Deepak Bagla Appointed Mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission by NITI Aayog

In a strategic leadership move for India’s innovation and startup landscape, NITI Aayog has appointed Deepak Bagla as the new Mission Director of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) — the Government of India’s flagship initiative to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth across the country.

Bagla steps into the role at a defining moment, as AIM expands its national mandate to deepen grassroots innovation and scale impact in emerging sectors. A seasoned leader in investment promotion and innovation policy, he is widely seen as the right choice to steer AIM into its next growth phase.

He succeeds Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, under whose transformative four-year leadership AIM evolved into a vital pillar of India’s innovation ecosystem. During his tenure, AIM established over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs, launched high-impact innovation challenges in areas like climate, health, and agriculture, and played a key role in propelling India’s Global Innovation Index rank from 86 to 39 — a leap that signaled India’s rise as a global innovation contender.

A Leader with Vision and Proven Impact

Bagla’s arrival at AIM comes with a legacy of transformative leadership. As the former Managing Director and CEO of Invest India, Bagla helped catapult the organization into a globally recognized investment promotion agency. Under his stewardship, Invest India not only attracted strategic foreign investments but also built foundational support structures for startups, MSMEs, and innovation-led enterprises across sectors.

His career spans global finance, diplomacy, and national policymaking. Bagla has worked with multilateral institutions and held leadership roles in both public and private sectors. He also served as President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), representing India on the international stage as a voice for emerging economies and innovation-driven development.

Now, at the helm of AIM, Bagla’s appointment signals an era of scale and speed for India’s innovation journey.

“It is a privilege to join Atal Innovation Mission at this pivotal moment,” said Bagla in his first remarks. “As AIM enters a new phase with an expanded mandate, there is immense opportunity to further strengthen India’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem — not just in metros, but across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.”

What This Means for AIM — And for India

Launched under NITI Aayog, the Atal Innovation Mission has been instrumental in creating over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, supporting over 75 incubators, and nurturing thousands of startups. Its initiatives span from grassroots innovation and school-level tinkering labs to cutting-edge applied research and enterprise development.

With Bagla at the helm, insiders expect AIM to accelerate its focus on deeptech, inclusion, digital public infrastructure, and global collaboration — areas where Bagla has demonstrated strategic foresight.

Education and Global Experience

An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, Bagla holds advanced degrees in International Diplomacy and International Trade & Finance from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. His global education and extensive diplomatic engagements have equipped him to blend innovation policy with international best practices.

Why It Matters

India is standing at the cusp of a generational shift — where demographic dividend meets digital transformation. In this context, leadership at institutions like AIM will play a defining role in converting India’s youth energy into innovation capital.

Bagla’s appointment is more than a bureaucratic update — it’s a strategic pivot. It reflects the government’s intent to align innovation goals with industrial strategy, global competitiveness, and inclusive development.

As AIM charts its next chapter under Bagla, all eyes will be on how India builds the next wave of world-class innovators — not just from Silicon Valley-style campuses, but from the heartlands of Bharat.