The Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) on Saturday hosted the “Startup Meet–2025” at its Sempora campus under the ambit of the J&K Startup Policy 2024–27, drawing a strong presence of entrepreneurs, angel investors, startups, and ecosystem enablers from across the Union Territory.
The event featured prominent startup founders Siddharth Ladsariya (Founder, Everest Fleet) and Ankita Sheth (Co-founder, Stay Vista), who shared insights from their entrepreneurial journeys and pledged mentorship and support for emerging ventures from J&K.
Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, who was the Chief Guest, highlighted the government’s continued efforts to foster a thriving startup ecosystem in the region. He noted that several professionals have returned to the UT to launch ventures, supported by enhanced access to institutional financing and national startup platforms.
“In the last few years, we’ve enabled a strong environment for startups to grow—this ecosystem is now translating ideas into impactful ventures,” he said. He also emphasized plans to integrate entrepreneurship education at higher education levels.
The event opened with a startup pitching session, where 10 selected ventures from sectors like tech, agriculture, healthcare, and education presented their business models, receiving direct investor feedback.
Ladsariya, whose company operates India’s largest Uber fleet, encouraged startups to take full advantage of government schemes and pledged incubation support for promising ventures from J&K. Ankita Sheth shared an inspiring talk on resilience, teamwork, and adaptability, urging young founders to embrace challenges and build strong networks.
Secretary and Director, JKEDI, Khalid Jahangir, expressed gratitude to the guests and emphasized the growth of the startup landscape in J&K, revealing that over 1,000 startups from the UT are now registered with DPIIT. He added that more than 200 mentors have been onboarded via JKEDI’s digital portal, and that seed funding and startup awards will soon be rolled out under the operational guidelines of the new policy.
The meet fostered high-value interactions, offered mentorship opportunities, and reinforced JKEDI’s pivotal role in catalyzing innovation, job creation, and economic resilience in Jammu and Kashmir.