Startup Kashmir Brings Founders Together To Spotlight Incubation Centres

Srinagar- On a Saturday in Srinagar, a room filled with young founders, students and first-time entrepreneurs came together to discuss a question that is gaining traction in Kashmir's emerging startup scene: How do local ideas grow into viable businesses?

The discussion unfolded at Startup Kashmir's Saturday Mentorship Program, a daylong session focused on the role of incubation centres in supporting early-stage startups.

The event drew participants from different parts of the valley and reflected a broader effort to build a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem in a region where access to guidance, funding and networks often remains limited.

The chief guest, Dr. Saad Parvaiz, director of the Greenovator Incubation Foundation and a senior figure at the Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre at the National Institute of Technology Srinagar, laid out what incubation centres can offer young founders.

“Most first-time entrepreneurs do not fail because their ideas lack merit,” he told the audience.“They struggle because they lack structure, mentorship and access to the right support systems.”

Dr. Parvaiz described incubation centres as hubs that bring together technical advice, business mentoring, infrastructure, market connections and links to investors.

For founders starting out, he said, these resources can be difficult to secure on their own.

He also broke down the different models of incubation operating in India. These include university-led incubators, government-backed programs, sector-focused centres and private incubation initiatives.

Each model, he said, plays a distinct role, depending on the type of startup and its stage of growth.

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