SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday reviewed preparations for Jammu and Kashmir’s first Global Capability Centre (GCC) Summit, scheduled to be held at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu on October 9 and 10.
The summit is aimed at attracting investment, creating skilled employment opportunities and exploring the potential of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as destinations for technology-driven enterprises.
The review meeting was attended by senior officials, including the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretaries of the Information Technology and Higher Education departments; Secretary, Skill Development Department; Director, IIM Jammu; Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Innovation and Transformation in Governance (CITaG); representatives of NASSCOM and other stakeholders.
During the meeting, Dulloo said the summit should serve as a platform for fostering partnerships between government, industry and academic institutions while identifying new avenues for economic growth in the Union Territory.
He noted that the increasing preference of global companies for Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities presents an opportunity for Jammu and Kashmir to leverage its educated workforce, lower operating costs and growing institutional infrastructure to attract investment and generate employment.
The chief secretary directed departments to ensure extensive regional and national outreach to promote the summit and highlight investment opportunities in the Union Territory.
According to officials, the summit will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, technology experts, investors and representatives of academic institutions to discuss opportunities and challenges related to establishing GCCs in emerging destinations.
Director IIM Jammu Prof B.S. Sahay briefed the meeting on the programme and preparations for the event. He said the inaugural session will be held on October 9, followed by discussions on industry-government collaboration, India’s GCC sector, investment opportunities and economic development in Jammu and Kashmir.
The second day will focus on the role of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in technological innovation, workforce transformation and strategies for developing Jammu and Kashmir as a GCC destination.
Officials said the summit will also examine issues related to technology-led growth, talent development and institutional collaboration, with recommendations expected to inform future policy initiatives.
The meeting was informed that Jammu and Kashmir’s young talent pool, relatively lower operational costs and presence of higher education and training institutions could help attract companies looking to expand operations beyond major metropolitan centres.
The chief secretary directed all departments to complete pending preparations in a timely manner and ensure the event results in sustained engagement with investors and industry stakeholders. Officials said documentation of the summit proceedings will begin after the event, with recommendations and a summit resolution expected to be finalised by October 16.
