Rs 5-Crore DST Incubator, iFactory Lab Inaugurated at IUST to Nurture Start-ups in Jammu Kashmir 

SRINAGAR: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, inaugurated the DST Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (i-TBI) and iFactory Lab at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora, on Monday, calling it a landmark step in shaping 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. Singh said the government is determined to hand-hold 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.

On the occasion, the Minister also unveiled a Technology Innovation Hub (TI Hub) and launched a year-long faculty development programme to equip teachers with new-age knowledge. He stressed that both students and faculty must adapt to technologies shaping Industry 4.0, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and data analytics, which will now be accessible through the iFactory Lab set up under the Ministry of Heavy Industries’ C4i4 initiative.

Placing the launch in the framework of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Dr. Singh praised IUST’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED-IUST Foundation) as a model for higher education institutions to integrate incubation, technology development, and start-up support. Established in 2022, the CIED has already invested Rs 1.20 crore from the university’s own resources and now anchors several national programmes, including the DST’s i-TBI scheme, DPIIT’s Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, and SIDBI’s STEM initiative.

Highlighting Jammu and Kashmir’s demographic profile, where more than 65 per cent of the population is below 35, Dr. Singh said innovation-driven entrepreneurship can address the region’s pressing youth unemployment challenge. He identified sunrise sectors such as horti-agri tech, food processing, eco-tourism, handicrafts, and ICT applications as areas of promise. Citing Kashmir’s lavender-led “purple revolution,” he said it was proof that agri-based start-ups can create wealth and sustainable livelihoods.

The Minister called on universities, parents, and industry to encourage young entrepreneurs instead of channelling them only toward conventional careers. “The strange phenomenon is that when youngsters from Kashmir move out, they become highly enterprising and excel. Our collective responsibility is to create the same opportunities here so they can thrive at home,” he said.

IUST, meanwhile, said it aims to evolve into a Skill University that blends academics, research, and enterprise creation in line with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. With new facilities including design and prototyping labs, an AICTE IDEA Lab, and a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Construction Materials, the university is positioning itself as a regional innovation hub.

Concluding his address, Dr. Singh said the young innovators of Jammu and Kashmir could emerge as “torchbearers of India’s growth story,” stressing that the initiatives launched at IUST are about both local transformation and the region’s active role in India’s global leadership in science, technology, and innovation.