Srinagar | In a major push towards strengthening the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir on Tuesday hosted a high-level Stakeholders Meet at its Shalimar campus.
The event was organised jointly by the Northern Region S&T Cluster – PI-RAHI (PU-IIT Ropar Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovations Foundation), J&K Science & Technology Council, SKUAST-Kashmir, and IIT Jammu. It brought together senior government officials, scientists, academic leaders, innovators, and startup founders from across the region.
The Minister for Science & Technology, IT, Youth Services & Sports, and ARI & Trainings, Satish Sharma, was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Dr. Shahid Choudhary, Secretary to Govt Science & Technology Department, J&K, attended as the Guest of Honour.
Highlighting the region’s potential to become a hub of innovation and technological excellence, Mr Sharma lauded the efforts of PI-RAHI and SKUAST-Kashmir in building a thriving STI environment. He underscored the importance of sustained investment in research and innovation to meet local developmental challenges.
Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai, in his address, emphasised the transformative role of research institutions in making science and technology accessible to farmers and rural communities. He reiterated the university’s commitment to nurturing innovation for social and economic impact.
The meet also featured the formal launch of four startups incubated at SKUAST-Kashmir’s SKIIE (Sher-e-Kashmir Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship) Centre, reflecting growing grassroots entrepreneurial momentum in the region.
Earlier, Dr. Nasir Shah, Additional Director, J&K S&T Council, delivered the welcome address. Neha Arora, Chief Operating Officer of PI-RAHI, and Dr. Jatinder Kaur Arora, Advisor at PI-RAHI, shared the broader vision and objectives of the regional innovation cluster.
Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary to the Government, Department of Science and Technology, also addressed the gathering and spoke about the administration’s strong focus on research-led development.
A key highlight of the event was the roundtable discussion on strengthening incubator networks, grassroots innovations, scaling up R&D outcomes, and introducing technology interventions in rural livelihoods. The discussions generated actionable insights and recommendations, including calls for pilot deployments of field-ready technologies and establishing national-level linkages for innovations emerging from J&K.
The proceedings were moderated by Dr. Ambreen Hamadani, Assistant Professor, CAIML. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Rohitashaw Kumar, Associate Dean, COAET, SKUAST-Kashmir.
Participants expressed appreciation for the collaborative spirit of the initiative and the strategic support extended by PI-RAHI and its partners. The meet concluded on a note of resolve to pursue the outcomes through coordinated follow-up action.
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