Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing growth in every sphere of life after the abrogation of Article 370.
Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the National Startup Festival in Jammu, the Union Minister emphasized the rapid growth of the startup ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir, which has expanded more than tenfold over the past five years, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370.
Singh, who holds the portfolios of Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, highlighted India’s rise in the Global Innovation Index from 81 to 40, recognizing the youth’s potential, which has been unlocked through policies introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership since 2014.
“These policies are helping our country become ‘Atma Nirbhar’ and will be critical in achieving the target of Viksit Bharat 2047. Towards this end, the Modi Government 3.0 has introduced the BioE3 policy and allocated Rs 1,000 crores for startups and Rs 2,600 crores for industrial hubs,” he said.
The two-day National Startup Festival is being organized by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu.
Singh appreciated CSIR-IIIM for organizing events focused on promoting the startup ecosystem in the region, stating that such events motivate young innovators to take their ideas forward.
He mentioned how India has progressed from just a few hundred startups in 2014 to several thousand now, with many success stories and unicorns. He noted that some of these companies, which had humble beginnings, now provide employment to hundreds of people and sell their products and services not only in India but abroad as well.
“No government can provide a government job to each and every youth, but youth can avail of the enormous other new avenues unleashed in last one decade. The Modi Government has developed a supportive echo system combining startup incentives with a facilitatory new Education policy and a Mudra-like series of youth-centric schemes. Only what is required is to get over the “Sarkari Naukri” mindset”, he said.
MoU Signed with CCRUM
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM, informed the media that during the program, an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between CSIR-IIIM and the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM). Under this agreement, both institutions will collaborate on the scientific validation of traditional medicine systems, facilitating greater global acceptance.
A Grant Letter Agreement was also signed between the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), the Department of Biotechnology, and CSIR-IIIM. Under this agreement, DBT-BIRAC will provide support for establishing a startup incubator at the Industrial Biotech Park, Ghatti, Kathua.
During the event, six new startups—Vipragen Biosciences Pvt. Ltd., JMD Herbal Pharmaceuticals, Avtar Health Cares, The Unati Agri-Allied and Marketing Multistate Cooperative Society Ltd., The Jammu and Kashmir Dairy Cooperative Federation Ltd., and Kaushal Jammu Farm Producer Organizations—were registered at the BIRAC Incubator at Industrial Biotech Park, Ghatti, Kathua.
Additionally, three new products developed by the startup Hapico Industries Pvt. Ltd., IGC Lassipora Pulwama, were launched at the event. These products are:
Dr. Ahmed further informed that 50 startups from across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory of Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, and other regions, participated in the event. These startups showcased their innovations and technologies in various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, nutraceuticals, technology, services, and consumer products.
He added that the key focus of this event was to empower local youth, students, women, and farmers from the Jammu region, including districts such as Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, and Samba.
On the first day of the two-day National Startup Festival, more than 700 participants from academia, the scientific community, schools, colleges, universities, industries, policymakers, and civil society attended the event.
J&K UT Minister Satish Sharma stated that his government is committed to providing full support to young entrepreneurs who wish to establish their own businesses.
