 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 26: The School of Biotechnology (SBT), University of Jammu, organized a one-day interactive workshop on "Entrepreneurship and Commercialization via RAHI (Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovations)", at the University of Jammu. The workshop aimed to provide participants with an understanding of emerging opportunities in biotechnology, with particular emphasis on innovation, startups, entrepreneurship and the translation of biotechnological research for societal development.
The programme commenced with the welcome address by Prof. Madhulika Bhagat, Director, School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, followed by an interactive session by the Chief Guest, Prof. Rajat Sandhi, Director, PI (PU-IIT Ropar)-RAHI North Cluster. Prof. Sandhi explained the role of PI-RAHI in connecting institutions, academia and entrepreneurs, besides providing mentorship, financial support and guidance for establishing startups. He motivated the students to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems and explained the important features of startups and the Startup/Business Model Canvas. He also apprised the participants about various government schemes and initiatives, including SISFS, NIDHI, AIM, PI-RAHI, IGNITE and SPARKS, and discussed emerging startups across different states and cities.
The second talk was delivered by Ms. Neha Arora, Chief Operating Officer, PI-RAHI, who emphasized the role of accelerators in strengthening the startup ecosystem. She highlighted the growing startup culture in North India and discussed various myths and realities associated with startups. Ms. Arora also explained the criteria used by investors to evaluate startups, including innovation, market potential, scalability and business viability. She further emphasized that lack of adequate focus on marketing and market outreach is one of the major reasons for startup failure. Her session provided valuable insights and practical guidance to the participants aspiring to pursue entrepreneurship.
The workshop was also attended by Vikrant Dogra, Chairman, Unati Agri Allied and Marketing Multistate Cooperative Society Limited (UAMMCL), who interacted with students, researchers, faculty members and aspiring entrepreneurs and provided insights into the evolving startup ecosystem, innovation opportunities and entrepreneurial pathways.
The programme concluded with an emphasis on strengthening the interface between biotechnology research, innovation, entrepreneurship and societal development, while encouraging participants to explore opportunities for translating scientific knowledge into socially relevant and entrepreneurial ventures.
The programme was attended by distinguished faculty members of the School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, including Prof. B.K. Bajaj, Prof. Sanjana Kaul, Dr. Ritu Mahajan, Dr. Ankit Mahajan, Dr. Sheetal Ambardar and Dr. Bharathiraja. The event was coordinated by Dr. Nisha Kapoor, Dr. Yash Paul Khajuria and Kamaldeep Kour. |
