JAMMU: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh today flagged off an Industrial Training Program on Leather Goods Manufacturing for women entrepreneurs from the J&K.
The initiative aims to empower women by providing them with skill development opportunities in the leather sector. The training program is being organized by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu which was financially supported by Central Electronic Limited (CEL). This employment generation programme is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of CEL through which the project titled “Employability to Women Through Skill Development and Entrepreneur Support in Manufacturing & Designing of Leather Goods and Garments” was granted to CSIR-IIIM, Jammu.
While addressing the gathering, Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted that this is a unique initiative of first of its kind where three organizations viz., CSIR-Indian Institute Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI) and Central Electronic Limited (CEL) have collaborated to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Further dwelling on the policies of Govt. headed by Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, Dr Singh also commended the institutions like CEL which has funded this special project for imparting training to women with a focus on their employability, the CSIR-CLRI, globally renowned institution for conducting the training at its satellite centre at Jalandhar. This effort, spearheaded by CSIR-IIIM, aims to empower women in J&K and is expected to significantly benefit startups registered under the Atal Innovation Centre at CSIR-IIIM.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted the importance of skill development in creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. He emphasized that Jammu & Kashmir region has vast potential in the leather goods industry due to the availability of raw materials, traditional craftsmanship, and growing demand for handmade, high-quality leather products. Proper training in this sector can significantly contribute to economic growth and livelihood generation, especially to unemployed women.
Earlier, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, Jammu while welcoming the Union Minister apprised him about the training focused on various aspects of leather goods manufacturing, including design, production, and marketing, with the goal of equipping women with the necessary skills to establish their own startup and businesses enterprise. During next one week, the participants will receive hands-on training from industry experts at CSIR-CLRI, Jalandhar and will be guided in modern techniques to ensure their competitiveness in the market, he informed.
Dr. Ahmed also underscored the significance of utilizing scientific research and innovation to boost entrepreneurship and support local talent in the country as a whole. The program is expected to create new opportunities in the leather sector and contribute to the economic growth of the region.
The training program was organized under the guidance of Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, Jammu & Chairman, Atal Incubation Centre. The event was attended by officers of CSIR-IIIM including Er. Abdul Rahim, Head Br. Srinagar & Vice-Chairman, Atal incubation Centre, Dr. Saurabh Saran, Pr. Scientist, PI, Atal Incubation Centre, Dr. Shahid Jibran, CEO, Atal Incubation Centre.
