Khyber Aquaculture Partners with J&K Government to Modernise Trout Farming

Progressive farmers trained in sustainable aquaculture and fish health management

Khyber Aquaculture, in partnership with the Jammu & Kashmir Department of Fisheries, has launched a specialised training programme to equip local trout farmers with modern, sustainable aquaculture practices. The initiative, part of the Project No 22 Implementation of Trout Cluster Programme covering Ganderbal and Anantnag, under Holistic Agriculture Development Plan (HADP) designed to transform traditional trout farming into a more scientific, efficient, and resilient industry.

The training brought together progressive farmers from Ganderbal, Bandipora, and Srinagar for an intensive session on “Sustainable Trout Aquaculture and Fish Health Management.” Experts guided participants through practical modules on biosecurity, water-quality management, responsible aquaculture, early disease detection, and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). A key focus was shifting from reactive treatment of fish diseases to proactive prevention - emphasising routine water monitoring, stress reduction, and early warning systems to safeguard fish health.

The interactive format also allowed farmers to share real-world challenges and explore practical solutions to improve survival rates, growth, and overall farm efficiency.

Mr Umar Tramboo, CMD, Khyber Aquaculture stated “Capacity building is the cornerstone of a resilient trout sector. By fostering collaboration between farmers, government institutions, and technical experts, we can build a sustainable cold-water aquaculture ecosystem that supports livelihoods, food security, and rural enterprise development in Jammu & Kashmir.”

With its natural mountain conditions, Jammu & Kashmir is uniquely positioned to become a hub for cold-water trout production. By equipping farmers with modern scientific tools, this initiative aims to boost productivity, strengthen value chains, and create new opportunities for rural communities.

This effort reflects Khyber Aquaculture’s broader vision to advance India’s cold-water fisheries sector through innovation, robust biosecurity systems, and internationally aligned best practices - ultimately positioning India on the global trout and salmon aquaculture map.

About Khyber Aquaculture

Khyber Aquaculture is a leading player in cold-water fisheries business. Founded in 2022, Khyber Himalayan Trout brings premium, nutrient-rich trout from the pristine Himalayan mountain waters of Kashmir. The company integrates scientific farming practices, modern infrastructure, and environmental stewardship to deliver premium-quality aquaculture products for domestic and international markets. For further details please visit www.khyberaquaculture.com

ONGC Completes Baltal Pilgrim Facility Ahead of Amarnath Yatra; Petroleum Minister Puri to Formally Inaugurate the Mega Facility on Friday

Energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is developing Disaster Management and Yatri Niwas complexes at four key locations in Jammu & Kashmir, viz. Baltal, Nunwan, Bijbehara, and Sidhra, under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. These assets will be operated by Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board under the Government of Jammu & Kashmir.

These facilities will provide safe lodging, sanitation, and emergency support to people undertaking Amarnath Yatra. Over five lakh people undertake this Yatra every year. This permanent infrastructure will also benefit the local population throughout the year.

The Baltal Yatri Niwas and Disaster Management Complex, spread across 6,315 square metres, is now fully operational and includes a Yatri Niwas, VIP guest house, security infrastructure, and disaster-response facilities. The Baltal facility will be formally inaugurated on 4 July 2025 by Hon'ble Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha, in the presence of ONGC Chairman and CEO Shri Arun Kumar Singh.

Construction is progressing at Nunwan (8,500 sq. m) and Bijbehara (7,640 sq. m), with both sites expected to be completed by September 2025. The Sidhra complex in Jammu, designed to serve as a vital hub for boarding, emergency management, and logistical coordination, is targeted for completion by September 2026.

In 2024, ONGC also constructed permanent 100-bed hospitals at Baltal (Ganderbal) and Chandanwari (Anantnag), in collaboration with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir. These facilities, which include ICUs and staff accommodations, replacing the earlier temporary medical camps and now serve as year-round Primary Health Centres for yatris and local residents alike.

AIIMS Jammu and 4baseCare Launches Centre for Advanced Genomics & Precision Medicine

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu has officially initiated laboratory operations with the illumina NextSeq 2000 sequencing machine, at its newly established Centre for Advanced Genomics & Precision Medicine — marking a transformative step toward making affordable, precision-driven cancer care accessible to patients across India.

