Overview

• At the ICC centenary retreat in Srinagar, Union Minister Jitendra Singh asked the chamber to help mobilize private-sector participation in the Union Territory.
• He inaugurated the DST Inclusive Technology Business Incubator and iFactory Lab at the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora to nurture new ventures.
• Singh announced a Rs 5-crore Department of Science and Technology package to seed 15 startups now, with a target of 30 within three years.
• He said sectors once reserved for the state, including space, biotechnology and the nuclear sector, are now open to private investment.
• To illustrate opportunity, he cited lavender cultivation attracting perfume makers and improved apple farming by self-help groups as models for high-value growth in J&K.