Srinagar, July 11: Stating that J&K has the potential to grow in agriculture sector, Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Saturday asked the government to come up with a special policy for agro-enterprises in the state.
 Proposing public-private partnership for the development of agro-entrepreneurship in J&K, Director FICCI, Nirankar Saxena said the Chamber would bring micro finance institutions to help the innovators.
 “Government should provide the policy framework and some incentive through subsidy and the FICCI can bring microfinance institutions to the state to help development of agro-entrepreneurship,” Saxena added.
 Addressing a workshop on ‘Technology Development Board Funding Schemes’ he assured that the FICCI would help in market access while suggesting that microfinance institutions should help in raising infrastructure. “We have market access in 86 countries. This can create a revolutionary change in the state. Earlier, we have adopted this system in West Bengal, Tamil Naidu and other places,” Saxena asserted.
 Terming agriculture as a key to entrepreneurship development in the state, he said there is a huge international market for agri products. “We would be happy to provide services to agro enterprises especially after coming across them here. And there would be huge international demand for the products of this sector,” he informed.  He said the FICCI could collaborate with some institutions in the Valley for providing support to local technical institutions.
 “This is our first road show in the Valley. We will do pilot project with innovators and our interest is economic development and revenue,” he said, adding that ‘FICCI Centre for Entrepreneurship’ will partner with some local institutes or university to provide support center for Technological Commercialization.”
 Director, TDB, P S Raju stated that there is no entrepreneur registered with them from the Valley and said that special considerations would be given to them onwards.
 “We have 250 projects registered all over India. But none of them are from the Valley. In future we will give special consideration to the Valley to encourage entrepreneurship,” he said.
 Raju suggested awareness programs saying ‘there is lack of awareness among the innovators in the valley’.
 “Valley has potential of agriculture entrepreneurship and can set up agro industries, floriculture and food processing industries,” he said.
 However, he said, that state government should forward a proposal to Government of India for special policy in the State. He also appreciated the innovators for participating in the workshop.
 Highlighting role of state government in “promoting” entrepreneurship in J&K, Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather stressed for an interaction between academia, research and development laboratories for successful commercialization of the technological innovations.
 “Our state has rich talent in the field of science and technology but we need technical support for commercialization of innovative technologies,” he said. 
 He informed that the state is working on various modules of skill upgradation under the Prime Minister’s initiative for skill up gradation.
 Emphasizing the need for a workable mechanism to transform the existing innovations into commercial products, the FM underscored the need for synergising the world of Science and the world of business by assisting the innovators in accelerating their technologies in the global markets.
 The workshop was organized by the FICCI with technology partnership of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, Indo-US, Science and Technology Forum and IC2 Institute, University of Taxes Austin.
 Over 150 participants from the J&K including heads of various departments, professors, research scholars and young entrepreneurs were present.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST