Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday, 21 August called on the youth of the region to develop agriculture solutions tailored to local conditions rather than importing foreign models wholesale, speaking at the inauguration of a cluster of new facilities at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu. The event also marked the launch of the Startup Outreach Programme under the Jammu and Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement Programme (JKCIP), drawing together researchers, innovators, young entrepreneurs and farmers from across the Jammu division.

New Infrastructure Commissioned

The facilities inaugurated by L-G Sinha include the Unnati Girls Hostel, the Centre for AI and ML in Agriculture, the Centre for Mushroom Research and Innovation, the Advanced Sericulture Laboratory, and the Centre for Digital Media and Publication. The Lieutenant Governor described these additions as more than physical infrastructure, calling them a commitment to the region's innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and farming families.

Global Benchmarks, Local Imperatives

Drawing on international examples, L-G Sinha cited a dairy innovation hub in the Netherlands integrating AI-based nutrition and animal health solutions, Israel's data-driven agriculture management, New Zealand's digital push in animal husbandry, and a Brazilian irrigation startup that scaled a farmer's everyday problem into a commercial solution. He used these cases to underline that agriculture and allied sectors represent the next major frontier for global innovation.

However, he cautioned against blind replication. 'Today, there are startups worldwide continuously exploring new possibilities in agriculture and allied sectors. The biggest message from these startups and innovations is that agriculture and allied sectors themselves are the next big frontier for innovation. You must understand your own fields, farmers, climate, and local problems to prepare your next solution, and customise those models in your own way wherever appropriate. I believe that different countries have innovated for their own problems, and now it is time for Jammu and Kashmir to innovate for its own questions and challenges,' he said.

Entrepreneurship and Women's Leadership

The Lieutenant Governor observed that youth in Jammu and Kashmir are increasingly aspiring to create employment rather than seek it — a shift he said is central to the vision of a Self-Reliant Jammu and Kashmir. He urged students to treat their degrees not as destinations but as runways, with curiosity, courage, and consistent effort converting ideas into enterprises that eventually employ others.

He placed particular emphasis on women's participation, saying no entrepreneurship revolution can be complete without equal and active involvement of women. 'I do not just want to see women present in enterprises; I want to see enterprises led by women,' he said, calling on students to support Self-Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations that gain equal access to finance, technology, and markets.

SKUAST's Startup Record and Road Ahead

SKUAST-Jammu has so far selected more than 150 students for idea incubation and supported 56 startups, extending outreach to remote parts of the Jammu region. The Lieutenant Governor called this a commendable beginning but urged the university to scale these numbers and become a genuine bridge between laboratories and markets, scientists and farmers, and technology and ground-level needs.

He also encouraged young farmers to diversify beyond traditional cultivation into cold chains, grading and packaging units, regional branding, and digital marketplaces capable of connecting Jammu and Kashmir's produce with consumers in Delhi, Dubai, and beyond. Eight startups, Farmer Producer Organisations, and cooperative and rural enterprises were felicitated at the event. Four publications were released, including a policy document on medicinal and aromatic plants in Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior officials present included Shailendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department; Prof. B.N. Tripathi, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu; Dr Amrish Vaid, Director Extension; and Dr Anil Kumar, Registrar, along with faculty, scientists, entrepreneurs, and representatives of startups, FPOs, and cooperatives. As the Startup Outreach Programme takes root in Jammu's villages, the coming months will test whether SKUAST-Jammu can convert its early incubation pipeline into enterprises that measurably improve farming livelihoods.