Inaugurating the state-of-the-art facility were key dignitaries, including Prof. (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta, Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Jammu; Lt Gen Dr Sunil Kant, Dean Research and Medical Superintendent; Prof. Dr Meeta Gupta, Dean (Academics); Prof. Dr Shabab L Angurana, Associate Dean (Research); Mr. Shailender Slathia, Registrar; Dr. Poonam Sharma, Head, Department of Pathology; and Dr. Sudharshan, Vice President – Global Operations at 4baseCare.

Prof (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta, Executive Director and CEO, AIIMS Jammu, stated, “For every patient we treat, we are treating a mother, a father, a sister, or a brother. This partnership is our promise to every family who walks through our doors that we will do everything in our power to bring them the care they deserve.”

The Centre, developed in collaboration with 4baseCare, is equipped with advanced Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology, offering comprehensive genomic profiling for cancer patients. This powerful capability enables clinicians to design highly personalized, targeted treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique molecular profile.

“By integrating cutting-edge genomic data with AI-powered diagnostics, the Centre is poised to significantly improve early disease detection, refine therapy choices, and minimize ineffective treatments — ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and quality of life,” said Dr. Sudharshan Elangovan , Vice President – Global Operations at 4baseCare.

Traditionally, access to such advanced genomic testing has been prohibitively expensive for many patients. However, with this initiative, high-quality NGS-based tests will now be made available at affordable costs, paving the way for greater inclusivity in precision oncology across India.

Further solidifying its role as a national referral hub, the Centre will accept samples from patients and healthcare providers across the country, ensuring that cutting-edge molecular diagnostics are accessible, regardless of geographical barriers.

For more details, visit, https://4basecare.com/

Noida-based GoodEnough Energy Plans to Establish A 7 GWh Gigafactory in Jammu and Kashmir

GoodEnough Energy, a company based in Noida, has announced plans to set up a Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) gigafactory in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This BESS gigafactory will be India's largest, and will help reduce over 5 million tonnes of CO2 annually, claims the company as per Media reports. 

The initial capacity of the gigafactory will be 7 GWh, with an investment of over ₹450 crore. The operations are scheduled to start by October 2024. The investment will cover the cost of the manufacturing plant, machinery, and infrastructure, and is expected to be completed by 2026.

This gigafactory is expected to play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions by over 5 million tons annually and will support India's burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem. It will also create job opportunities for over 100 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as vendors and suppliers.

Furthermore, GoodEnough Energy aims to expand the Gigafactory's capacity to 20 GWh by 2026, which could potentially reduce CO2 emissions by a projected 15 million tonnes. This initiative is part of India's goal to reach 500 GW of renewable energy capacity and to support industries with high CO2 emissions in achieving their sustainability Targets.

Earlier in January 2019, LIBCOIN Consortium in collaboration with Magnis Energy Technologies Limited and BHEL, have finalized a deal to build India's first Lithium-ion Battery Gigafactory. The starting capacity will be 1 GWh, with an eventual increase to 30 GWh.

In July last year, Elon Musk promoted Tesla resumed talks with the Indian government to build a gigafactory with an annual capacity of 500,000 electric cars.

These developments are part of India's push towards clean energy and electric vehicle adoption. India plans to set up 12 giga factories by 2030 to manufacture lithium-ion batteries to support electric vehicle (EVs) as well as renewable energy generation.

A gigafactory is a large-scale manufacturing facility that specializes in producing batteries and other components for electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy applications. The term "giga" refers to "billion," indicating the massive production capacity of these factories, often in terms of gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage. Gigafactories aim to achieve economies of scale, reduce costs, and increase production efficiency, which is crucial for the transition to clean energy technologies.

The concept of 'Gigafactory' was popularized by Tesla, Inc., which built its first Gigafactory in Nevada to produce battery cells in collaboration with Panasonic. This approach allows for the integration of battery production with vehicle assembly, streamlining the supply chain and reducing exposure to supply chain disruptions. Other companies have since adopted the term for their own large-scale battery production facilities.

Remote Hilly-Areas or Udhampur, J&K Gets AI-backed Telemedicine Mobile Clinic

A state-of-the-art, Artificial Intelligence (AI) supported Telemedicine Mobile Clinic "Aarogya-Doctors on Wheels" for remote hilly areas of Ramnagar region in Udhampur district of J&K has been launched, this Sunday, by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.

