SKUAST-Jammu hosted an Industry–Startup Outreach Programme under the Jammu & Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP), aiming to strengthen collaboration between academia, government, finance and industry to accelerate agri-startups and enterprise-led growth across the Union Territory.
Strengthening industry–academia–startup linkages
The programme was inaugurated by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and attended by SKUAST-Jammu Vice-Chancellor Prof. B.N. Tripathi, JKCIP Mission Director Sandeep Kumar (IFS), senior university officials and representatives from IIIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, IIM Jammu, UTLBC, J&K Bank and the District Industries Centre, Jammu. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), entrepreneurs, researchers and students also participated.
Dulloo underlined the need for robust institutional partnerships to transform agriculture into a higher-growth, innovation-led sector. He said closer ties between research institutions and private industry are essential for converting scientific ideas into commercially viable products and scalable enterprises.
From aggregation to enterprise-led growth
The Chief Secretary urged FPOs to evolve beyond aggregation and embrace enterprise models focused on value addition through processing, packaging, branding and enhanced market access. Such moves up the value chain, he noted, could substantially raise farmer incomes and reduce dependency on raw produce sales.
Dulloo outlined four pillars for startup success — Culture, Capacity Building, Commercialisation and Connectivity — and reiterated the administration’s commitment to improving ease of doing business in agriculture, strengthening credit linkages and maintaining a supportive regulatory environment for emerging entrepreneurs.
Tapping Jammu & Kashmir’s agricultural potential
Jammu & Kashmir’s agricultural strengths include wool production, trout fisheries, floriculture, and medicinal and aromatic plants, but limited processing infrastructure has constrained large-scale value addition. Officials said the outreach programme seeks to bridge these infrastructure and capability gaps to unlock new economic opportunities for rural communities.
Speakers noted the initiative aligns with broader national priorities for rural transformation and inclusive economic growth.
Universities as catalysts of innovation
Prof. B.N. Tripathi emphasised that modern universities must move beyond teaching and research to actively foster innovation and entrepreneurship. He said SKUAST-J’s outreach reflects the university’s role in regional economic development and ecosystem building.
Tripathi said the university has incubated more than 120 agri-allied startup ideas, with over 32 receiving funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. He added that financial support needs to be paired with mentorship, regulatory and compliance assistance, and structured commercialisation pathways to ensure startups scale successfully.
To bridge the academia–industry gap, Tripathi outlined plans for industry-linked learning initiatives and appointing professionals as Professors of Practice to bring domain expertise into the curriculum and incubation efforts.
Panel discussions on collaboration and financing
Panel sessions brought together industry leaders, financiers, academics and startup founders to discuss access to finance, product validation, market integration and value-chain strengthening. Participants stressed the importance of mentorship, joint research projects and enhanced networking platforms to sustain startup growth in the agriculture sector.
Senior university officials said the outreach programme aims to build long-term partnerships that can reshape Jammu & Kashmir’s agri-entrepreneurship landscape, empower farmers and researchers, and contribute to the Union Territory’s economic development.
