SRINAGAR: NIT Srinagar, the YUVA Innovation Hub of IIM Jammu and the Directorate of Employment, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, have signed a five-year tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the startup and innovation ecosystem in the Union Territory under Mission YUVA.
The agreement brings the Greenovator Incubation Foundation (GIF) at NIT Srinagar into the Mission YUVA framework as a regional incubation node for supporting Neo-Innovative Enterprises in Kashmir.
The MoU was signed by Director NIT Srinagar and Chairman of Greenovator Incubation Foundation Prof Anurag Misra, Chairperson of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Skill Development (CEISD), IIM Jammu, Dr Muqbil Burhan, and was acknowledged by Director Employment and Mission Director, Mission YUVA, Harvinder Singh.
Mission YUVA, a government entrepreneurship initiative, aims to train, incubate and support 500 Neo-Innovative Enterprises across Jammu and Kashmir between 2025 and 2030 through YUVA Innovation Hubs and a network of incubation centres.
Under the arrangement, the YUVA Innovation Hub at IIM Jammu will act as the nodal body for coordination, mentorship, training and investor linkages, while GIF at NIT Srinagar will support identification, incubation and development of early-stage startups in Kashmir.
According to officials, the incubation centre will focus on sectors including nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, cybersecurity and robotics.
Harvinder Singh said the partnership would strengthen the institutional framework being developed under Mission YUVA to support innovative enterprises and entrepreneurship in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the signing of the agreement, Singh visited the Greenovator Incubation Foundation at NIT Srinagar and reviewed its incubation facilities.
Under the MoU, selected startups will receive access to workspace, laboratories, technical assistance, mentorship, business advisory services and other institutional infrastructure available at NIT Srinagar. Support will also be provided for market access, business linkages, trade fairs, e-commerce readiness and public procurement opportunities.
Officials said selected Neo-Innovative Enterprises would be eligible for seed funding of up to Rs 6 lakh under Mission YUVA, subject to prescribed selection criteria and funding requirements. The assistance can be utilised for proof of concept, prototype development and product trials.
