Srinagar: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), through its Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) and with support from the Office of the Development Commissioner (DC-MSME), has organised a series of awareness programmes on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Doda.
The programmes were conducted in association with the respective District Industries Centres (DICs) to sensitise Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), startups, aspiring entrepreneurs and academicians about the importance of protecting intellectual property.
Poonch Programme
The first session was held at the College Ground auditorium in Poonch. Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma attended as Chief Guest and encouraged youth to pursue entrepreneurship, highlighting government schemes such as HADP, PMEGP and Mumkin/Yuwa. He underlined the need to secure innovative ideas through IPR registration and noted that the IPFC could provide technical guidance in this regard.
General Manager, DIC Poonch, Naeem ul Nisa (JKAS), also addressed participants and briefed them on development initiatives including the RAMP and PMEGP schemes.
Rajouri Session
In Rajouri, the awareness programme was organised at the ITI auditorium. General Manager, DIC Rajouri, Harpal Singh (JKAS), and Functional Manager Rafaqat Aziz (JKAS) attended the session. Participants were introduced to key IPR components, including trademarks, patents and industrial designs. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Principal ITI Rajouri, Ujjwal Mahajan.
Doda Outreach
The outreach concluded in Doda with a session at the District Employment Office auditorium. Industries Promotion Officer, DIC Doda, Neeraj Sharma led the programme, which was attended by Functional Manager Jatinder Bharti, Dr. Majid Pervaiz of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute, and representatives from the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) and the Chief Horticulture Office.
Officials said the programme aimed to bridge awareness gaps regarding IPR among local entrepreneurs and students.
Technical Sessions and Support
At all three locations, technical sessions were delivered by IPFC and Business Development Expert Shahid Khan, who explained the procedures for filing trademarks, patents and designs, and outlined the legal and commercial advantages of securing intellectual property.
The Deputy Director, IPFC, PHDCCI, also briefed participants on the MSME Innovative Scheme, detailing reimbursement benefits and IPR-related support available to eligible enterprises. He reiterated that the IPFC Centre in Jammu and Kashmir would provide mentoring and facilitation support to businesses seeking to register and protect their intellectual assets.
