.
on his side, 5ire became hugely popular after raising $100 million in its Series A funding round in July 2022. In the words of the company, the funding kick-started, in the words of the CEO, Pratik Gauri:
[La] the world’s first blockchain unicorn with sustainability at its core, as it sought to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This blockchain unicorn, which can boast of fastest growing in the worldprovided its expertise and technical knowledge for the creation of the ATL module.
It is important to note that the Mainnand 5ire is not yet launched and that the project already seems to be generating so much interest that it is even recognized by the Government of India for a partnership. The testnet was launched at the end of November 2022 and the mainnet is expected to be ready in the third quarter of 2023.
Network Capital, the world’s largest professional career accelerator and mentoring platform, facilitated the curation and conceptualization of the module. Moreover, the founder, Mr. Utkarsh Amitabh, recently repeats his faith in Web3’s potential to fundamentally transform higher education. According to him, the teaching of blockchain technology should be stimulated.
Now note that the three main actors responsible for the development of the “Blockchain ATL module” include both the private sphere of entrepreneurs and investors, but also the public sphere, embodied by the Mission Atal Innovation, a resource used by the government of India to achieve its objectives of modernizing the country especially, in case that interests us, in the field of education and new information and communication technologies.
The foreword to the roadmap prepared by NITI Aayog and titled: “Blockchain: The India Strategy (Towards enable ease of doing business, ease of living and ease of administration.)”; which means : Blockchain, India’s Strategy (Towards Ease of Trade, Lives and Governance.)opens with these words:
Blockchain technology has evolved to potentially become a transformative force in many aspects of both the private sector and government. Its potential is recognized worldwide, with many international organizations and companies in the technology sector emphasizing the benefits that its application will bring in terms of reducing operating costs and improving process efficiency.
Evidence, if need be, that world governments, but especially here, India, are in turn entering the arena of increasingly innovative technologies enabled by the blockchain (NFT, Smart Contract, DAO, etc). .). So we can probably count on rapid development of the Indian Web3 ecosystem.
Government involvement in such a project can serve as a guarantee of its soundness, but according to the above strategic document, government participation should be considered as a means toleveraging public power to accelerate the pace of adoption of these new technologies to position itself as a global leader in the emerging Web3 market. Because places are expensive and competition relentless, the hand of government can have a decisive influence on the development of this sector of its economy.
Finally, remember that blockchain technology has established itself as a driving force in the world of data technologies and services. She fundamentally transforms how we envision cooperation, information sharing and institution building in the 21st century.