He urged young people to move beyond the conventional search for government jobs and become employment generators through entrepreneurship. He also visited startup exhibition stalls and distributed seed fund cheques to seven startups approved for capital grants under the J&K Startup Policy. He described ASCEND J&K 2026 as an important step towards positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a destination for innovation and investment. JKEDI Director Mohammad Younis Malik said the institute, as the nodal agency for implementing the J&K Startup Policy, was providing entrepreneurs with incubation, mentorship, policy facilitation, capacity building, investor connect, market access and financial support. Hasnain Masoodi, MLA Pampore, senior officials of the Industries and Commerce Department, representatives of allied departments, investors, startup founders and other stakeholders.