CII J&K, IIT Jammu Discuss Partnership to Drive Innovation, Robotics, and Startup Growth in the Region

CII J&K Startup Panel Explores Collaboration Opportunities with IIT Jammu to Boost Innovation and Startup Ecosystem in J&K A delegation from the CII J&K Startup Panel, led by Convener Shivang Mahajan along with members Ayush Sawhney and Abhishek Sachdeva, recently visited IIT Jammu to explore avenues for strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. The team held discussions with Lakhvinder Singh, In-charge of the Centre of Essential Skills at IIT Jammu, and Akash Sharma, Manager at IC3 IIT Jammu, to learn more about the institute’s startup support ecosystem — particularly in cutting-edge fields such as robotics, 3D printing, and automation. The discussions focused on building stronger industry-academia partnerships to accelerate startup growth in Jammu & Kashmir. Following the meeting, IIT faculty and students gave the CII delegation a guided tour of their state-of-the-art facilities, including the robotics and 3D printing labs. The delegation witnessed live demonstrations of drones under development and gained valuable insights into the latest research projects and student-led innovations at the center. IIT faculty expressed strong interest in entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and formal collaborations with CII J&K. They also proposed engaging CII’s industry experts to mentor IIT-led startups and shared their willingness to design specialized management and executive development programs tailored for CII members. This visit marks a significant step toward aligning academic expertise with industry needs to drive technological advancement in Jammu & Kashmir. Both CII and IIT Jammu remain committed to supporting startups through mentorship, access to infrastructure, and funding — laying the groundwork for a vibrant and robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region.