JAMMU: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Information Technology, and Transport, Satish Sharma, today inaugurated a major Stakeholders Meet on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) at IIT Jammu.

The event, jointly organized by the Northern Region S&T Cluster (PI-RAHI) and the Jammu & Kashmir Science, Technology & Innovation Council (JKSTIC), brought together the leading voices from academia, government, industry and the startup ecosystem to strengthen J&K's innovation landscape.

On the occasion, the Minister launched three ambitious initiatives aimed at catalyzing innovation and research in the Union Territory which included GINI, Grassroot Innovators of Northern India, Innovation Ambassadors Program and SPARK-J&K - Strategic Program for Accelerating Research and Knowledge, J&K

Satish Sharma underscored the importance of innovation in governance and sustainable development. "Science and technology are integral to the progress and prosperity of any society. The government of Jammu & Kashmir is fully committed to create an enabling ecosystem that supports innovators, startups and researchers at every level," he stated.

Highlighting the integration of technology into public service delivery, Sharma pointed out the synergy between science, IT and citizen welfare, especially in sectors like agriculture, health, food security and transport. He stressed that such platforms are critical to build evidence-based policy, sustainable industries and a future-ready workforce.

Scientific Secretary to the Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India, Dr Parvinder Maini, applauded the growing STI capabilities of the region and called for deeper collaboration among stakeholders.

Technical sessions were held on diverse topics such as AI in governance, waste-to-wealth initiatives, agri-tech and sustainable tourism.

Senior officials including Dr. Nasir Shah (Additional Director, JKSTIC) and Dr. Jatinder Kaur Arora (Advisor, PI-RAHI) spoke on the transformative role of science and innovation in regional development.

Faculty from IIT Jammu, SMVDU, SKUAST-K along with industry experts and policymakers, participated in the deliberations, reaffirming their collective commitment towards advancing J&K's STI mission.