At CIED, we remain committed to fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem that encourages innovation, collaboration and creativity. This year has been a landmark period for CIED as we have strengthened our partnerships with esteemed national institutes like DST, SIDBI and DPIIT and further expanded our outreach to budding entrepreneurs and innovators of Kashmir. Through our incubation programs, seed  funding initiatives and skill development workshops, we have supported numerous startups across diverse sectors, helping them transform ideas into scalable businesses. The successful launch of key initiatives such as STEM program in collaboration with SIDBI and implementation of SISFS and DST NIDHI schemes has provided crucial support to the technology driven startups.

In this pivotal year, we have not only expanded our programs but also refined our strategic approach to meet the evolving needs of our entrepreneurial community. By integrating feedback from our stakeholders, we have enhanced our incubation processes, making them more tailored and accessible. Our initiatives have emphasized sustainability and social impact, encouraging startups to not only pursue profitability but also contribute positively to society. Social entrepreneurship and regional economic growth has led to the incubation of startups that are not only innovative but also make a tangible impact on the local communities.

This report also reflects our efforts in empowering students and young entrepreneurs by organizing various workshops, hackathons and awareness programs. Our focus is on entrepreneurship as a viable career path, which is evident in the growing number of student-led startups incubated at our centre.

As we move forward, we remain dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation, fostering partnerships and providing comprehensive support to entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. I express my sincere gratitude to our partners, mentors, collaborators and all the stakeholders for their unwavering support. Together, we will continue to make CIED-IUST Foundation a beacon of entrepreneurship and innovation in Kashmir as well as at the National level.