In a major advancement in the field of Very Large Scale Integration of microchips and manufacturing, Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner Secretary of Science and Technology, recently inaugurated the VLSI Himalayan Chapter of Northern India at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu. This new chapter of the VLSI Himalayan Chapter aims to provide an opportunity for IIT Jammu to be a center for the research and joint programs within universities, research institutions, IITs, NITs and IISc of states like Jammu and Kashmir, Leh, Himachal Pradesh and others.
Saurabh Bhagat informed that Jammu and Kashmir was the highest performer amongst all Union Territories and North-east states in the ranking of ‘Support to Start-up Ecosystems’. The overall ranking consists of five categories by the states and union territories: best performer, top performer, leader, aspiring leader, and emerging start-up ecosystems. In comparison to Meghalaya being the best performer, Jammu and Kashmir was the top performer in the category.
The report was based on the initiatives taken up by the government to develop a Start-up ecosystem and learn from the best practices of other states and Union Territories. The exercise is aimed at supporting states and union territories (UTs) in developing their own Start-up Ecosystem to encourage budding entrepreneurs and promote innovation.
Jammu and Kashmir released their thorough Start-up Policy in 2018 with the goal to support and nurture the establishment of at least 500 new start-ups over the course of 10 years. To further this goal, the J-K administration is focusing on sectors such as food processing, agriculture, renewable energy, handicrafts and handloom by vigorously promoting start-ups in these realms.
Saurabh Bhagat believes it is crucial to provide incubation and seed funding opportunities in order to support brilliant ideas and solutions, as it allows for an economic growth and an opportunity to create job positions. To this end, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the J-K Science, Technology, and Innovation Council and the IIT, Jammu to identify the necessary cutting-edge technologies to develop an incubation and innovation ecosystem.
Furthermore, Intel, a multinational and American technology corporation, was present at the event and is dedicated to working with IIT Jammu to create innovative solutions to promote the well-being of people in J-K. Similarly, Texas Instrument and Government of India are also working to establish capacity development centers and robotics technology, among other initiatives.
In short, the IIT, Jammu is dedicated to utilizing its research and academic resources to create a strong environment for Start-ups and innovation, in order to empower youth and private investment into Start-ups.
