Jitendra Singh inaugurates BioNEST Incubator at biotech park in Kathua

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday inaugurated the BioNEST Incubator at North India’s first Industrial Biotech Park in Kathua, describing it as the beginning of a new era of scientific enterprise and economic transformation in the region.

Highlighting the growing strength of India’s biotechnology sector, Singh said that with around 11,000 biotech startups nationwide and 25 new startups being incubated at the Kathua Biotech Park, the region is set to emerge as a hub of innovation and prosperity.

Calling the development a landmark moment, he remarked, “This is a day that Kathua and the entire Jammu region will remember as the beginning of a new era of scientific enterprise and economic transformation.”

Addressing the gathering, Singh noted that the facility would help local youth cultivate a scientific temperament and entrepreneurial mindset. “Earlier, people were not aware of the concept of incubation and biotech parks. After 2014, several such centres came up across India, changing the outlook of the youth. However, this region continued to rely largely on government jobs,” he said.

Recalling the park’s inception, the minister shared, “In 2014, there were only 10 such centres in India. The Kathua Biotech Park became the 11th, and at that time, few could envision the impact it would have on the entire northern region.”

Since the park’s inauguration in 2022, the focus has been on creating a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem. “This effort has now culminated in the establishment of BioNEST (Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies), which will drive technology-based innovation and help startups sustain themselves in the long term,” he added.

The BioNEST Centre will offer state-of-the-art facilities including distillation, fermentation, plant tissue culture, genetic processing, and multiple research platforms, enabling the incubation of 25 startups each year.

Singh described the Industrial Biotech Park, Kathua, as a flagship project of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, implemented by CSIR-IIIM Jammu, and urged the youth and agri-entrepreneurs to make full use of the incubation and training facilities.

Emphasising Kathua’s strategic advantage, he said, “Kathua is one of the best-connected regions in North India. With its abundant natural resources and biodiversity, it is ideally positioned for biotechnology-led growth.”

On the inaugural day, six startups were enrolled, which will now receive training and incubation support at the park. Singh commended the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), and CSIR-IIIM Jammu for their collaborative efforts, calling the initiative a shining example of cooperative federalism between central and state institutions and research organisations.