Excelsior Correspondent
BANDIPORA, Sept 2: A Business Plan Ideathon and workshop organized by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, was held here today.
The event was organized under the leadership of Prof. B.S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, and the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce (DICCI).
The function was inaugurated by Manzoor Ahmad Qadri, Deputy Commissioner/District Development Commissioner, in the presence of Javid Iqbal, Principal of Government Polytechnic College, Bandipora. Asim Khan, scientist, was the Guest of Honour.
Speaking on the occasion, Manzoor Ahmad Qadri emphasized the critical role of skilling, effective marketing of these skills, and the contribution of SBDUs toward self-employment.
He highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between skill development and market needs.
The session began with an introduction to the SBDU program and the Ideathon by Ishfaq, Coordinator, SBDU Bandipora.
Dr. Vivek Sharma, Chief Innovation Officer at IIM Jammu, discussed the innovation and incubation support provided by the IIM Jammu Incubation Centre (DST-i-TBI) at the Jagti (Jammu) campus and the ThinkIn incubator at Nowgam (Srinagar), off-campus.
Naren Karunankarn, Consultant, SBDU, shared insights on the SBDU program, while Dr. Shahid Jibran, Project Manager – SBDU, provided information on SBDUs and growing business opportunities in J&K.
SBDUs established by IIM Jammu aims to provide a platform for young entrepreneurs and innovators to refine their business ideas and address real-world problems.
The event saw enthusiastic participation from across North Kashmir and the presence of dignitaries from various colleges.
The event provided a unique platform for participants to showcase their ideas, receive expert feedback and explore opportunities for further capacity building and business incubation.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Rukhsana Bashir, SBDU Incharge Bandipora.