Kashmir has vibrant ecosystem for startups: Experts

The vibrant startup ecosystem in Kashmir, despite the prevailing situation, is providing a chance for innovative entrepreneurs to launch social impact ventures in Kashmir, experts and entrepreneurs said here on Saturday.

They were speaking at the inauguration ceremony of “Smart JK Hackathon” and”Entrepreneurial World Cup” events at JKEDI headquarters in Pamporehere. Advisor to Governor, K Skandan who launched the events said he was happyto see startups in the Valley implementing creative ideas despite all odds.

   

“Although launching a startup is a difficult process but itgives a lot of self-confidence once it takes-off.  It makes one feel you have achievedsomething,” Skandan said.

Skandan said the most promising aspect of entrepreneurshipwas that “all business demands in front of the startups are those that areunfulfilled requirements of the society”.

“Demand needs not to be a complex one. It may even addressproblems of 20-30 households. In today’s day and age of technology one needsnot to leave a particular geography and move to bigger cities to fulfilentrepreneurial dreams,” Skandan said.

Skandan said Financial Institution’s must lend support tostart-ups. “FIs must frame more positive policies in order to fund start-ups.Start-ups also must have the ability to convince their investors which is noteasy but a rewarding job,” said Skandan. Director EDI, Tufail Matto said twoincubation centres for startups, one at Jammu and one in the Valley, was on theanvil. “NITI Aayog has agreed to set-up these incubation centers which willhelp to nurture ideas and provide platform to start-ups,” Matto said.

Matoo said Smart JK Hackathon, will help the innovators fromthe state to compete at national and international levels. “The solutions forproblems being sought from students and innovators during next one and halfmonth in agriculture, horticulture, smart city, tourism , solid wastemanagement , handloom and handicraft is an enriching process,” Matoo said.

Matoo thanked Global Education and Leadership Foundation,Misk Flobal Forum and Global Entrepreneurship Network for hosting a first ofits kind regional event under ‘Entrepreneurship World Cup’ at JKEDI.

As per the organisers, the one-and-a-half-month-longinnovation competition Hackathon is aimed to “institutionalize a model forharnessing the creativity and technical expertise of students and innovators toan already defined problem statement”. “Hackathon is a digital programmingcompetition aimed at identifying new and disruptive technological innovationsfor solving the challenges faced by the public, businesses and the industry,”Matoo said.

Ramanan Ramanathan, Mission Director, Atal InnovationMission of Niti Aayog said 120 schools in Jammu and Kashmir are envisioned tohave Atal Tinkering Labs ( ATLs), which are centers that harness innovation andgrass-root level scientific temperament. Shanta Thoutam, Vice PresidentCorporate Innovation and Business Development at T-Hub, Hyderabad praisedKashmir-based startups of “thriving despite facing several problems in theentrepreneurial set-up due to the prevailing situation,”. Director Agriculture,Kashmir, Altaf Andrabi highlighted the scope for entrepreneurship inagri-business especially organic foods.

Innovators Fayaz Ganaie, Shah Shabir, Muheet Mehraj and Archana Pushup also spoke at the eventnarrating their entrepreneurial journey. Pooja Sareen, Editor and Co-Founder atInc42 and Ramarko Sengupta, senior editor at www.yourstory.com, professors fromUniversity of Kashmir were also present on the occasion.

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