Union Minister and Vice President, CSIR, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Saturday said that the Industrial Biotech Park (IBP) at Ghatti, Kathua, will emerge as a major hub for biotechnology-driven innovation, startup incubation, research, entrepreneurship and industrial development, creating new opportunities for youth, scientists, farmers and industry across Jammu & Kashmir and North India. Dr. Jitendra Singh was addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu and the Jammu & Kashmir Science, Technology & Innovation Council (JKST&IC) for the operationalisation and management of the Industrial Biotech Park at Ghatti, Kathua. Congratulating CSIR-IIIM, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, and all stakeholders associated with the initiative, Dr. Jitendra Singh described the project as another milestone in Kathua’s development journey. He said the Biotech Park is not merely an infrastructure project but a platform to generate opportunities for scientists, researchers, startups, entrepreneurs, farmers, industry and the youth.

Highlighting the transformation of India’s innovation ecosystem under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the vision of the Government is to create job creators rather than job seekers. Referring to flagship initiatives such as Startup India, he said India has witnessed an unprecedented startup revolution since 2014, with the number of recognised startups growing from only a few hundred to more than two lakh, reflecting a fundamental shift in the aspirations and entrepreneurial mindset of India’s youth. He said Jammu & Kashmir possesses immense strengths in biodiversity, medicinal and aromatic plants, agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and other bio-resources, which can be transformed into high-value products through scientific research, biotechnology and innovation. He emphasised that these natural resources represent enormous economic opportunities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods and strengthening the region’s bioeconomy. Describing the Industrial Biotech Park as a transformative initiative, Dr. Jitendra Singh said it will provide a common platform where scientists, researchers, startups, entrepreneurs, industries and farmers can collaborate under one roof. He stressed that scientific research should not remain confined to laboratories or publications but should be translated into commercially viable technologies, products and enterprises that directly benefit society.

Recalling the success of the CSIR Aroma Mission and the Purple Revolution, Dr. Jitendra Singh said lavender cultivation has transformed the lives of farmers in Jammu & Kashmir by converting traditional agriculture into profitable entrepreneurship. He noted that the success of lavender has demonstrated how scientific interventions, value addition and market linkages can generate employment, enhance farmers’ incomes and establish sustainable bio-based enterprises. He said similar opportunities exist in medicinal plants, aromatic crops, floriculture and other biotechnology-based sectors. The Union Minister said the Industrial Biotech Park should become a centre where innovative ideas are converted into successful enterprises. It will promote biotechnology startups, agri-entrepreneurship, technology incubation and commercialization while encouraging young innovators and researchers to develop solutions that directly address societal needs. Explaining the key ingredients of a successful innovation ecosystem, Dr. Jitendra Singh said sustainable innovation rests on four essential pillars—ideas from the young, experience from the elders, support from the Government and investment from industry. He said meaningful innovation can flourish only when these four components work together in harmony. He said the Government will continue to provide enabling policies, infrastructure and institutional support, while scientific institutions will generate knowledge and technology, industry will commercialize innovations and young entrepreneurs will convert ideas into successful enterprises. Such partnerships, he said, form the foundation of sustainable economic development.

Describing the MoU as much more than a formal agreement, Dr. Jitendra Singh said it represents the Government’s commitment to an integrated and collaborative approach where scientific institutions, academia, industry and government departments work together rather than in isolation. The collaboration, he said, will strengthen research, accelerate technology transfer, promote entrepreneurship and create a vibrant biotechnology ecosystem in the region. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a “Whole-of-Government” approach, Dr. Jitendra Singh said coordinated efforts among all stakeholders are essential for achieving national development goals. He said the Industrial Biotech Park embodies this philosophy by bringing together research institutions, government agencies, startups, industry and farmers on a common platform. Expressing confidence in the future of the project, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Industrial Biotech Park will emerge as one of North India’s leading centres for biotechnology innovation. It will strengthen research, promote commercialization of indigenous technologies, encourage startup culture, create employment opportunities and contribute significantly to the knowledge-based economy of Jammu & Kashmir. The Union Minister said the objective is not merely to conduct scientific research but to transform knowledge into economic growth and societal benefit. Scientific innovation, he said, must improve people’s lives, strengthen India’s bioeconomy and generate sustainable livelihoods through technology-driven entrepreneurship.

Referring to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, Dr. Jitendra Singh said Jammu & Kashmir has the potential to become a major contributor to India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation. He said the Union Territory’s rich biodiversity, scientific institutions, skilled youth, medicinal and aromatic plant resources, and growing innovation ecosystem place it in a unique position to drive biotechnology-led growth and contribute significantly to the country’s economic transformation. Congratulating CSIR-IIIM, JKST&IC and all stakeholders associated with the initiative, Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed confidence that the Industrial Biotech Park at Ghatti, Kathua, will create many more success stories in the years ahead by empowering researchers, startups, farmers and entrepreneurs while establishing Jammu & Kashmir as a leading biotechnology and innovation hub in the country.

