Opt for demand driven start-ups: VC SKUAST-J asks potential agri-entrepreneurs

JAMMU, SEPT 7: Professor J.P. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu has urged the students and potential Agri start-ups to come up with innovative ideas and products which are technically feasible, economically viable and demand driven thereby plugging the available gaps in the agriculture sector.

Prof. Sharma was interacting with the fifth batch of potential agri-entrepreneurs being incubated at Agri-Business Incubator, SKUAST-Jammu, the first of its kind agri-business incubator of J&K UT set up under the RKVY-RAFTAAR project of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, GoI.

“An entrepreneur is an individual who is able to identify an opportunity out of a problem and then mobilizes available resources to exploit that opportunity, taking calculated risks in the process” Prof. Sharma pointed out. He added that an entrepreneur is always looking forward towards expansion and diversification of his business and is never satisfied by achieving one goal as he always moves on to the next milestone. He also shared success stories of innovative agri-entrepreneurs like Krishna Yadav, Sultan Singh and Kanwal Singh Chauhan who started from humble beginnings but made it big by virtue of their hard work, dedication and self-belief. Prof. Sharma also enlightened the audience about how the current Govt. of India is giving major thrust and robust support to entrepreneurship development especially in the agri-sector by giving huge financial allocations for the same purpose. At the end of his session, he assured the students and budding entrepreneurs of constant support and guidance from SKUAST-Jammu so as to produce more job creators and not job seekers.

He also congratulated and appreciated Prof. Jyoti Kachroo, Director P&M, Head AEABM and P.I of the project and her team for running the project successfully.

Earlier, Prof. Jyoti Kachroo welcomed the students and incubates who had joined for the online session. She formally introduced the Vice Chancellor as the guest speaker of the session and listed out his outstanding achievements and contribution to the agriculture and agri-business sector throughout his illustrious career. She also informed the audience about the positive developments happening in the University under his dynamic leadership. At the end of the session, the incubates interacted with the Vice Chancellor and cleared many doubts related to agri-entrepreneurship. Co P.I’s of the project namely Prof. Sudhakar Dwivedi, Dr. S.P Singh, Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Anil Bhat, Asstt. Prof; Division of AEABM were also present during the session. The proceedings of the session were conducted by Dr. Yamini Raut and Tarunjeet Singh from A.B.I, SKUAST-J. The session concluded with vote of thanks presented by Prof. Jyoti Kachroo thanking the esteemed Vice Chancellor and all participants of the session.