New Delhi: While addressing the first of its kind programme on ‘Industry participation in Startups’ organized by various Industry organisations of Jammu to promote local StartUps, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is poised to lead the world's StartUp ecosystem but regretted that Jammu & Kashmir is lagging behind.

He said, ever since PM Modi had announced "StartUp India, StandUp India" from the ramparts of Red Fort in his Independence Day address of 2015, it picked up in a big way in across the country, but for certain reasons did not receive the same impetus in J&K even though things have begun to change after the new arrangement was introduced over here from 5-6 August 2019.

The Union Minister said, India with its vast unexplored potential and immense innovation, is destined for a frontline role in the world and emphasised sustainable StartUps for sustainable future growth. For this, he stressed the need for wider integration and for industry and government to work as equal partners. He said, the demarcation between the public sector and private sector is fast becoming extinct and it has to be a partnership based on equal respect, equal stakes, equal participation, and equal investment.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, greater integration and synergy among industry, Government departments, academia, and independent institutions was crucial to creating an enabling environment for the growth of startups. He added that sustainable Startups would sustain the future economy of India and give it global visibility in the years to come.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after taking oath as Prime minister said that minimum Government maximum Governance would be the basic principle for delivering governance to the people. PM, Modi also said ‘government had no business to be in business and that the Government intends to create an enabling environment for various kinds of industries to flourish, he added.

True to this spirit the Government launched the Start-Up India and Stand-Up India Initiative that spread a movement from Metros to various States and UTs. He added that due to this initiative the number of Start-ups in India has increased from 1100 in 2014 to 40,000 today, a huge jump, said the Minister

While talking about the pace of increasing Start-ups in the country Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Startup movement in Jammu and Kashmir has been slower compared to the rest of India due to various reasons, but now its impact can be seen through various agri-based startups, Purple Revolution and through startups in other fields like Pharma, etc. The Minister said that youth from various parts of the UT were voluntarily giving up govt and corporate jobs to start their own ventures thereby increasing their income manifold.

While addressing the audience Dr. Jitendra Singh said that repeated references to ‘Startups’ in many of PM’s speeches at regional, national and international stages is the declaration of the intent of the Government and the priority it attaches to startups.

While laying special emphasis on science-based startups the Minister said that science has today entered every household and every individual’s life. He said that Science-based startups are the future of the national and global economy. He added that there was no necessary correlation between the growth of startups and literacy rates and that science-based startups will grow regardless of the literacy rates. He further said that Indians have a scientific temper that can be instrumental in furthering the startup movement in the country and that this capability only needs to be channelized in the right direction through greater awareness and change in the mindsets of various stakeholders.

While elaborating on the need for Industry in the sustainable growth of Startups Dr. Jitendra said that Industry needs to be partners with equal stakes and equal investment in the movement. He said that any partnership with the industry has to be meaningful and not just cosmetic that should include support, research, funding, training, hunting for ideas, and taking up larger responsibility. He said that this was also a part of Social responsibility and provides the industrialists an opportunity to play a major role in Nation Building.

While talking about the challenge of creating sustainable start-ups Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the start-ups need to be linked to livelihood. He said that Science-based sectors, non-science sectors, and academic institutions need to work together to link start-ups with livelihood. This he said could be done by exploring the unexplored local industry. He gave various examples of such local industries as Lavender in Doda, Bamboo- clusters being developed in Samba, Kathua, and Reasi, a Tele-medicine initiative called ‘Doctor on Wheels’, etc. He added that providing industry and Government support and constant capacity building were other important steps to create links for startups with livelihood.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that promoting Start-up culture in India required a change of mind-set at three levels. Firstly, at the level of Government by considering Industry as an ally as pointed out by PM Narendra Modi. He said that the way in which Space-based startups have grown over the last few years is the best example of how the mindset of the Government is changing were in a short span of time 50 startups have come up based on space technology. Secondly, he said that a change in mindset is needed at the level of Industry by considering the mutual growth of start-ups and the industry /economy as a whole being dependent on each other. Thirdly and most importantly, the liberation of youth from the "Sarkari Naukri" mindset and the change in the mindset of potential start-up initiators was needed that will propel the engine of the startup movement and take it to new heights. This change was possible through rigorous awareness initiatives for boosting entrepreneurial spirit in society that is obsessed with Jobs especially Government Jobs to enable youth to become job creators rather than job seekers.

This change in mindset, he said, can be made possible through the synergy of Industry, Government, and Institutions and through awareness initiatives in form of workshops, capacity building initiatives, brainstorming sessions, and local camps.

The programme was addressed by stalwarts of Industry in J&K and officials of the Technology Development Board, Union Ministry of Science & Technology, and Department of Industries, J&K, including Rajesh Pathak, Anita Gupta, Satish Koul, Lalit Mahajan, and others.