Srinagar, June 30: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday said that change of mindset and exploration of regional resources are the key to startups in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the valedictory function of the two-day national conference on ‘Role of Academic-driven Start-ups in Developing Economy of J&K (RASE-2024) at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar, Dr Singh said the startup movement in India has picked up in a big way in the last one decade and the credit for this primarily goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who gave a call ‘Start-up India Stand-up India’ from the ramparts of Red Fort during his Independence address.
At that time, he recalled, the number of Start-ups in the country was just 350-400 and today it has gone up to 1.5 lakh while India is rated number 3 globally in the startups. “In the earlier years, the startup movement did not catch up with an equal pace in this part of the country,” he said.
He said this has also been so because of the fact that in some of the states and UTs like Jammu and Kashmir, for several decades government job has been the main source of livelihood and that has conditioned the mindset of the youngsters as well as the parents.
“It is, therefore, important to create awareness that Rozgar does not mean only Sarkari Naukri and that some of the start-up avenues may be more lucrative compared to the salaried government job,” he said.
Emphasising the need to explore the regional resources, Dr Singh said, “Somehow the mindset gets stuck up with IT when we talk of start-ups whereas in a region like Jammu & Kashmir the agriculture sector should be the main area of start-ups.”
Citing the example of Aroma Mission, he said, the Purple Revolution was born from small towns of Bhaderwah and Gulmarg, and is now being talked about countrywide while the Purple Revolution Tableau was also displayed on 26th January parade at Kartvya Path, New Delhi. He said nearly 5000 youngsters have taken up lavender farming as agri start-ups and are making handsome income.
To begin with, the different institutions in J&K ranging from CSIR, IIT, IIM, AIIMS, SKIMS, SKUAST, NIT Srinagar, Government Medical Colleges, could come together for joint startup endeavours, he said.
The minister spoke to the audience about the need for a fundamental shift in thinking to propel India’s economy toward the goal of a ‘Developed India’ by 2047. He emphasised the importance of linking academic institutions such as SKIMS Soura, AIIMS, IITs, IIMs, and GMCs with industry partners to ensure sustainable growth and foster a supportive environment for startups.
Dr Jitendra also reaffirmed the Ministry of Science and Technology’s commitment to supporting StartUps. He highlighted the government’s efforts to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in various sectors in J&K.
On the occasion, Mr Vishad Mafatlal, Chairman, NFIL was the Guest of Honor. The Union Minister was welcomed by Prof. A. Ravindernath, Director, NIT Srinagar, who briefed the Minister about the contribution of NIT Srinagar towards startup culture and vision for future.
Earlier panel discussion on marketing and fund raising for start-ups was held in the first session.
The conference was organised in National Institute of Technology Srinagar in association with the Department of Holistic Education, Central University of Kashmir, ICAR CITH, JK DST, & SKUAST Kashmir. This two-day national conference was sponsored by TDB DST, JK Science Technology and Innovation Council, JK DST, J&K Bank and NFIL.
Director NIT Srinagar, Prof A Ravinder Nath said this conference was aimed to explore and discuss the crucial role that academic-driven start-ups play in contributing to the economy. Startups often spur economic development in regions that might otherwise rely on traditional industries, contributing to regional growth and diversification, he said.
“This two-day conference examined how educational institutions, particularly those focused on technology and technical education, can foster a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, thereby benefiting students and society through start-up ventures,” he said, adding, “The main objectives of the conference were aimed to highlighting the importance of academic-driven startups by showcasing the impact that startups originating from academic institutions can have on the economy, job creation, and innovation.”
