Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Director Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) on Monday flagged off a batch of aspiring female entrepreneurs undergoing the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) under Tejaswini scheme at the Institute’s Pampore campus on a visit to the Centre for Excellence-Zawoora, Department of Horticulture Canning Centre, and other industrial establishments as part of an exposure and training program.
The objective of the visit was to take the trainees beyond the boundaries of theory-based teaching to the on-site industry-based practical demonstration of different operations like production, processing, preservation, branding, quality check and more. This visit will expose the trainees to an entrepreneurship learning ecosystem & industry establishment.
The Director also interacted with the candidates and congratulated them for taking a timely decision to embrace entrepreneurship as a viable career option. “I want young people in UT to take full advantage of the Government’s schemes and initiatives. This will empower them and in turn will be beneficial for J&K. The youth have a huge responsibility to ensure peace, prosperity, and unity of the nation. The UT can achieve true prosperity when more women participate in entrepreneurship, as envisioned by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Shri Manoj Sinha,” said Ajaz Ahmad Bhat. He added that in future, such visits will be organized in every district of J&K.
The trainees visited various industrial units at Industrial estate Khanmoh, Horticulture nurseries, Food processing units among others in order to get the first hand experience on the functioning of industries and the opportunities associated with the various focus sectors of the UT of J&K.
Through the Tejaswini Scheme of Mission Youth, a Government of Jammu and Kashmir initiative, women of Jammu and Kashmir are empowered to enter the business world as entrepreneurs. Till now, JKEDI has trained and facilitated more than 1300 female candidates. The training programs are conducted in all the districts of the UT to ensure maximum participation and ease of attending the training program. Shahid Iqbal Chowdhary, CEO of Mission Youth, has visited the Institute many times and interacted with candidates. The Institute has received his full support in organizing training programs for female candidates across J&K.
A team of faculty members and officers from JKEDI accompanied the trainees on the visit. They included Arif Ahmad Khan, Communication Officer, Ansar Ullah Machloo, District Nodal Officer, Pulwama, Shabir Hussain Shah, Faculty, and Saba Nazir, Assistant Faculty, among others. Trainees appreciated JKEDI’s efforts in providing them with the opportunity to visit industrial units that will assist them in setting up their own units more effectively.