SRINAGAR: Member, NITI Aayog, Dr. M. Srinivas visited the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Srinagar, on Friday and reviewed the institute’s work in scientific research, innovation, entrepreneurship and societal initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir.
Accompanying Dr. Srinivas were Shri Subhash Chandra Meena, Economic Adviser, NITI Aayog; Dr. Muniraju S.B., Deputy Adviser, NITI Aayog; and Sumaya Yousuf, Program Lead, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
The dignitaries interacted with scientists, scholars, officials and startups and reviewed various science-led initiatives being undertaken by CSIR-IIIM and its innovation ecosystem.
During the visit, Dr. Srinivas also visited the AIC-IIIM Bioinnovation Foundation, the Atal Incubation Centre at CSIR-IIIM’s Srinagar Branch, and reviewed its incubation and entrepreneurship activities.
The AIC-IIIM ecosystem is aimed at supporting innovators and startups by providing incubation, mentorship, institutional support and opportunities for technology development and enterprise creation.
The Centre has been supporting initiatives in areas including value addition of essential oils, medicinal mushrooms, fermentation-based products and other natural-resource-based enterprises, with a focus on encouraging local entrepreneurship and generating livelihood opportunities.
Speaking about CSIR-IIIM, Dr. Srinivas said he was impressed by the work being carried out by the institute and the wide range of research areas being pursued by its scientists and young researchers.
He noted that the institute was not only working in its core areas of phytochemicals, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic plants, but was also pursuing research with potential applications in areas such as pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders, tuberculosis and healthcare.
Dr. Srinivas also highlighted the critical challenges involved in translating research on phytochemicals and medicinal plants into safe, effective and commercially viable products.
He emphasised the need for stronger scientific validation, collaboration with clinicians and other stakeholders, and a clear pathway from basic research and toxicity studies to clinical applications and eventual commercialisation.
Dr. Srinivas said CSIR-IIIM was playing an important role in bridging the gap between basic science and its application for patient care, longevity and wider societal benefit.
He said the institute had significant potential and called for greater efforts to connect its research programmes with leading scientific and research institutions across the country and internationally.
Emphasising the importance of translating scientific research into practical outcomes, Dr. Srinivas said basic research must ultimately move towards technology development, commercialisation and wider societal application.
He said the institute was already taking important steps in this direction through its incubation ecosystem and added that NITI Aayog would facilitate greater connectivity and collaboration wherever required.
Dr. Srinivas noted that the existing incubation facilities at the institute provided an opportunity for young innovators and entrepreneurs to develop their ideas with mentorship and institutional support and translate them into ventures with wider social impact.
Dr. Srinivas also interacted with startups incubated at AIC-IIIM and reviewed their work in areas including wellness, medicines, healthcare and other emerging applications.
He appreciated the efforts of young entrepreneurs in translating scientific ideas into innovative products and solutions and encouraged them to further strengthen their research, technology and market linkages.
During his interaction with scholars and young researchers, Dr. Srinivas encouraged them to make the best use of the scientific ecosystem and opportunities available at CSIR-IIIM.
He said researchers working in areas such as agriculture, phytochemicals, nutraceuticals, medicinal and aromatic plants had access to a unique range of opportunities and should recognise the importance of their work.
He urged young scientists not to limit their focus to publications, citation indices and conventional academic parameters alone, but also consider the wider social impact of their research.
Dr. Srinivas said researchers should examine how their scientific work could contribute to solving real-world problems, improving healthcare, addressing societal challenges and benefiting humanity.
He emphasised the importance of collaboration between basic scientists, clinicians and other stakeholders to ensure that scientific discoveries move towards practical applications.
Highlighting CSIR-IIIM’s work in biodiversity and plant sciences, he said the institute’s activities in areas such as gene banking, conservation of endangered plants, phytochemicals and nutraceuticals were of immense importance.
He said conserving biodiversity and studying plant resources could have significant long-term value, as scientific knowledge about plants and their potential applications continues to evolve.
Dr. Srinivas also encouraged scholars to strive for international standards in research and make full use of the facilities, mentorship and scientific ecosystem available at the institute.
He said young researchers should continue to upgrade their skills and pursue higher levels of scientific excellence, noting that the opportunities available to them could help them contribute meaningfully at national and global levels.
Welcoming Dr. Srinivas, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, Director, CSIR-NBRI Lucknow and Chairman, AIC-IIIM, outlined the institute’s work in research, technology development and societal outreach.
He highlighted CSIR-IIIM’s efforts to translate scientific research into technologies and applications, while strengthening the link between research and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed also apprised Dr. Srinivas of some of the critical challenges being faced by the institute in advancing research on cannabis and other phytochemical-based interventions.
He highlighted the need for timely research permissions as well as the availability of adequate scheduled facilities in India for phytopharmaceutical drug manufacturing, which can pose challenges in taking promising research outcomes towards clinical translation and commercialisation.
Responding to the issues raised, Dr. Srinivas assured that the challenges related to science, technology and innovation would be examined and addressed at the appropriate level.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed said addressing these challenges would be important for strengthening the science, technology and innovation ecosystem and facilitating the translation of research into practical applications.
He said the institute has been working to ensure that scientific knowledge generated through its research programmes reaches the field and contributes to addressing local needs and creating opportunities for communities.
He also underlined the importance of developing an integrated ecosystem in which research, innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship work together, enabling promising scientific ideas to progress towards practical applications and commercial opportunities.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed highlighted the entrepreneurship ecosystem developed around CSIR-IIIM, including TBI-IIIM, AIC-IIIM and the Industrial Biotechnology Parks (IBTPs), aimed at providing a pathway for scientific ideas to move towards incubation, technology development and commercialisation.
He said these platforms provide an important interface between scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs and industry, helping strengthen the process of taking research outcomes from the laboratory to the market.
He further highlighted the institute’s focus on societal initiatives, particularly those that connect scientific interventions with agriculture and livelihood opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said programmes in areas such as floriculture and aromatic crops demonstrate the institute’s approach of combining scientific expertise with field-level requirements and value-addition opportunities.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed also emphasised the need for continued collaboration among scientific institutions, government agencies, industry and entrepreneurs to build a stronger innovation ecosystem and ensure that the benefits of scientific research reach society.
Dr. Saurabh Saran, Scientist-F, Fermentation and Microbial Biotechnology Division and Principal Investigator, IIIM-Technology Business Incubator, gave a presentation on the Technology Business Incubator (TBI-IIIM) and highlighted its role in supporting innovators, startups and entrepreneurs in translating scientific ideas and technologies into viable enterprises.
Giving an overview of the Floriculture Mission, Dr. Shahid Rasool, Scientist-E, CSIR-IIIM, highlighted the institute’s efforts to promote floriculture through scientific interventions and support.
He said the initiative was aimed at encouraging farmers to explore commercially viable opportunities while improving cultivation practices, productivity and the scope for value addition.
He also highlighted the importance of taking scientific knowledge and research-based interventions to the field to support farming communities.
The institute’s work under the Aroma Mission was subsequently highlighted by Dr. Suphla Gupta, Scientist-F, CSIR-IIIM.
She said the initiative was focused on promoting aromatic crops and supporting farmers with technologies related to cultivation, processing and value addition.
She highlighted the potential of the sector to create opportunities beyond cultivation, including essential-oil production and other value-added activities.
She also stressed the importance of stronger linkages between farmers, scientists, technology providers and entrepreneurs for developing a sustainable aromatic-crop value chain.
The formal programme concluded with the felicitation of guests, followed by a vote of thanks presented by Dr. Shahid Jibran, CEO, AIC-IIIM.
