SRINAGAR: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir’s Innovation, Incubation Entrepreneurship (SKIIE) Centre has been recognised as ‘Incubator of the Year’ by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir at the Annual Startup Mela held in Jammu on Wednesday.
The award was presented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the presence of Advisor to the Chief Minister with Cabinet Minister status Nasir Aslam Sogami, Commissioner Secretary Industries and Commerce Vikramjit Singh, Secretary Industries, Director JKEDI, and other senior officials and dignitaries. The event was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) under the Industries and Commerce Department.
The recognition followed a rigorous evaluation by a government-appointed committee that assessed incubation centres across the Union Territory on parameters including innovation output, patents, startup performance, sustainability, governance, mentorship, industry linkages and overall impact. The committee cited the SKIIE Centre for its focused support to disruptive startups, particularly in agri-tech, artificial intelligence, deep-tech, food processing, biotechnology and rural enterprise sectors, as well as for its strong mentor network and facilitation of market and investment access.
The award was received by SKIIE Centre Chief Executive Officer Naveed Hamid. It includes a Certificate of Excellence, Rs 50,000 as award money, and a Rs 50 lakh capital seed fund to strengthen incubation activities at the Centre.
In a parallel boost to the university’s startup ecosystem, four startups mentored and incubated at SKUAST-K were sanctioned seed grants of Rs 20 lakh each, amounting to Rs 80 lakh. The startups are M/s Cashmircarbozone Pvt. Ltd. founded by Owais Al Wani; M/s Alhamdan Crafts Pvt. Ltd. founded by Tahir Kalwal; M/s Safavi Organics LLP founded by Syed Saqib; and M/s Innxu Innotech founded by Sheikh Zubair. The grants are aimed at supporting product development, validation and early market entry.
Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai congratulated the SKIIE team, describing the award as recognition of the collective efforts of the incubation team, faculty mentors and student innovators. He said the Centre serves as a platform for young innovators and startups and urged the team to leverage the recognition for national and global visibility. He also congratulated Prof Haroon R Naik, Director Planning and Monitoring/Research, and CEO SKIIE Centre Naveed Hamid and his team.
Prof Haroon Rashid Naik expressed gratitude for the recognition and said it reflected the credibility and impact of the university’s incubation efforts, reaffirming SKUAST-K’s commitment to expanding support services and strengthening partnerships to enable startups to scale.
The government recognition further consolidates SKUAST-K’s position in innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture and allied sectors. The SKIIE Centre said it plans to utilise the award and seed support to scale incubation capacity, strengthen industry collaborations and expand outreach across Jammu and Kashmir, with a focus on developing and scaling solutions to regional agricultural and rural challenges in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
