Kathua, Jan 5 (KNN) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated a Mega Expo on "Emerging Start-up Trends in North India" in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir.

The event took place in the presence of Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh.

The Start-up Expo was a collaborative effort by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu.

Innovations were presented by 25 start-ups from North India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Delhi in the Mega Expo.

Following the inauguration, the Vice President toured various stalls set up by the start-ups.

Dhankar engaged with a distinguished gathering comprising traders, academicians, technocrats, and members of civil society.

The expo featured start-ups showcasing their products, prototypes, and services, offering attendees hands-on experiences with cutting-edge technologies.

During the event, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India's emergence as a global leader in biotechnology.

He emphasised that Kathua, with North India's first Biotech Industrial Park, is evolving into the start-up nerve centre of North India.

Dr. Singh noted the rapid growth of the biotech ecosystem in the country, citing over 6500 start-ups and 75 bio-incubators established by DBT and BIRAC.

(KNN Bureau)