Srinagar, Nov 11: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha
addressed the ‘Kashmir Expo- Start Up for Livelihood'
Friday at Srinagar.
Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor said that there
is a greater need to infuse technology and innovation in
the rural sector which will produce better quality of life and
enhance socio-economic development.
Emphasizing that innovation is about people rather than
ideas, the Lt Governor underscored that in order to
transform an idea into a commercial product, we need to
provide the right environment and opportunity to
innovators and Startups entrepreneurs.
Asserting that the Government is committed to support
Startups and help them grow, the Lt Governor said we
want to assure aspiring entrepreneurs that all necessary
assistance will be provided to make their business dreams
a reality.
Incubation centres in J&K's educational institutions are
playing an important role in building and nurturing ideas
for Startups, he added.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the
ecosystem of innovation, start-ups has been strengthened.
In just 8 years, India has established 75,000 startups with
50% of them established in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities providing
direct employment to 4 lakh youth, the Lt Governor said.
We are third in startup ecosystems globally. In the last 2
years, 107 unicorns worth more than $340 billion have
been established in the country. Today one out of 10 new
unicorns in the world is being established in India, he
further added.
Noting that Youth has always been an integral part of
evolving technology, the Lt Governor observed that the
potential ideas and new Startups will contribute not only to
economic growth and productive diversification, but also to
sustainable and inclusive development.
Technological progress is growing at an exponential rate
and the adoption time for commercialized technologies
has been considerably reduced. This is having a direct
impact on the society and business ecosystem. Whether
its businesses or educational institutions, they have to
innovate and adopt new technologies to stay relevant in
the future, the Lt Governor further emphasized.
In this Amrit Kaal Khand, it is the collective responsibility
of all of us to fully support the enterprise and
determination of our youth, our entrepreneurs in the
making of a self-reliant Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
The Lt Governor complimented the Department of Science
and Technology for organizing the three-day "Kashmir
Expo – Start up for Livelihood" and congratulated all
stakeholders associated with this event.
The Lt Governor appreciated two innovative products-
Saffron Sowing Machine and Seed Sowing Machine from
NIT Srinagar and stressed on the necessity of having
excellent coordination between the industry, academia
and society for the success of both the products.
Highlighting the immense potential for startups in the rural
sector, the Lt Governor said that in the last two-three
years, many youths of Jammu Kashmir have implemented
impressive ideas such as the apple grading machine,
strawberry plucker etc. and successfully used them in
agriculture, horticulture sectors.
The Lt Governor further said that 15 youths from each
panchayat were provided support for becoming
entrepreneurs and 20 youths were given skill development
opportunities during the recently concluded Back-to-
Village program this month.
Dr Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of
Biotechnology highlighted the significance of the Kashmir
Expo in providing a platform for the youth to develop their
ideas into startups.
Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner/Secretary to Government,
Science & Technology Department, informed that the
Department is supporting more than 120 research projects
across different Universities and Colleges of J&K. We are
also providing scholarships and seed money for nurturing
innovation, he added.