The latest upgraded Tele Clinic is Artificial Intelligence-driven to provide healthcare facilities in far flung areas of the region, where such facilities are either not available or inadequately available.

The mobile clinic functions on the latest methodology wherein a patient can narrate his illness or complaint in his native language and the AI doctor understands the language and responds to the patient in the same language.

Thereafter, the patient is connected to one of the leading super specialists in the country as this telemedicine hospital has been tied up with some of the leading hospitals in the country. Later, the patient's entire body profile and investigations are done. Within about 40 to 50 minutes, a patient is provided with the prescription. Dr Singh said the patient is provided free-of-cost treatment.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made a firm resolve to provide healthcare facilities to the remotest parts of the country, harnessing the latest technological developments. The present initiative is also inspired by that, he said.

The Minister informed that the first phase of this facility was conducted in the far-flung Gandoh area of district Doda where it spent three months. The second phase was conducted along the Zero Line villages of the International Border, and the third phase was held in the upper reaches of Bilawar. The fourth phase in the next few months will be conducted in Dudu Basantgarh in the upper reaches of Ramnagar block of Udhampur.

Dr Jitendra Singh appealed to local people to avail the facility, saying that through this latest super speciality hospital, doctors are coming to their doorsteps.

"This campaign, through funds raised from voluntary sources, was started in Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency one year back and it is possibly among the rare parliamentary constituencies to have initiative such a high tech mobile healthcare facility. For local assistance, a physician is also physically available inside the van, " said Dr Jitendra Singh. 

Srinagar Smart City Ltd Gets 1st Batch of Ultra EV Electric Buses from Tata Motors

The advanced electric buses are equipped with latest features to provide safe, comfortable and convenient travel

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, announced that it has supplied the first batch of state-of-the art Ultra EV air-conditioned electric buses to Srinagar Smart City Limited, via TML Smart City Mobility Solutions (J&K) Pvt Ltd, a Tata Motors Group company.

The delivery of the electric buses is a part of its larger order to supply, maintain and operate 100 electric buses in Srinagar and 100 electric buses in Jammu, for a period 12-years for Jammu and Srinagar Smart City projects.

The collaboration is a part of an initiative of Housing and Urban Development Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir to establish an environmentally and financially sustainable network of public transport for Srinagar. The zero-emission buses are indigenously built on a next-gen architecture, equipped with latest features, and powered by advanced battery systems. They are designed to provide a safe, comfortable and convenient intra-city commute across the city of Srinagar.

Srinagar Smart City takes the green route with Tata Motors Ultra EV electric buses

The fleet of e-buses was flagged off by Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant General, J&K, Shri Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K, Shri Junaid Azim Mattu, Hon’ble Mayor, Srinagar, Shri Prashant Goyal, Principal Secretary, H&UDD, J&K, Shri Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir & Chairman, Srinagar Smart City, Shri Prasanna Ramaswamy, Administrative Secretary, Transport Department, J&K, Shri Athar Aamir Khan, IAS, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation & CEO, Srinagar Smart City along with delegates from Government of J&K, Municipal Corporation of Srinagar and Tata Motors.

Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, J&K congratulated the citizens of Srinagar on the occasion. He said the electric buses will change the paradigm of public transport in the city. He added that it was part of broader integrated sustainable urban mobility for the city. He expressed gratitude to Hon. Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi for the unrelenting support to the Union Territory.

Sharing his thoughts at the flag-off event, Shri Prashant Goyal, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, J&K said, “J&K has embarked on a new phase of urban development which will ease the congestion on roads. Tata Motors has partnered with Srinagar Smart City Ltd for 12 years, which will help in improving the last-mile passenger transport system in Srinagar.”

Commenting on the occasion, Shri Athar Aamir Khan, CEO, Srinagar Smart City Ltd, said, “Srinagar Electric Bus Project is part of our integrated Sustainable Urban Mobility of the city. This is for the first time such a massive transformation in public transport is happening in Srinagar. This will help decongest the city, make reliable, affordable and comfortable public transport available to our citizens.”

