Kathua to lead biotech StartUp driven economic growth of North India: Dr Jitendra

STATE TIMES NEWS

KATHUA: In a landmark step toward promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the biotechnology sector, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, and Vice President CSIR, Dr. Jitendra Singh, today inaugurated North India’s first BioNEST Incubator at the Industrial Biotechnology Park, Ghatti, Kathua. The event, Bioinnovation Connect @ Kathua, was organised by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu and witnessed a large gathering of scientists, innovators, industry experts, and students.

Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Jitendra Singh described the occasion as “a historic day for Kathua and the entire Jammu region”, marking the beginning of a new era of scientific enterprise, self-reliance, and economic growth. He said that the BioNEST Incubator will offer a unique platform for the youth to transform innovative ideas into viable business ventures. The facility aims to nurture startups in biotechnology, agriculture, healthcare, and allied sectors, ultimately strengthening the local economy.
Dr. Singh highlighted that when the concept of biotech incubation began in 2014, India had only ten such centres. The Kathua Biotech Park became the 11th, with its foundation laid in 2014-15. After its formal inauguration in 2022, the government’s focus shifted toward making the facility fully functional through the creation of a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem. The newly launched BioNEST (Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies) will play a key role in providing infrastructure, mentorship, and technology support to budding entrepreneurs.
The Minister informed that the Kathua facility will be capable of incubating 25 startups annually, helping India’s growing network of more than 11,000 biotech startups. With advanced facilities for distillation, fermentation, plant tissue culture, enzyme production, and genetic process platforms, the centre will enable youth to explore opportunities in biotechnology and agri-entrepreneurship.
Dr. Singh emphasized that Kathua’s strategic location, strong connectivity, and rich biodiversity make it ideally suited to become a biotechnology hub in North India. He urged young innovators to utilize schemes such as Mudra Yojana for collateral-free loans and to take advantage of opportunities offered under the National Education Policy (NEP) for interdisciplinary learning. He encouraged students to evolve from being job seekers to job creators.
Appreciating the efforts of CSIR-IIIM Jammu, the Department of Biotechnology, and BIRAC, Dr. Singh praised their collaboration in establishing the facility. He said such partnerships exemplify “the spirit of cooperative federalism” and demonstrate the government’s commitment to fostering research-based growth.
Earlier, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, briefed about the park’s facilities, including phytopharma drug extraction, micro-propagation, and central instrumentation units. He informed that six startups have already been enrolled and will receive incubation and training support.
The event also featured an Innovation Showcase Walkthrough, Startup and Investor Interactions, Industry-Farmer Interface, and signing of MoUs with academic and industrial partners, marking a new milestone in transforming Kathua into North India’s biotechnology innovation hub.