Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a thriving innovation hub with 988 startups registered under DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) so far. In another big boost for entrepreneurs in the union territory, DPIIT has joined hands with the Jammu & Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) to further promote startups in the region.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during “Jammu Kashmir Konnect”, a special startup-focused program organized at JKEDI’s Bari brahmana campus. The event was a meeting ground for startups, incubators, investors and key stakeholders who discussed growth opportunities in the region.

Jammu Kashmir has always been a meeting point of cultures and ideas. The union territory excels in businesses in sectors such as construction & engineering, agriculture, IT services, education, healthcare, food and beverages etc. The JK Startup policy launched in March 2024 has been instrumental in transforming the state into a business-friendly destination. Various supportive strategies – from academics to financial incentives – to handhold first stage businesses have encouraged entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality.

During the event “Jammu Kashmir Konnect”, Rajinder Kumar Sharma, JKAS, Director JKEDI noted that the startup policy has enabled 250 new startup registrations on the DPIIT portal, taking the total to 988 in a short span. There are more than 350 women-led startups/women entrepreneurs in the UT.

Sharma also lauded the significant outreach efforts undertaken by JKEDI, stating that during the current financial year, the institute has successfully conducted 601 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programs (EAPs) across Universities, Colleges, Higher Secondary Schools, and IITs in 20 districts of J&K—without incurring any expenses.

During the program, the directors of DPIIT and JKEDI held one-on-one interactions with incubators to understand their needs, challenges and future course. The two-way communication promised policy-level support to strengthen J&K’s startup ecosystem.

The Head of the Incubators from IIT- Jammu, IIM-Jammu, Jammu University, SKUAST-Jammu, Cluster University and CIIIT Jammu along with the FICCI Flo attended the event physically. Incubators from NIT- Srinagar, IUST University, SKUAST – Kashmir and CIIIT Baramulla joined virtually.