Speaking at the momentous occasion, Mr. Asim Kumar Mukhopadhyay, Chairman, TML Smart City Mobility Solutions (J&K) Pvt Ltd, said, “In a time where sustainable public transport is the need of the hour, we are thrilled that Tata Motors has been chosen to provide a transformative solution to the commuters in the beautiful city of Srinagar. Our advanced electric buses incorporate cutting-edge features that not only redefine the way people travel but also ensure their safety and comfort through their journeys. We are not just providing electric buses; we are championing a shared vision with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir to offer eco-friendly, noiseless and emission-free transport solutions that align with the serene and pristine environment of this region. This marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to safer, smarter and greener mobility solutions, and we look forward to playing a key role in shaping the future of public transport in Jammu & Kashmir.”

Till date, Tata Motors has supplied more than 1,000 electric buses across multiple cities in India, which have cumulatively clocked more than 9.6 crore kilometres, with an uptime of over 95%. The Tata Ultra EV, is a cutting-edge e-bus that sets new benchmarks for urban city commuting. With its full-electric drivetrain, this state-of-the-art vehicle optimises energy consumption, resulting in low energy usage and operational costs. It offers features like ease of boarding, comfortable seating and driver-friendly operations, while ensuring zero emissions. Equipped with electronic stability control, electronic brake distribution, air suspension, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), panic button among other advanced features, it prioritises comfort and safety to its commuters. This electric bus embodies the commitment to cleaner public transport and is an ideal choice for urban passenger transportation needs.

World’s 7th Largest Lithium Reserve Found in Jammu-Kashmir, Crucial for EV Manufacturing

India has announced its first significant discovery of reserves of Lithium, a rare alkali metal, in the mountains of the area of Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir (UT)

The government of India announced on Thursday that 5.9 million tonnes of the lithium had been discovered in Jammu and Kashmir.

The newly discovered lithium, found by Geological Survey of India, estimated at 59 lakh tonnes and according to the current market price it is worth INR 3400 billion. Russia is believed to have invaded Ukraine to gain unbroken reserves of lithium!

In 2021, much smaller deposits of lithium were found in the southern state of Karnataka.

Lithium is a rare element crucial for manufacturing electric vehicles. It is a key component in rechargeable batteries that power numerous gadgets like smartphones and laptops, besides just electric vehicles.

With a total of 8 million tons, Chile has the largest known reserves of lithium in the world. This puts it ahead of other countries with significant reserves, such as Australia (2.7 million tons), Argentina (2 million tons), and China (1 million tons).

Pratik Kamdar, Co-Founder of Neuron Energy, a Mumbai-based startup which provides lead-acid and lithium-ion technology batteries for E-Bike, E-Rickshaws, and Golf Carts, said, "With the increased adoption of electric mobility in recent years, there is a huge demand for Li-ion batteries. The recent finding of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium in Jammu & Kashmir will significantly boost the sector. Currently, India is also progressing into cell manufacturing of batteries and it will provide the much-needed impetus to the sector as it will reduce the dependence on imports while also solving the supply-chain challenges as the country will have its own reserves of lithium. There will also be a cost impact as the cells, when manufactured indigenously, will become cheaper."

Currently, India is depended on Australia and Argentina for lithium imports.

Bolivia has by far the world’s largest lithium reserves however most of it remains in the ground as the country does not have the developed infrastructure to excavate it. Due to this, Bolivia does not rank anywhere near the top in actual lithium production.

India imports many important metals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. With the new discovery of lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir, battery and EV manufacturers will not have to depend on imports. Local lithium reserves will help reduce the price of batteries in India, which will further reduce the price of EVs.

One ton of lithium is priced at INR 57.36 lakhs. India has got 59 lakh tonnes of lithium Reserves. That is, its value today will be Rs 33,84,31,021 lakh rupees (3,384 billion ) This price is at current market rate. With the global market, its price varies all the time.

North India’s 1st Biotech Park/Incubator Launched; Aims To Produce 25 Biotech Startups in A Year

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The Biotech Park to act as hub for incubation of new ideas and will support the Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Progressive farmers, scientists & scholars not only from J&K, but from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

After launching North India’s first big space centre in March this year, union minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has inaugurated North India’s first Industrial Biotech Park Ghatti, Kathua, Jammu. The Biotech Park would act as hub for incubation of new ideas and will act as a robust platform to support the Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Progressive farmers, scientists, scholars and students not only from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh but also from nearby States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

"Kathua is, because of its resource richness with diversity as well as its geographical location, destined to be North India's StartUp destination.," the minister said.

