Commr Secy ST&IC, Director CSIR-IIIM hold joint review of Biotech Parks; strategize future collaborations

Jammu: Commissioner Secretary, Science and Technology Department, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Monday convened a review meeting of Industrial Biotech Park, Ghatti, Kathua, held at CSIR-IIIM, Jammu.
Director, CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, was present in the meeting among other senior officials.
The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the future roadmap for operationalisation of Industrial Biotech Parks.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed presented an overview of the Biotech Parks, infrastructure and ongoing activities. He highlighted that IBTP houses specialised facilities including fermentation units, phytopharma extraction systems, plant tissue culture laboratories, quality testing and analytical labs besides pilot-scale processing units. These facilities are enabling startups and researchers to carry out product development, validation and scale-up under scientific guidance.
He noted that the IIIM-Technology Business Incubator (BioNEST) at the park is actively mentoring startups and providing them with laboratory access, workspace and technical handholding. Several startups, including women-led enterprises and agri-biotech ventures, are currently registered and utilising the facilities for developing biotech-based products.
Commissioner Secretary stressed the importance of building strong public-private partnerships to ensure higher investment and better market linkages. He called for a structured operational framework with defined timelines, monitoring mechanisms and convergence with government schemes to maximise the park’s impact. He also emphasised outreach to youth, farmers and entrepreneurs from across districts so that the benefits of biotechnology reach grassroots levels. Skill development and entrepreneurship were identified as key pillars for making the biotech park economically relevant.
Dr. Shahid Iqbal underscored the active participation from CSIR-IIIM and JK ST & IC team to make these facilities fully functional.
Earlier, Dr. Saurabh Saran, Senior Principal Scientist, Fermentation and Microbial Biotechnology Division and Principal Investigator, IIIM-Technology Business Incubator (BioNEST), gave a detailed presentation on incubation and soft initiatives taken by CSIR-IIIM at Industrial Biotech Park, Ghatti, Kathua.
Dr. Saran also explained that the incubator provides end-to-end support to start-ups right from idea incubation to product development. He noted that more than 10 startups from J&K, Punjab and neighbouring regions have shown interest in incubation, with several women-led and agri-biotech ventures already utilising the facilities. Office space, laboratory access and technical mentoring are being extended to incubated startups.
The review brought together senior scientists, technical experts, JKSTIC officials and incubation managers to assess infrastructure readiness, startup engagement, skill development programmes and long-term sustainability of the biotech ecosystem being built in the region. The discussion focused on optimising the use of existing facilities, strengthening startup support systems and accelerating industry partnerships.
During the meeting, discussions on financial planning, equipment utilisation, industry collaborations and phased expansion of facilities.
The officials explored ways to attract private investment through cluster-based incentives and startup-friendly policies. Following the meeting, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary visited the fermentation facility of CSIR-IIIM Jammu. He interacted with the students undergoing Yuva Kaushal Karyashala 3.0, a programme focused on practical and sustainability-driven fermentation science.
The meeting concluded with a consensus on preparing a time-bound action plan to scale up incubation, enhance industry linkages and position IBTP Kathua as a catalyst for biotechnology-driven innovation, employment and bio-economy growth in Jammu and Kashmir.
During the meeting, various senior officers including Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed, Additional Director, Dr. Bilal Ahmed Dar, Joint Director, Chaman Lal, Deputy Director Planning, Ishtiqa Choudhary, Accounts Officer from the Science and Technology Department and Er. Abdul Rahim, Chief Scientist, Kaushal Kumar, Controller of Administration, Zahoor Ahmed Wani Finance and Accounts Officer, Er. Ashwani Chopra, CSIR-IIIM and Dr. Ashutosh Singh, CEO, BioNEST Incubator IBTP, were present.