Google DeepMind launched a live pilot of ATL Saathi on July 14, 2026, introducing a Gemini-powered web application for educators in India's Atal Tinkering Labs. The tool serves as a 24/7 planning and training assistant for teachers, following an initial commitment made at the AI Impact Summit in February 2026.
The initiative builds on a partnership with NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission, which oversees labs reaching over 1.1 crore students across India. Atal Tinkering Labs provide physical infrastructure for 3D printing, the Internet of Things, and robotics. Google DeepMind designed the assistant to align with national curriculum standards and support the mission's goal to cultivate one million young innovators.
Pilot deployment
The company is rolling out ATL Saathi to an initial cohort of 100 pilot schools across the country. Google DeepMind aims to reduce administrative overhead for teachers through micro-learning formats, giving educators more time to guide student projects.
App features
ATL Saathi relies on the Gemini 3.5 Flash model and organizes curriculum materials inside NotebookLM. The web application provides summarized modules, AI infographics, video overviews, and interactive quizzes for 12 core modules from the prescribed curriculum.
For 10 core modules, the system includes an advanced project generator that supports both push and pull mentorship methods. Teachers can generate grade-appropriate project ideas to prompt curiosity, or request step-by-step assembly instructions, wiring diagrams, and safety precautions when students present unique problem statements.
Educators can interact with the assistant in their preferred language, with responses generated in that same language. The tool launches with support for eight languages, with capacity to add more later. Google DeepMind did not specify which eight languages are included at launch.
The project extends Google's broader ecosystem tools in the region, which include Google for Education, Google Classroom, and the Google Educator AI Series.
