By: Showkat Dar
Awantipora, Mar 10: More than 140 students and faculty members from PM Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Khanpora Budgam on Monday visited the CIED–IUST Foundation at the IUST Innovation Campus to participate in an Entrepreneurship Awareness Program (EAP) aimed at promoting innovation, skill development and entrepreneurial thinking among young learners.
Dr. Basharat Nabi Dar, Coordinator EDC/CPMSB at CIED–IUST Foundation, welcomed the visiting students and briefed them about the Foundation’s mission, vision and key initiatives to support innovation and entrepreneurship.
During the session, Syed Abdul Basit Andrabi highlighted the growing importance of entrepreneurship in today’s competitive environment and encouraged students to pursue skill-oriented courses to enhance employability and expand career opportunities. He described innovation-driven entrepreneurship as a key driver of sustainable development and self-reliance.
He also informed the participants about the recently launched Mission Yuva Scheme by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and empowering youth across the region. Andrabi further outlined various short-term skill development programmes offered by the Foundation to nurture innovation and strengthen entrepreneurial competencies among aspiring young entrepreneurs.
As part of the programme, the students were taken on a tour of several advanced technology and innovation facilities at the campus, including the iFactory Lab, Design and Development (D&D) Lab, Training and Development Lab, and UltraTech Cement Lab.
The participants also engaged in hands-on sessions using modern equipment such as 3D printers, 3D scanners, PCB prototyping machines, CNC machines and laser cutting tools, gaining practical exposure to emerging technologies and industry-relevant skills.
The visit proved to be an insightful learning experience for the students, offering them exposure to opportunities in technology and entrepreneurship while broadening their understanding of innovation-driven career pathways and future-ready skills.
