Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Aug 25: Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with independent charge Dr Jitendra Singh Monday said that Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) holding an event in Kashmir has sent a strong message that the Valley is safe and beautiful like earlier.
Speaking to the reporters at the sidelines of a function here, the Union Minister said, “I congratulate the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for conducting successfully three day program in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Singh said, ICC is one of the oldest chambers of India that started functioning some 100 years back.
“Having ICA in Kashmir post Pahalgam attack gives a strong message that the Valley is safe and beautiful like earlier,” he said.
The Union Minister further said that since the PM Narendra Modi government came into power, many business and trades have been boosted. “The Modi government has supported the private sector. Besides, under his leadership the public as well as private participation have been auspiciously welcomed.”
“The way economy of India is growing, we will soon become the top economical country. It will be possible only when we will have integrated approach of public and private sectors,” Singh said.
He also said, “Under PM Modi’s leadership, we have seen a ‘Purple revolution’ in terms of aromatic crops to lavender entrepreneurship from the Kashmir valley.”
Asked about the complaints of the people that they are suffering from losses and are unable to pay back the loans post Pahalgam attack, the Minister said, “I am sure that the government of Jammu and Kashmir will take care of it.”
“We have even opened the nuclear sector to the private sector this year. We believe that just as our country is moving forward at a rapid pace, our economy will reach from fourth to third, third to second, and second to first place.”
Earlier the Union Minister inaugurated the DST Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (i-TBI) and iFactory Lab at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora, describing the initiative as a major step toward building a vibrant start-up ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
Announcing a Rs 5-crore support package from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Dr. Jitendra Singh said the central government is committed to hand-holding aspiring entrepreneurs from the Valley. “We are starting with 15 start-ups, and in the next three years, this number will grow to 30. The aim is to ensure that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir never miss the bus of India’s innovation revolution,” he said.
The Minister also unveiled a Technology Innovation Hub (TI Hub) and announced a 12-month faculty development programme, emphasizing that both students and teachers must embrace new-age knowledge to remain globally competitive. He highlighted that the iFactory Lab, set up under the Ministry of Heavy Industries’ C4i4 initiative, will expose students to Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and data analytics.
Framing the launch in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Dr. Jitendra Singh said IUST’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED-IUST Foundation) is a “model of how higher education institutions can integrate incubation, technology development, and start-up support.” Established in 2022, CIED has already drawn over Rs 1.20 crore from the university’s own resources and now hosts key national programs including the DST’s i-TBI scheme, DPIIT’s Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, and SIDBI’s STEM programme.
Highlighting J&K’s demographic strengths—where over 65% of the population is under 35—Dr. Jitendra Singh said innovation and entrepreneurship are vital to tackling the region’s high youth unemployment rate. He pointed to potential sunrise sectors such as horti-agri tech, food processing, eco-tourism, handicrafts, and ICT applications, noting that Kashmir’s lavender-based “purple revolution” is already demonstrating how agri-startups can generate wealth and livelihoods.
