Srinagar, Aug 20, KDC: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) on Wednesday signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jammu & Kashmir government’s Mission YUVA and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, formalising a joint framework to mentor, incubate, and scale youth-led neo-innovative enterprises.
The agreement was signed in the presence of SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, the Registrar of SKUAST-K, Joint Director of Mission YUVA Waseem Raja, Chief Executive Officer of SKUAST-K Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship (SKIIE) Centre Naveed Hamid, alongside representatives from IIM Jammu’s Mission YUVA vertical.
Marking an immediate translation of the pact into action, the SKIIE Centre signed two separate incubation agreements with M/s Noorsa Innovations Pvt. Ltd. and M/s FarmHealth Innovations Private Limited. The two ventures, selected under the Mission YUVA Neo-Innovative Enterprises Scheme, will receive dedicated incubation space, advanced laboratory access, and comprehensive infrastructure support at SKUAST-K.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai said the partnership strengthens SKUAST-K’s role as a launchpad for youth innovation in Jammu & Kashmir and will pave the way to connect dynamic young minds with the university’s vast incubation ecosystem. He assured the Mission YUVA team of continued institutional backing, noting that SKUAST-K has actively supported the initiative since its inception in identifying and mobilizing high-potential ideas.
Joint Director of Mission YUVA, Sh. Waseem Raja, highlighted that the collaboration with SKUAST-K will make world-class technical infrastructure, specialized lab facilities, and domain-specific mentorship directly accessible to grassroots innovators, ensuring that young entrepreneurs receive the critical handholding required to convert disruptive ideas into sustainable, job-creating commercial enterprises.
Naveed Hamid, Chief Executive Officer of SKIIE, noted that the tripartite MoU strategically aligns Mission YUVA’s grant support, IIM Jammu’s rigorous selection mechanism, and SKIIE’s technical incubation infrastructure to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with a complete, end-to-end runway from idea to enterprise.
Mission YUVA, launched by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, aims to establish Jammu & Kashmir as a premier hub of enterprise and employment, targeting the creation of over 1.4 lakh enterprises and 4.25 lakh jobs across categories ranging from nano-enterprises and MSMEs to 500 high-potential “Neo-Innovative” ventures in sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, healthcare, agri-tech, and sustainability. Under the new arrangement, startups selected through Mission YUVA’s rigorous screening process will be routed to the SKIIE Centre for hands-on technical incubation, validation, and market linkage support, particularly benefiting innovators in the agri-tech and biotech domains.
The collaboration further reinforces SKIIE’s expanding footprint across the regional innovation landscape. Recently named “Incubator of the Year” at the JK Startup Mela, the centre currently hosts over 130 registered startups and is backed by prominent national and global funding partners, including DST, BIRAC, MeitY, RBIC, HADP, E-YUVA, and IFAD. (KDC)
