Srinagar: SKUAST-K on Friday marked World Entrepreneurs’ Day with a series of programmes aimed at promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and startup culture among youth.
At the SKUAST-K Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre (SKIIE), a day-long programme titled “Stakeholders of Change” brought together startups, mentors and industry partners to discuss the growth of Kashmir’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Director Education, SKUAST-K, Prof Altaf Mohd Bhat, said entrepreneurship should be viewed as a viable career option and praised SKIIE’s efforts in fostering innovation among students. SKIIE Chief Executive Officer Naveed Hamid highlighted the centre’s support to over 125 startups across sectors including agri-tech, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, food processing and rural enterprise.
A panel discussion featured startup founders, mentors and partner institutions, focusing on challenges such as funding, regulatory compliance and market access. Participants also interacted with entrepreneurs behind ventures including Baag Manzuk, K R Mushrooms, Noorsa Innovations and Fiam Farms.
Meanwhile, the NABARD-supported Rural Business Incubation Centre (RBIC) at SKUAST-K organised a one-day ideation and design thinking workshop at Government Degree College (GDC), Pulwama.
The programme, titled “From Grassroots Problems to Scalable Startups: RBIC Idea Resonator on Agri & Rural Innovation,” attracted over 100 students and focused on entrepreneurship, problem-solving and enterprise development.
Principal GDC Pulwama, Prof Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, highlighted the role of educational institutions in encouraging entrepreneurial thinking among youth. RBIC Chief Executive Officer Dr Jameel Ahmad Khan conducted a masterclass on design thinking, covering user empathy, problem identification, ideation, market validation and prototyping.
Representatives of Mission YUVA also briefed participants about the ‘Udhyam Jagriti 5.0’ campaign and the ‘Neo-Innovative Enterprises Scheme’, which supports youth-led startups through mentorship, funding and market linkages.
The programmes were organised to encourage students and young innovators to develop solutions to local challenges and transform them into sustainable business ventures.
