Kathua: Rs 750 crore disbursed under mission Yuva, 13,000 youths supported for entrepreneurship

Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 9 : As many as 13000 youth are covered under Yuva Mission and Rs 750 crore is disbursed to start thier entrepreneurship. The Government has a mission to start 137,000 entrepreneurship initiatives to provide 4.25 lakh jobs in J&K within five years of the Yuva Mission, said Shahzad Alam, MD, Mission YUVA & Director, Employment and Skill Development Department, J&K.
Alam was speaking to the media after attending a programme of Innovative Awareness campaign under Yuva Mission at BioNest Bioincubation Centre, Kathua, in collaboration with IIIM-TBI, Jammu.
He urged the youth to identify local problems, develop innovative solutions, and utilise government platforms for funding and mentorship. He added that we are going to contact 14 universities, to club them under one platform in the Neo-Innovative Enterprises scheme.
"You now have a clear platform. If you want to start something, you know where to go and how to proceed," he said, encouraging participants to apply for the Neo-Innovative Enterprises scheme through the Mission YUVA portal.
The BioNEST Bioincubation Centre of CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, located at the Industrial Biotech Park (IBTP) at Ghatti, Kathua, in collaboration with IIIM's Technology Business Incubator (IIIM-TBI), successfully organised the "Innovative X 1.0 - Awareness Campaign" under the Mission YUVA initiative.
The programme aimed at motivating and strengthening the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative aligns with the vision of the Union Minister and Vice President, CSIR, Dr Jitendra Singh, to empower youth and startups by promoting innovation, skill development and enterprise-led growth in Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Shahzad Alam, Managing Director, Mission YUVA and Director, Employment and Skill Development Department, J&K, who was warmly welcomed by Dr Saurabh Saran, Senior Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator, IIIM-TBI, with a traditional bouquet.
Scores of students from local colleges, farmers, and aspiring entrepreneurs from across the region participated in the programme, reflecting the growing interest in biotechnology-driven enterprises in J&K.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Shahzad Alam commended CSIR-IIIM for creating a vibrant and enabling platform for innovation and startups. He explained Mission YUVA to the audience, outlining clear pathways for Nano Enterprises, MSMEs, and Neo-Innovative Enterprises, particularly for knowledge-driven startups.
Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu, in his message, said that CSIR-IIIM remains committed to fostering innovation-led entrepreneurship by creating a robust ecosystem that integrates scientific research, technology development, and enterprise creation.
He emphasised that initiatives such as Innovative X 1.0 under Mission YUVA play a crucial role in empowering youth, startups, and farmers by providing access to advanced infrastructure, mentorship, and industry linkages.
He highlighted that the Industrial Biotech Park, Kathua, and IIIM-TBI serve as key enablers in translating research outcomes into market-ready solutions, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, biotechnology, and healthcare.
He then provided an extensive overview of the state-of-the-art Industrial Biotech Park at Ghatti, Kathua. He shared that IIIM-TBI has so far nurtured over 125 startups, of which 15 have successfully launched market-ready products.
The participants, during the address, explained Mission YUVA's vision of transforming J&K into a vibrant entrepreneurial hub, built on four key pillars: Culture, Capital, Capacity, and Connectivity.
They particularly elaborated on the Neo-Innovative Enterprises scheme, which provides seed funding of up to Rs 20 lakh, along with mentorship and market linkages for innovative, knowledge-based startups.
The event also featured inspiring startup pitching experiences from four entrepreneurs, including Vikrant Dogra, Chairman, Unati Foundation, Shvanku, CEO, Herbal Aura, Sandeep Razdan, Chairman, Sarnas OPC Pvt Ltd and Dr Swamy, Founder, Crop-Domain Pvt Ltd.
On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Crop-Domain Pvt Ltd and IIIM-TBI. The collaboration aims to foster innovation, technology development, and entrepreneurship in the agricultural biotechnology sector.