Nalanda College Opens Sri Lanka’s First Atal Tinkering Lab with Support from India’s Atal Innovation Mission
The Tinkering Lab was inaugurated at Nalanda College’s Innovation Center. Photograph: APAC News Network.
COLOMBO, 4 November 2026: Nalanda College has opened Sri Lanka’s first Atal Tinkering Lab, giving students access to practical learning in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing and digital manufacturing.
The facility was established with technical expertise, specialised curricula and training support from India’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), which operates under NITI Aayog. The High Commission of India in Sri Lanka facilitated the initiative, bringing together AIM, Atlas Axillia, the learning-focused subsidiary of Hemas Holdings, and Nalanda College.
The launch marks an extension of India’s innovation-focused education model beyond its borders and offers a new setting in which Sri Lankan students can explore emerging technologies through hands-on work.
Learning by experimenting
Atal Tinkering Labs are intended to encourage curiosity, creativity, experimentation and problem-solving among young learners. India has established such laboratories in thousands of schools, building a model that invites students to investigate ideas and apply what they learn to practical challenges.
At Nalanda College, the lab’s equipment includes robotics, AI, 3D printing and digital manufacturing technologies. These tools can help learners move from understanding a concept in theory to testing how it might work in practice: assembling a prototype, adjusting a design, examining a result and trying again.
That process is an important part of technology education. A student working with a robot or a 3D-printed component is not simply encountering a new device; they are also practising how to identify a problem, plan a response and learn from the outcome. The lab is intended to give young people opportunities to develop those skills and consider solutions to real-world challenges.
An AI-generated illustration of students exploring robotics and 3D printing in a school innovation laboratory. It does not depict the actual Nalanda College facility.
A partnership supporting technology education
The initiative brings together the school, Atlas Axillia and AIM, with the High Commission of India facilitating the collaboration. According to the reports, AIM’s contribution includes technical expertise, curriculum and training support, while Nalanda College provides the school setting for the facility.
This combination is significant because a technology laboratory requires more than equipment alone. Specialist guidance, learning materials and training help educators connect tools with meaningful classroom activities, so that students can develop practical understanding rather than simply observe new technology.
Atlas Axillia’s involvement also links the initiative with Hemas Holdings’ learning-focused work. The collaboration is intended to strengthen technology-based education and create additional opportunities for Sri Lankan students to engage with innovation.
An AI-generated illustration of a student project using a prototype and digital technology; the scene is illustrative, not a photograph of the Nalanda College lab.
Education cooperation and a familiar school connection
Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, attended the inauguration. In remarks reported by APAC News Network and Akashvani News, he said that India and Sri Lanka had added new dimensions to their friendship over the years, and described the collaboration as reflecting the two countries’ shared aspirations and commitment.
Former Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene, a Nalanda College alumnus, also attended and thanked India for its assistance. His presence brought a familiar connection to the school community, while underscoring the interest such educational opportunities can generate among former students and the wider public.
WION reported that the ceremony also included Hemas Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer Ashish Chandra. Its coverage identified the facility as being housed in the Centenary Building at Nalanda College.
The Tinkering Lab opening at Nalanda College. Photograph: WION.
What the lab could mean for young innovators
The opening represents a practical step in strengthening opportunities for students to engage with science and technology. Robotics, AI and digital manufacturing are increasingly relevant across many fields, and early access to hands-on learning can help learners build familiarity with the tools and methods used to develop new ideas.
The lab is expected to provide students with opportunities to explore these areas, work through design challenges and develop possible responses to everyday problems. As with any educational initiative, its longer-term value will depend on how effectively the facilities are integrated into learning, how students are supported by trained educators and how consistently opportunities are made available.
The partnership also reflects the potential of cross-border educational cooperation to share experience and expertise. AIM’s work in India provides a foundation for the model, while Nalanda College and Atlas Axillia bring it into a Sri Lankan school environment. The result is a facility designed to support local students as they learn, experiment and consider future paths in technology and entrepreneurship.
For families, educators and Sri Lankans living abroad, the launch is an encouraging development in the continuing story of education and innovation in Sri Lanka. A well-supported school laboratory can help young learners see technology not only as something to consume, but as something they can question, build and use to address practical needs.
The new Nalanda College lab therefore carries significance beyond its equipment. It creates a dedicated space for students to turn curiosity into projects and ideas into prototypes, while highlighting the value of sustained support, thoughtful teaching and international collaboration in preparing the next generation of Sri Lankan technologists and entrepreneurs.
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This article was written based on the sources https://apacnewsnetwork.com/2026/11/indias-atal-innovation-mission-supports-launch-of-tinkering-lab-at-sri-lankan-school/, https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-s-atal-tinkering-labs-reach-sri-lanka-as-first-facility-opens-in-the-country-1793815045114, and https://newsonair.gov.in/sri-lanka-establishes-tinkering-lab-taking-support-from-indias-atal-innovation-mission/, kindly email us at info@eLanka.com.au if any information needs to be corrected.
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