Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) on Saturday held the second meeting of its Screening Committee under the J&K Startup Policy 2024–27 at its Bari Brahmana campus in Jammu to evaluate eligible startups for seed funding support.
The meeting was chaired by Khalid Jahangir (JKAS), Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, and Director, JKEDI, who also serves as the Nodal Officer for implementation of the Startup Policy in the Union Territory.
The J&K Startup Policy 2024–27, notified by the government earlier this year, aims to make Jammu and Kashmir one of India’s leading startup ecosystems by 2027. It envisions the creation of at least 2,000 new startups across the Union Territory, with financial support of up to ₹20 lakh in seed funding (in four instalments) for each recognized startup to assist in prototype development, market entry, and scaling up innovative ventures.
During the meeting, the committee evaluated 36 applications from Jammu division, of which 34 startups presented their business pitches. Committee members provided real-time feedback on critical aspects such as market readiness, financial sustainability, scalability, investment sourcing, and competitiveness.
The Screening Committee included experts from leading academic and industrial institutions, including Dr. Sudhakar Dwivedi (SKUAST-Jammu), Dr. Parvaiz Ahmad Mir (IUST Awantipora), Dr. Naveed Ahmad (SKUAST-K), Dr. Irfana Baba (University of Kashmir), Anil Suri (Industrialist), Dhariti (IIT Jammu), Akash (IIT Jammu), and representatives from Startup India, JKTPO, and JKEDI.
As per the operational guidelines, the committee’s recommendations will now be submitted to the Startup Task Force Committee, chaired by the Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department, for final approval and sanctioning of seed funds.
The first round of the screening process was held at JKEDI’s Pampore campus on September 27, covering applications from the Kashmir division.
Officials said the seed funding assistance under the policy is intended to provide early-stage financial support to startups, helping them transform innovative ideas into scalable and sustainable business ventures across Jammu and Kashmir.
