SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the Jammu and Kashmir government is actively exploring collaborative opportunities with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu in sectors including water conservation, industrial innovation, climate adaptation, and green transport.
Speaking at the valedictory function of Summer School: 2025 at IIT Jammu, the Chief Minister formally welcomed the institute’s proposals on tourism interventions and green mobility solutions. He said the government remains committed to creating a venture funding framework to support innovation and emphasised the credibility IIT Jammu brings to project development.
The month-long programme, which concluded today, brought together over a thousand students from across the country. Abdullah hailed IIT Jammu as a “hub of talent” and said such initiatives must prioritise inclusive participation, particularly for students from Jammu and Kashmir, enabling them to translate ideas into real-world action.
Addressing the audience, Abdullah reflected on the region’s resilience. “The unfortunate incident earlier this year is behind us now. Our focus is to hand over a better, more empowered Jammu and Kashmir to this generation,” he said, urging youth to create opportunities from adversity.
Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, who also attended the event, called IIT Jammu a landmark institution and stressed the need for innovation-driven development in tourism and hospitality. “Tourism is our unique strength, and we must continue to build on it through training, innovation and infrastructure,” Wani said.
The summer school, organised under IIT Jammu’s innovation ecosystem, recorded participation from students representing over 25 states and union territories. Notably, 319 of the participants were from Jammu and Kashmir, reflecting growing local interest in technical education and upskilling.
Students engaged in structured modules covering emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Full Stack Web Development, Internet of Things (IoT), Data Science and Additive Manufacturing. Each stream offered over 40 hours of immersive learning, including lectures, industry interactions, and hands-on mentoring.
The programme also saw contributions from researchers, faculty members and alumni-led startups, who supported its delivery under the institution’s innovation and outreach efforts.
Senior officials including Director IIT Jammu Dr Manoj Gaur, Board of Governors’ Chairman Sharad Kumar Saraf, Chief Innovation Officer Prof MT Arvind, and Dr Navneet were present on the occasion, along with faculty and participating students.
