North India's First Industrial Biotech Park in Kathua Moves Closer to Full Operations with CSIR-IIIM, JKST&IC MoU

The Industrial Biotechnology Parks Society and JKST&IC will provide financial support of INR 15 Cr over three years for implementation.

North India's first Industrial Biotech Park at Ghatti, Kathua, has moved closer to becoming a major biotechnology and innovation hub after CSIR-IIIM and JKST&IC signed an MoU to operationalise and manage the facility.

The initiative has been positioned to strengthen research, entrepreneurship, startup incubation and biotechnology-led industrial development across Jammu & Kashmir.

The MoU between the Jammu & Kashmir Science, Technology & Innovation Council (JKST&IC) and the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, formally hands over the responsibility of operating the park to CSIR-IIIM.

Under the agreement, the institute will serve as the Project Management Unit, overseeing scientific infrastructure, incubation programmes, operational management, capacity-building initiatives and governance of the facility.

The Industrial Biotechnology Parks Society and JKST&IC will provide financial support of INR 15 Cr over three years for implementation.

Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy of India, Dr Jitendra Singh, expressed confidence that the Industrial Biotech Park at Ghatti, Kathua, will create many more success stories in the years ahead by empowering researchers, startups, farmers and entrepreneurs while establishing Jammu & Kashmir as a leading biotechnology and innovation hub in the country.

Designed as North India's first Industrial Biotech Park, the campus supports technology incubation, training programmes and skill development aimed at creating a biotechnology-ready workforce.

The facility already hosts a BIRAC BioNEST Incubator that supports 15 biotechnology startups, while CSIR-IIIM conducts job-oriented training programmes for young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Priority areas include healthcare biotechnology, nutraceuticals, agricultural biotechnology, botanical extracts and process biotechnology.

Officials said the partnership is expected to accelerate technology transfer, expand innovation programmes and strengthen collaboration between academia, government and industry.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News