With an aim to introduce undergraduate students from Ladakh to scientific research, innovation and entrepreneurship, the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, organised an exposure programme for 60 students and 5 faculty members of Government Degree College (GDC), Kargil from UT Of Ladakh, under the theme ‘From Science to Start-ups’. The programme familiarised students with the institute’s research infrastructure, societal mission initiatives and technology business incubation facilities, highlighting opportunities beyond conventional academic and employment pathways. The visit also sought to encourage young people from Ladakh to explore research, develop locally relevant solutions and consider entrepreneurship as a career option.

Addressing the students, Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu and CSIR-NBRI Lucknow, said connecting scientific institutions with society and its stakeholders was an important part of the institute’s mandate. Welcoming the students from Kargil, he said such interactions provided an opportunity to bring young minds closer to scientific research and help them understand how science could address real-world challenges. Dr Ahmed highlighted the importance of identifying local problems and developing practical solutions through scientific knowledge, innovation and enterprise. He encouraged the students to look beyond conventional career options and explore opportunities in research, higher education, skill development and start-ups. Emphasising the potential of young people from remote and geographically challenging regions, he said talent and intelligence were not limited by geography. What mattered was access to opportunities, exposure to advanced facilities and the willingness to pursue new ideas. He also encouraged the students to remain connected with CSIR-IIIM and seek guidance from its scientists and incubation team as they explored their academic and entrepreneurial interests. The Director underlined the relevance of the institute’s societal initiatives, including programmes linked to aromatic plants and floriculture, which connect scientific research with farmers’ livelihoods and entrepreneurial opportunities. Such initiatives, he said, demonstrated how research could translate into tangible benefits for society.

Earlier, Dr Saurabh Saran, Principal Investigator, BioNEST IIIM Technology Business Incubator (TBI), welcomed the students and faculty members from GDC Kargil, explaining the purpose of the exposure visit. He said the programme was designed to give undergraduate students, particularly those studying biotechnology, chemistry, physics and related disciplines, an opportunity to understand how scientific concepts learnt in classrooms were applied in research laboratories and industrial processes. Dr Saran explained that the visit would familiarise students with different stages of scientific research, including the development and processing of plant-based products, and introduce them to the role of advanced analytical instruments in identifying and studying active compounds. He said the programme also aimed to help students understand the two broad pathways available to them after graduation: pursuing higher education and research, or converting scientific ideas into viable business ventures. Highlighting the role of the institute’s technology business incubator, Dr Saran encouraged the students to think about start-up opportunities and engage with the team to understand the support available for developing their ideas. He expressed the hope that greater interaction between CSIR-IIIM and educational institutions in Ladakh would encourage more young people from the region to take up scientific entrepreneurship.

Dr Suphla B. Gupta, Nodal Officer for the Aroma Mission, also interacted with the students and stressed the importance of understanding the practical applications of subjects studied during their undergraduate courses. She explained that disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biotechnology, biochemistry and agricultural sciences could contribute to initiatives involving aromatic plants, cultivation practices, scientific processing and product development. Dr Gupta encouraged the students to view the exposure visit as an opportunity to connect classroom learning with practical applications and explore how their respective academic backgrounds could contribute to research and livelihood-oriented initiatives.

Representing the visiting institution, Mohammad Raza, Assistant Professor at GDC Kargil, thanked CSIR-IIIM for organising the programme and providing the students with an opportunity to experience a research institution at close quarters. He said the college had sought the visit to familiarise students with advanced laboratory facilities, fermentation technology, research practices and opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship. Raza observed that access to such facilities and exposure to advanced research environments remained important for undergraduate students in Ladakh, where research infrastructure and opportunities for hands-on learning were still developing. He said the objective was to take students beyond the classroom and help them understand the wider possibilities available in scientific research, innovation, business incubation and entrepreneurship. Referring to CSIR-IIIM’s contribution to scientific capacity-building in the region, he noted that the institute had developed strong academic links with Ladakh and its higher education institutions. He also highlighted the need to encourage students to identify challenges in their own communities and work towards locally relevant solutions. Raza said the college would explore the possibility of organising a follow-up interaction at GDC Kargil with support from CSIR-IIIM, so that more students could benefit from exposure to scientific research and start-up development.

The programme included sessions on the Aroma Mission and Floriculture Mission, along with a presentation on the role of CSIR-IIIM’s Technology Business Incubator in supporting start-ups in Jammu and Kashmir. The students also visited the institute’s current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facility, fermentation facility and IIIM Technology Business Incubator to gain first-hand knowledge of its scientific and entrepreneurial ecosystem. The exposure visit concluded with the distribution of participation certificates among the students. Dr Vidushi Abrol, Business Manager, Technology Business Incubator, delivered the vote of thanks.