Earlier in his welcome address, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu, he apprised the Union Minister about the various milestones in the setting up of the Industrial Biotech Park and the future plan to meet the objectives of this high-end facility. He said that the MoU being signed represents a significant milestone in strengthening biotechnology innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. He expressed his gratitude to Union Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh continuous mentorship and support in setting up the Industrial Biotech Park to strengthen the scientific institutions and creating new opportunities for biotechnology-based growth in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Industrial Biotech Park at Ghatti, Kathua, established by CSIR-IIIM with support from the J&K Science & Technology Department and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, is the first Industrial Biotech Park in North India. Dr. Zabeer Ahmed said the park has been developed as a comprehensive platform for incubating innovative ideas and supporting startups, agri-entrepreneurs, scientists, scholars and students through state-of-the-art research, incubation and technology development facilities. He informed that the facility houses advanced infrastructure including herbal extraction units, fermentation facilities, analytical laboratories, distillation facilities, micropropagation and plant tissue culture laboratories, besides provisions for technology incubation, training and skill development.

Dr. Ahmed said the Industrial Biotech Park has identified Agriculture Biotechnology, Healthcare Biotechnology, Nutraceuticals and Botanical Extracts, and Process Biotechnology as its priority thrust areas to promote innovation, technology development and entrepreneurship. He said the park will support activities in micropropagation, biofertilizers, biopesticides, animal healthcare, drug discovery, medicinal and aromatic plant extracts, nutraceutical development, enzymes and other value-added biomolecules, creating opportunities for research, commercialization and industry collaboration. He further said the Biotech Park will undertake research on the rich biodiversity, medicinal and aromatic plant resources of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh while promoting green technologies, sustainable biotechnology solutions and bio-based industries. Dr. Ahmed informed that the BIRAC BioNEST Incubator has already been established at the Biotech Park, Kathua, and is presently supporting 15 startups working in diverse areas of biotechnology, providing incubation support, mentoring and access to scientific infrastructure. He added that CSIR-IIIM is also conducting job-oriented skill development programmes at the facility to enhance the employability, entrepreneurial capabilities and technical skills of youth, thereby contributing to the growth of the biotechnology ecosystem in the region. Dr. Ahmed said that while the Industrial Biotech Park infrastructure has already been established and the BIRAC BioNEST Incubator is functioning successfully, the MoU signed today marks the beginning of its full-scale operationalisation and management through CSIR-IIIM as the Project Management Unit (PMU).

Commissioner/Secretary, Science & Technology Department, Babila Rakwal while speaking on the occasion said that as per the agreement, CSIR-IIIM Jammu will function as the Project Management Unit (PMU) for the Biotech Park and provide scientific, technical, operational, administrative and governance support for effective functioning of the facility. She informed that the Industrial Biotechnology Parks Society and JKST&IC will provide financial support of Rs. 15 crore for a period of three years to CSIR-IIIM Jammu for execution of the project. In the campus of IBTP, Kathua a Bio Farm is also being set up which would be a demonstration centre of high valued Medicinal, Aromatic and flowering plants, she added. She said that as partner in the project, CSIR-IIIM will oversee the planning, execution and monitoring of activities at the Industrial Biotech Park, manage scientific infrastructure, support innovation and incubation programmes, organise capacity-building initiatives and strengthen collaboration with industries and research institutions. The partnership is expected to position the Industrial Biotech Park as a key centre for biotechnology-led scientific and industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir, creating opportunities for technology transfer, startup growth and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

Addressing the gathering, MLA Jasrota, Rajiv Jasrotia, described the Industrial Biotech Park as a project of national significance and said it would emerge as a transformative institution for the region. He said the park would directly benefit local youth, farmers, startups and aspiring entrepreneurs by creating new opportunities for innovation, skill development and biotechnology-based enterprises. Emphasising that development is a continuous process, he said the initiative reflects the commitment of the people’s representatives towards inclusive growth and regional progress. He also appreciated the leadership and continued support of Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh in strengthening scientific infrastructure and expressed confidence that the Biotech Park would benefit not only Jammu & Kashmir but the entire country.

The event was attended by Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Rajesh Sharma (JKAS); Principal, Government Medical College, Kathua, Dr. Surinder Kumar Atri; Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Mohita Sharma, IPS, along with the senior officers from CSIR-IIIM, JKST&IC, government departments, scientists, researchers, members of civil society, entrepreneurs and students.