Awantipora: More than 150 students and faculty members from PM Shri Government High School, TK Bala Singhpora, Pattan in Baramulla district on Tuesday visited the CIED-IUST Foundation at the IUST Innovation Campus for an Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP) aimed at fostering innovation, skill development and entrepreneurial thinking among young learners.
The visiting students and faculty were welcomed by Showkat Ahmad Dar, Project Assistant (STEM), CIED-IUST Foundation, who introduced them to the foundation’s mission, vision and objectives. He highlighted the growing importance of entrepreneurship in today’s competitive environment and briefed the participants about the Mission Yuva scheme of the Jammu and Kashmir government, which seeks to promote entrepreneurship and empower youth across the region.
Addressing the participants, Adnan Ali Khan, Incubation Manager, DST i-TBI CIED-IUST Foundation, spoke about the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED) and its initiatives. He stressed the importance of skill-based and technical education and informed the students about various funding and financial assistance schemes available for aspiring entrepreneurs.
He also highlighted schemes such as the DST NIDHI Ignition Grant Scheme and the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), which are being implemented through the CIED-IUST Foundation to support innovative ideas and start-ups.
As part of the programme, the students were taken on a tour of several facilities at the innovation campus, including the iFactory Lab, Design and Development Lab, Training and Development Lab and UltraTech Cement Lab.
The students also participated in hands-on sessions involving advanced technologies such as 3D printers, 3D scanners, PCB prototyping machines, CNC machines and laser cutting equipment, giving them practical exposure to emerging technologies and industry-relevant skills.
The participants described the visit as highly informative and inspiring, saying it provided them with valuable insight into opportunities in the fields of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
