The BioNEST Bioincubation Centre of CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) Jammu in collaboration with IIIM’s Technology Business Incubator (IIIM-TBI) organised the “Innovative X 1.0 – Awareness Campaign” under the Mission YUVA initiative here on Thursday. Scores of students from local colleges, farmers and aspiring entrepreneurs from across the region participated in the programme, reflecting the growing interest in biotechnology-driven enterprises in J&K.

The event was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Shahzad Alam, Managing Director, Mission YUVA and Director Employment and Skill Development Department J&K. He commended CSIR-IIIM for creating a vibrant and enabling platform for innovation and startups. He explained Mission YUVA to the audience, outlining clear pathways for Nano Enterprises, MSMEs and Neo-Innovative Enterprises, particularly for knowledge-driven startups. He urged the youth to identify local problems, develop innovative solutions and utilise government platforms for funding and mentorship. “You now have a clear platform, if you want to start something, you know where to go and how to proceed,” he said, encouraging participants to apply for the Neo-Innovative Enterprises scheme through the Mission YUVA portal.

Director CSIR-IIIM Jammu and Chairman, IIIM-TBI Dr Zabeer Ahmed, in his address, said that CSIR-IIIM remains committed to fostering innovation-led entrepreneurship by creating a robust ecosystem that integrates scientific research, technology development and enterprise creation. He emphasised that such initiatives can play a crucial role in empowering youth, startups and farmers by providing access to advanced infrastructure, mentorship and industry linkages. He also highlighted that the Industrial Biotech Park, Kathua and IIIM-TBI serve as key enablers in translating research outcomes into market-ready solutions, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, biotechnology and healthcare.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr Saurabh Saran provided an extensive overview of the state-of-the-art Industrial Biotech Park at Ghatti, Kathua. He also highlighted the park’s strategic location and its six functional areas including fermentation technology, phytopharma development and micropropagation along with advanced instrumentation worth several crores of rupees available for startups. “IIIM-TBI has so far nurtured over 125 startups, of which 15 have successfully launched market-ready products,” he informed and emphasised the park’s role as a comprehensive ecosystem offering infrastructure, scientific mentorship and business support to convert ideas into viable enterprises.

Principal Scientist, Dr Nasir-ul-Rasheed focused on skill development initiatives. He outlined hands-on training programmes ranging from five days to six months in areas such as quality control, advanced instrumentation and fermentation technologies, aimed at making youth industry-ready. He inspired the audience by sharing the success story of a Class 12 student mentored at IIIM. “He went on to win a prestigious international robotics fellowship,” he said, asserting that “the sky is the limit” for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

The participants gained insights into Mission YUVA from Gauri Deoli, representative of the Mission. She explained Mission YUVA’s vision of transforming J&K into a vibrant entrepreneurial hub, built on four key pillars — Culture, Capital, Capacity and Connectivity. She particularly elaborated on the Neo-Innovative Enterprises scheme, which provides seed funding of up to Rs 20 lakh along with mentorship and market linkages for innovative, knowledge-based startups. The event also featured inspiring startup pitching experiences from four entrepreneurs including Vikrant Dogra, Chairman Unati Foundation; Shvanku CEO Herbal Aura; Sandeep Razdan Chairman Sarnas OPC Pvt Ltd and Dr Swamy Founder Crop-Domain Pvt Ltd. Later, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between Crop-Domain Pvt Ltd and IIIM-TBI. The collaboration aims to foster innovation, technology development and entrepreneurship in the agricultural biotechnology sector. Following this, startups, students and ecosystem partners were felicitated for their contributions. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Vidushi Abrol, Business Manager, IIIM-TBI and the event moderator.