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I will always remember Dr. Priya Ranjan not only as the Chairman of JK Monitor, but as a mentor, guide and elder brother whose kindness shaped my life and work. Write a tribute at JAMMU: To commemorate the International Womens Day 2025, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, organized a two-day Flori Tech Startup Conclave here today in which 130 woman from Jammu region including women farmers, startups agri-entrepreneurs involved in floriculture participated. The event aimed to for empowering women in floriculture sector through imparting technical and entrepreneurial skills in floral crafting and artistry for development of various value-added products utilizing flowers.
The event featured an intriguing hands-on training and competitive demonstration of various manifestations of value addition and utilization of fresh flowers.women participants drawn from the self-help groups of UMEED under National Rural Livelihood Mission and college students from various colleges of Jammu district were imparted training during the event. The event also featured exposition of achievements, technologies, and products developed under different verticals of CSIR Floriculture Mission. The exhibits by different startups promoted and incubated under the Mission also featured in the exposition.
The conclave was inaugurated by Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM as the chief guest who in his presidential addressemphasized the significant role of women in the successful implementation of the various activities in floriculture for promoting rural economic growth and highlighted CSIR-IIIM’s commitment in equipping farmers and women entrepreneurs with innovative techniques in floricultural farming and product development. While congratulating the participants at the International Day for Women 2025, he extended his best wishes to all the women participants and elaborated onthis year’s theme-‘Rights, Equality, and Empowerment.’ He underscored the need for inclusive growth and the role of floriculture in creating sustainable livelihood and income opportunities for women.
Guest of Honour, Er. Abdul Rahim, Head, CSIR IIIM Branch Srinagar, stressed on the importance of skill development and capacity-building of youth, particularly women in fostering their self-reliance and economic empowerment. He affirmed that the institute is steadfast in creating agri-startups by providing the necessary incubation and technical assistance to beneficiaries covered under the Mission. He congratulated the Mission team for effective implementation of the verticals under the Mission for revitalizing the sector and enhancing the ecosystem for agri-startups utilizing flowers and their value-added products.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr. Shahid Rasool, Nodal Scientist of the Missionprovided an overview of the Mission’s initiatives and emphasized the significance of value addition technologies in floriculture to enhance the market potential of floral products. He informed that the Mission under the patronage of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, PMO, Personal, Public Grievances, and Pensions, is making tangible accomplishments and impactacross different verticals of the Mission in the UT of J&K.
Dr. Dheeraj Vyas, Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-IIIM, outlined the vision of the conclave, encouraging participants to explore and adopt emerging technologies in floriculture sector. He informed that such capacity building and training programmes aim to enhance the income of floriculture practitioners and also actively promote women-led entrepreneurship in the sector.
Speaking at the event, prominent floriculturist, Sh, Tejindar Singh Wazir underscored the role of floriculture in women’s empowerment and highlighted that women can serve as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth and sustainability in floricultural sector.
The proceedings were carried out by Dr. Maliqa Majid, Project Scientist, CSIR-IIIM who highlighted the importance of value addition technologies in promoting women's self-reliance by enabling them to develop high-value floral products that command premium market prices. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Manisha, District Program Coordinator, NRLM, Jammu.
As part of the two-day conclave, participants are receiving practical training in various aspects of floriculture, including making floral bouquets, designing jewellery with fresh flowers, and making floral arrangements. By the end of the program, they will gain useful insights into the business opportunities in floriculture and develop the skills needed to start their own ventures.
CSIR-IIIM Jammu is dedicated to supporting women through science, technology, and entrepreneurship. Events like the ‘FloriTech Startup Conclave’ help aspiring women entrepreneurs discover new opportunities in floriculture while contributing to sustainable economic growth.
