STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The IIIM-BioNEST Bio-Incubation Centre, under CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) Jammu, in collaboration with its key ecosystem partner, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT, GoI, organized the Global Bio-India Road Show – 2024.
The event, held at the IIIM campus, was presided over by Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM Jammu and Chairman of BioNEST Bio-Incubation Centre, with Dr. Madhavi Rao, Chief Manager of National Biopharma Mission at BIRAC, serving as the Guest of Honour.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed emphasized the importance of fostering innovation and entrepreneurial development in Jammu & Kashmir.
He highlighted how CSIR-IIIM is actively promoting the startup ecosystem through initiatives like roadshows, hackathons, and city camps, which aim to raise awareness and support local entrepreneurs.
Dr. Madhavi Rao elaborated on BIRAC’s initiatives, including the organization of the Global Bio-India Road Show across 75 BioNEST Incubators nationwide.
This road show is a precursor to the Global Bio-India event scheduled for September 12-14, 2024, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The mega event will feature over 5,000 delegates and 500+ exhibitors from around the world, aiming to connect the Indian biotechnology ecosystem with international players.
Dr. Saurabh Saran, Principal Investigator at IIIM-TBI, welcomed attendees and provided an overview of the roadshow. He outlined the efforts of the IIIM incubator in supporting J&K’s startup ecosystem and highlighted the upcoming Global Bio-India event as a significant opportunity for regional startups.
The road show included a technical session where promising startups from the IIIM-BioNEST Incubator presented their success stories. Dr. Sameer Varma of Adoptive Biotech Pvt Ltd, Er. Aditya Sumbria of Pahadi Amrut, and Dr. Vinod Wanchoo of Jagriti Products shared their experiences. Er. Ankush Varma, Coordinator of IIIM-TBI, discussed the role of the BioNEST Incubator in nurturing the biotech startup ecosystem in J&K.
The event was attended by over 100 participants, including 60 students from Government Gandhi Memorial Science College, Jammu. Er. Abdul Rahim, Vice Chairman of BioNEST Bio-Incubation Centre, supervised the event, which concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Deepika Singh, Principal Scientist and Head of QMI Division. The roadshow aimed to empower local youth with knowledge and resources, contributing significantly to the Startup India initiative in the region. Prominent among others who attended the inaugural session were Dr. Asha Chaubey, Dr. Sumit G Gandhi, Dr. Dhiraj Vyas & Dr. Naveen Qazi, all Sr. Pr. Scientist from CSIR-IIIM. Er. Ankush Varma, Coordinator, IIIM-TBI conducted the proceedings.