Srinagar: The Greenovator Incubation Foundation (GIF) of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Leh to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and startup incubation in Ladakh and adjoining regions.
The MoU was signed on July 7 at the NIELIT campus in Leh by GIF Director and Principal Investigator Dr Saad Parvez. Officials of NIELIT Leh attended the signing ceremony, while the GIF team, including CEO Sana Aftab and Incubation Manager Jehangir Hameed, participated virtually, according to a statement.
The collaboration aims to provide incubation support, mentorship, business advisory services, industry linkages and access to funding opportunities for innovators, startups and student entrepreneurs.
According to the statement, the two institutions will jointly organise boot camps, hackathons, ideathons, entrepreneurship and innovation development programmes, workshops, seminars and skill development initiatives to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem.
The partnership also envisages collaboration in business model development, market validation, intellectual property rights facilitation, patent filing, technology commercialisation and access to incubation facilities, laboratories and prototyping infrastructure, subject to institutional policies.
NIT Srinagar Director Prof Binod Kumar Kanaujia said the collaboration would help expand innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities in strategically important regions and support technologies suited to the needs of the Himalayan region.
Registrar Prof Atikur Rehman said the partnership would promote research, innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-led growth, while Dr Saad Parvez said it would help empower local innovators and startups through mentorship, incubation, skill development and industry linkages.
The institutions will also collaborate on research, consultancy and technology development, with a focus on creating solutions tailored to the challenges of mountain regions while preserving Ladakh’s cultural heritage and traditional knowledge, the statement added.
