Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 22: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu is all set to launch AgriThon 2.0, a prestigious national-level innovation challenge aimed at empowering the rural youth of Jammu Division and students from higher education institutions (HEIs) across Northern India. Organized under the Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP) with support from IFAD, AgriThon 2.0 reflects the vision of "Viksit Krishi for Atmanirbhar Bharat" by promoting entrepreneurship and technology-driven solutions in agriculture and allied sectors.
Addressing a press conference, Prof. B.N. Tripathi, Vice Chancellor of SKUAST- Jammu and Chairman of the event, emphasized that this initiative is in line with the Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision of making India a global hub for startups and innovation. The event invites out-of-the-box ideas from young minds on themes like Digital Agriculture, Climate Resilient Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Food Processing and Urban Farming. Participants stand a chance to win prizes worth ?5.60 lakh, while selected business plans will receive financial support of up to ?5.00 lakh each for implementation.
A dedicated online portal for AgriThon 2.0 has been launched to ensure smooth and transparent submission of concept notes. Registration is free of cost and entries will be accepted from 25th July to 25th August 2025. For rural youth, the event is a platform to convert local knowledge into enterprise, while for students from agricultural, veterinary, horticultural, forestry and general universities, as well as institutions like IITs, IIMs, and NITs across J&K, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand, it serves as a launchpad for impactful agri-tech innovations. The competition will be conducted in three stages; submission of a 500-word concept note, evaluation by domain experts, and live presentations by shortlisted participants before an expert jury. All finalists will receive certificates of participation. AgriThon 2.0 builds upon the success of earlier initiatives like AgriThon 2024 and the Her-Harvest Ideathon for girl students of SKUAST-Jammu, which witnessed promising innovations in precision farming, biotechnology, pest management, and digital tools. The launch of AgriThon 2.0 also comes at a time when India's startup ecosystem has reached a significant milestone, with over 1.59 lakh officially recognized startups as per DPIIT data, making India the third-largest startup hub globally after the US and China. Initiatives like Startup India, Stand-up India, and Digital India continue to empower innovators, with the world closely watching how India is using grassroots innovation to solve global-scale challenges. Through AgriThon 2.0, SKUAST-Jammu reaffirms its commitment to nurturing agri-entrepreneurship, building a vibrant ecosystem of student technocrats, rural innovators, and future-ready agripreneurs. Those interested can register and find more details at the official portal: https://skuast.org/AgriThon2.0/.
All statutory officers of the university, including Dr. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension & Co- Chairman, Dr. S.K. Gupta Director Research, Dr. Sanjay Khar Director Education & DPM, Dr. Anil Kumar Registrar & Dean FoA, Dr. Sudhakar Dwivedi Dean Student Welfare, Dr. Rajesh Katoch Dean FVSc. & AH, Dr. Vikas Tandon Dean, Faculty of Horticulture & Forestry, Dr. Jaswinder Soodan, Dean Faculty of Dairy Technology, Dr. R.K. Salgotra Director IBT, Dr. R.K. Samnotra, Librarian, along with organising team Dr. Hema Tripathi, Associate Director Extension & Convenor, Dr. Manish Sharma, Dr. Vikas Sharma, Dr. Pawan K Sharma, Dr. Punit Choudhary, Dr. Vivak Arya, Dr. Anil Bhat and Dr. Vijay Sharma were present during the press meet. |
