Dr M Srinivas stresses need to connect J&K institutions with leading national research centres
Calls for breaking administrative silos, improving research commercialisation and sharing best practices
Neelofar Shakeel
Srinagar: NITI Aayog Member Dr M Srinivas on Friday said Jammu and Kashmir was performing well across sectors but had significant scope and potential for further improvement, as he called for greater institutional collaboration, adoption of best practices and faster translation of scientific research into commercial applications.
Srinivas made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a NITI Aayog delegation visited the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Srinagar, where he reviewed the institute’s research, innovation, entrepreneurship and societal outreach initiatives.
“I am extremely happy that Kashmir is doing very well and definitely all sectors are doing well. But there is enough scope and potential for us to do because we need to learn from the best practices of the world and the best practices of India as well. So, there is always scope for people to improve upon,” he said.
Srinivas said the delegation had interacted with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo as part of its assessment of the progress and challenges across various departments.
He said NITI Aayog’s role was also to identify issues faced by departments and determine whether any hurdles were coming from the Centre so that they could be addressed through greater coordination.
“It is a duty of the NITI Aayog that we look into whether there are any issues with the particular department or the particular ministry… Are there any issues with them which are getting hurdles from the Delhi side?” he said.
He said the objective was to “break those silos” and facilitate coordination between institutions and government departments.
Srinivas said NITI Aayog worked on the principles of competitive and cooperative federalism, with the aim of helping states and Union Territories learn from one another and replicate successful practices.
“We are here to bridge that gap between the people, break the silos, bring them on one platform and facilitate and help them,” he said.
A major takeaway from the delegation’s visit, Srinivas said, was the need to connect institutions in Jammu and Kashmir with leading institutions across the country.
He said basic research being undertaken in the Union Territory needed to move towards commercialisation so that its benefits could reach society.
“Some of the basic research which is happening, ultimately they have to take it to commercialisation. It has to reach the mankind,” he said.
During his visit to CSIR-IIIM, Srinivas interacted with scientists, researchers, startups and officials and reviewed various science-led initiatives being undertaken by the institute and its innovation ecosystem.
The delegation included NITI Aayog Economic Adviser Subhash Chandra Meena, Deputy Adviser Dr Muniraju S B and Atal Innovation Mission Programme Lead Sumaya Yousuf.
Srinivas visited the AIC-IIIM Bioinnovation Foundation and Atal Incubation Centre at the institute, where he was briefed on incubation and entrepreneurship activities, including mentorship, institutional support, technology development and assistance being provided to startups and innovators.
He also reviewed research in areas including phytochemicals, medicinal and aromatic plants, floriculture and healthcare-related interventions.
Srinivas stressed the need to strengthen linkages between research, innovation and entrepreneurship and urged researchers and startup founders to focus on technologies and solutions with practical applications.
He also called for stronger partnerships among scientists, clinicians, industry and policymakers to accelerate technology development and commercialisation.
The visit to CSIR-IIIM formed part of the broader assessment undertaken by the NITI Aayog delegation during its engagement with Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, during a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the delegation had highlighted the need to improve educational outcomes and infrastructure, strengthen industry-academia linkages and employment opportunities, and address human-resource and infrastructure gaps in the health sector.
In agriculture and allied sectors, the delegation stressed irrigation, modernisation of horticulture, reduction of post-harvest losses, cold-chain and processing infrastructure, livestock services, value-chain development and stronger market linkages.
For economic growth and employment generation, the delegation suggested sector-specific industrial clusters, strengthening of MSMEs, employment-intensive manufacturing, improved logistics and export infrastructure, green mobility and a stronger innovation and startup ecosystem.
The assessment also covered urban development, with emphasis on water security, sewage treatment, river rejuvenation, implementation of AMRUT 2.0 and PMAY-U, improved urban roads and expansion of public transport.
Tourism was another area reviewed by the delegation, with emphasis on last-mile connectivity, visitor amenities, homestays and the use of Jammu and Kashmir’s infrastructure for MICE and event tourism.
The delegation also highlighted the need for timely completion of connectivity projects, improved water conservation and irrigation infrastructure and greater utilisation of renewable energy potential, particularly decentralised solar energy and PM-Surya Ghar.
The NITI Aayog team presented a comprehensive assessment of Jammu and Kashmir’s development landscape, covering education, skill development and employment, health and nutrition, agriculture and horticulture, industry and MSMEs, urbanisation, tourism, infrastructure connectivity, water resources, renewable energy and power.
During the interaction, LG Sinha shared the development initiatives undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir and said the government of India and the J&K administration were working towards the vision of “Viksit Jammu Kashmir”, with emphasis on infrastructure, public service delivery, employment, investment and inclusive socio-economic development.
Sinha also suggested that NITI Aayog undertake a focused assessment of Dal Lake and identify actionable measures for improving its cleanliness and ensuring its long-term ecological sustainability.
At CSIR-IIIM, Director and CSIR-NBRI Lucknow Director Dr Zabeer Ahmed briefed the delegation about the institute’s research, technology development, incubation and societal outreach programmes.
He highlighted the role of the Technology Business Incubator, AIC-IIIM and Industrial Biotechnology Parks in helping scientific ideas move from laboratories towards the marketplace.
Dr Ahmed also flagged challenges related to research and development in phytopharmaceuticals and plant-based interventions, including the need for timely research permissions and specialised facilities for clinical translation and commercialisation.
Srinivas assured the institute that the issues raised would be examined at the appropriate level.
Presentations on the Technology Business Incubator, Floriculture Mission and Aroma Mission highlighted initiatives aimed at promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, value addition and livelihood generation through science-based interventions.
The NITI Aayog delegation’s visit thus focused on both assessing Jammu and Kashmir’s development progress and identifying areas where institutional coordination, infrastructure, innovation and commercialisation could be strengthened.
Srinivas said the objective was not only to identify gaps but also to facilitate collaboration, share successful practices and help institutions overcome barriers to development.
