(MENAFN-IANS) New Delhi, June 30 (IANS) Changing mindset and exploring local resources is key to building a startup ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.
Speaking at the National Startup Conference RASE 2024 at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, the Minister said the agriculture sector can be a key area for startups in the region.
Citing the example of ‘Aroma Mission’, Dr Singh said the ‘Purple Revolution’ was born in small towns of Bhaderwah and Gulmarg and is now a talking point across the country.
Around 5,000 young people have taken up lavender cultivation as an agricultural start-up and are earning a handsome income in the region.
“Some of the young people working in the corporations have quit their jobs and taken up lavender cultivation. The success of the ‘Aroma Mission’ is evidenced by the fact that the example of Jammu and Kashmir is being replicated in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and several northeastern states as well,” the minister said.
Dr Singh said the startup movement in India has gained momentum over the past decade and much of the credit for this goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called for “Start up India, Stand up India” from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day speech in 2015.
At that time, the number of startups in the country was just 350-400, but now that number has grown to 150,000, and the country is ranked third in the world in terms of startup ecosystem, the minister recalled.
As for Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Singh said it could be possible to explore the area of agro-startups in the floriculture sector as well, for which the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) had launched a Floriculture Mission.
The Minister also termed handicraft, horticulture and textile startups as rich sectors of Jammu and Kashmir and said the Department of Science and Technology is committed to supporting startups in various sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.
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