Six biotechnology innovation centres established in J&K

Srinagar, July 30: Six biotechnology innovation centres have been established in Jammu and Kashmir under national flagship schemes to promote scientific research, entrepreneurship, and industry-linked innovation in the life sciences sector.As per the details accessed by Rising Kashmir. Out of the six, four biotechnology incubation centres have been developed under the BioNEST (Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies) scheme, while two centres have been created under the E-YUVA (Encouraging Youth for Undertaking Innovative Research Activities) programme to support young innovators and researchers at the early stages of their careers.The BioNEST incubation centres include key facilities in Jammu and Kathua, such as the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Technology Business Incubator. The E-YUVA centres are based at the University of Kashmir and the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), both located in Srinagar.These centres are part of a national network of 94 biotechnology incubators spread across 25 States and Union Territories, supported by the Department of Biotechnology through its public sector unit, BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council).The incubators offer infrastructure, mentorship, funding access, and networking support to startups in key areas like healthcare, agri-biotech, and industrial biotechnology.It has also been revealed that the Government allocates Rs 20 to Rs 30 crore annually for the establishment of 10 to 15 new incubators across India. Since 2012, a cumulative Rs 489.42 crore has been sanctioned for the development, management, and operation of these biotechnology centres.The data further shows that more than 2,500 startups and entrepreneurs have been supported so far under these schemes. Over 800 technologies and products have reached pre-commercial or commercial stages, and more than 1,300 intellectual property rights have been generated by the incubatees. Collectively, the programme has created 10.34 lakh square feet of incubation space and supported over 10,500 skilled individuals.Monitoring and evaluation are conducted regularly through expert reviews, site inspections, and stakeholder consultations, ensuring the quality, relevance, and performance of these centres in line with national priorities.