The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) and the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, Government of India, have officially signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) on the 19th of September 2025. The signing took place in the presence of H.E. Mr. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, who lauded the efforts of IFCCI in fostering impactful Indo-French partnerships for social development.

The signing took place during the 3rd Edition of IFCCI CSR Connect Day 2025, held at the Embassy of France in New Delhi under the theme-“Collaborating for Scale-Cross-Sectoral Partnerships for Sustainable Development.”The event convened over 100 participants, including Indian and French corporate leaders, diplomats, government representatives, NGOs, and other CSR stakeholders.

The SoI signing marks a significant milestone in promoting STEM education, digital literacy, and innovation-driven learning through strategic collaborations with IFCCI’s extensive Indo-French corporate network. The partnership aims to mobilize CSR and corporate support to strengthen infrastructure, enhance curriculum delivery, and enable deeper industry-school engagement through ATL programs. Together, IFCCI along with its member companies and implementing partners will be scaling this initiative across the nation through their CSR interventions, enabling long-term, sustainable impact in schools and underserved communities.

The signing ceremony was held in the presence of H.E. Mr. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, who commended IFCCI’s leadership in building impactful Indo-French partnerships for social development.  "The IFCCI CSR Connect Seminar at the Embassy of France has become a vital platform for strengthening Indo-French cooperation in social impact. Looking ahead, 2026 will mark an important milestone, with the Prime Minister of India and the President of France declaring it the India-France Year of Innovation. This vision reaches beyond technology, embracing social progress as a key dimension of our bilateral relationship. In this context, I strongly encourage French and Indian businesses to view CSR as an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in sustainability and community impact," H.E said.

Since 2023, the IFCCI CSR Department has executed 86 projects for its member companies reaching out to over 15000+ individuals till date. The department is actively supporting its member companies in planning, designing, and executing impactful CSR initiatives across the country. These initiatives span diverse thematic areas including education, healthcare, women empowerment, livelihood generation, and clean and green energy - all aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, Deepak Bagla while expressing his views said "From a small village school in the northernmost part of India to the southernmost tip, and from the west to the east, innovation is thriving in every district of the country. It is not just about numbers or scale, the real story lies in the quality and diversity of innovative solutions our students are creating. AIM has already impacted over 11 million student entrepreneurs and is noted amongst the world’s largest grassroots innovation programs. The new partnership with IFCCI will further expand innovation-driven learning to many more students and young entrepreneurs across India.”

Speaking at the signing ceremony, representatives from IFCCI and AIM emphasized the importance of nurturing a culture of innovation from a young age. The collaboration will focus on expanding access to technology-enabled education, promoting critical thinking and hands-on experimentation, and building capacity among teachers and students in government schools.

"This partnership is a step forward in empowering the youth of India with 21st-century skills. Through this alliance, we aim to bridge the gap between industry and education and make innovation accessible to every student, especially in underserved regions", said Ms Payal S. Kanwar, Director General, Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI).

The joint initiative will identify and support selected government schools for ATL implementation and enhancement, provide teacher training, organize innovation challenges, and foster a sustainable ecosystem of learning and growth.

This collaboration reaffirms the shared vision of IFCCI and AIM, NITI Aayog to build an inclusive, innovation-led future for India.

 

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MJPS/SR

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