Huge opportunities for startups across sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, says LG Sinha

Srinagar, June 29: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said the union territory offers immense opportunities for startups in various sectors and the government is committed to supporting young entrepreneurs.

“I believe startups are a powerful instrument to connect universities with industry. Startups have also been able to achieve two important goals – employment generation and profit generation,” Sinha said at a national seminar on ‘Role of Academic-Driven Startups in Emerging Economy of J&K UT (RASE 2024)’ organised at NIT Srinagar.

The Lt Governor encouraged the students to set action-oriented goals to realise their entrepreneurial dreams and contribute to the socio-economic transformation and growth of the country.

“My message to future start-up entrepreneurs is to focus on ‘problem first’ and not ‘product first’ so that your ideas can accelerate the process of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and also boost the entrepreneurial spirit among young students,” he said.

The Lt Governor also highlighted the potential of academia-based startups that can transform the economy of Jammu and Kashmir by fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in educational institutions.

He mentioned the key initiatives of the administration like the J&K Start-up Policy and the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) that have the potential to transform the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem, especially in the rural areas of the Union Territory.

There are huge opportunities for start-ups in tourism, health, logistics, handloom, handicrafts, horticulture, agriculture and allied sectors. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are committed to providing the necessary support and encouragement to young entrepreneurs from both the tech and non-tech sectors,” he said.

He added that the national-level seminar will encourage universities and colleges to invest in the future and nurture the talent needed to drive meaningful innovation.

The lieutenant also emphasized the need to provide future entrepreneurs with high-quality technical and vocational education and training.

Sinha added that two other important goals of startups are developing and transferring new technologies for social transformation and creating a broad talent pool that meets industry needs.

He called for greater collaboration between academia, industry and policy makers to create a vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.

The two-day national seminar is being organized by the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar in collaboration with the Department of Holistic Education, Central University of Kashmir, ICAR CITH, Department of Science and Technology and SKUAST-Kashmir.