This comes within a week after BioRRAP — a Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Startups, was launched.

The newly launched biotech park will carry out research on biodiversity, medicinal and aromatic plants of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and it will also promote green category businesses.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the biotechnology park at Kathua has a potential to produce 25 startups in a year which will be among its great contributions to this region. Dr. Singh informed that with the unlocking of space technology in India under PM Narendra Modi, sixty startups have been established in only one and a half year, Onkar Singh, the young scientist from Jammu present today here is among the best examples of it.

The Biotech Parks of J&K are among 9 Biotechnology Parks supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT)Govt. of India's  Ministry of Science & Technology, in various States.

"Under PM Narendra Modi without any regional bias, the UT of Jammu and Kashmir has seen a new dawn of development in education, health infrastructure, science and technology. The establishment of AIIMS, IIM, IIT, IIMC, Space Centre at Central University of Jammu, Highway villages, Express Corridor, Atal Setu, Mega-Quintal Seed Processing Plants, Medical Colleges some of which have been established in Kathua are some of the national level development projects J&K has seen in last eight years," said the minister.

In addition to this biotech park in Jammu, there are two more Industrial Biotech Parks comin up in the region — one at Ghatti, Kathua, Jammu and other in Handwara, Kashmir. These are jointly funded by DBT  and Jammu & Kashmir Science, Technology & Innovation Council.The work on these Biotech parks was started in February 2019. Notably, the J&K region already has CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, (CSIR-IIIM), which has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementation of this project.

DBT has established Biotechnology Parks/Incubators across the country to translate research into products and services by providing necessary infrastructure support. These Biotechnology Parks offer facilities to Scientists, and Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) for technology incubation, technology demonstration and pilot plant studies for accelerated commercial development of Biotechnology.

Jammu to Get Its 1st Ever Space Institute as North India's Biggest Space Training Institute Inaugurated

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Most of the space technology institutes are confined to south of India. Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), which is Asia's first university solely dedicated to the study and research of Outer space, is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

In a better now, north India’s first big space centre and the India’s second-of-its-kind space training institute after IIST of Thiruvananthapuram was inaugurated in Jammu, last Saturday.

The centre named "Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Sciences" was just inaugurated by space minister Jitendra Singh, on the premises of the Central University of Jammu. Notably, Satish Dhawan who led the successful and indigenous development of the Indian space programme, was born in Srinagar, Jammu. The newly launched space centre is a befitting tribute to him -- said Minister Jitendra Singh.

The upcoming space institute is being set up jointly by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central University of Jammu. An MoU has also been signed between the two.

From this year onwards, 60 students will be taken in the course of BTech in "Aviation & Aeronautics" and the selection criteria for same will be through IIT-JEE .

The minister also said that “after studying aviation and aeronautics from here the students will be able to find a career in space technology not only in India but in institutes like NASA.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also said that the institute will open up new vistas in the region for academicians, industrialists and start-ups in the space domain.

The Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Sciences could be considered for the extension activities of ISRO relevant to Jammu region, managed and maintained by Central University of Jammu. The prime activities to be done at the centre would be -- Research and Development related to space science, space-based disaster management, technologies for the development of the region etc.

The Centre houses different labs/ facilities related to geospatial data analysis, materials, astrophysics, natural disasters and avionics.

69 Startups Registered in J&K under Startup India scheme

Sixty-nine startups have been registered in Jammu and Kashmir under the Startup India scheme, officials said. According to data from the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI), 69 startups have been registered in the Union Territory, officials said here.

As of now, the J&K government is focussing on sectors such as food processing, agriculture, renewable energy, handicrafts and handloom for promoting startups, they said.

To enable the startup ecosystem and create awareness, outreach and scouting of startups,Startupjk.com has also been made live, they added.

The Government of India has announced a Rs 945-crore Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), which will be operational from April 1, 2021, to 2025 to promote and boost startup ecosystem across the country.

In the same light, the Jammu & Kashmir administration is working to encourage startups and foster innovation, thereby creating jobs and boost economy, they said.

SOURCE - Economic Times