SRINAGAR: Kashmir based business ventures, ‘IAC Software Solutions’ of Waleed Qureshi and ‘Daily Morning Times’, an Urdu newspaper of Syed Shafkat, have been selected among India’s Top 30 student start-ups.
The list of top start-ups was announced over the weekend at an award ceremony held in a Bengaluru college.
The TATA First Dot powered by NEN-2014 list of promising entrepreneurs was finalized after a four-stage stiff scrutinizing process.
Another Valley based start-up ‘The Cambridge Foundation School’, a joint venture of Mir Adil and Nayeema Shah was selected People’s Choice Awards category, a statement issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Institute said.
The statement said IAC Software Solutions and The Cambridge Foundation School ventures were promoted by EDI.
“During my college days (BA LLB) the idea to expand the venture on a proper scale came to my mind. My sisters and a friend helped me to re-launch it properly in 2010. Today the daily circulation is 3500 copies and growing,” Syed Shafkat of Daily Morning Times has said in his statement to the jury, reported on the website of TATA First Dot.
IAC Software Solutions of Waleed Qureshi was founded with an aim to provide quality software training to students of the valley. “We recognized the need for an institute that would be one of its kind in delivering courses that would be aligned with the Industry standards and methodologies,” Waleed in his statement said, adding, “We are committed to provide the best education combined with the exposure that’s very important for a software professional, and which we lack in the valley.”
Chief Operating Officer JKEDI, Zamir Qadri said, “Kashmiri youth are promising and need good platform for enterprise creation. JKEDI is trying its best to not just limit its role to finance and trainings but build tie-ups both at national and international level so that we are able to create a holistic environment for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as those who have already ventured into it.”
JKEDI will continue its tie up with the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN); Wadhwani Foundation Trust and has already planned skill development courses, networking of existing entrepreneurs at national-level and faculty development programmes for this year, the statement said.
There were two categories of awards; Jury Awards and People’s Choice Awards. Out of Top 20 (Jury Awards) and Top 30 (People’s Choice Awards), the first 11 startups were declared as competition winners with benefits like networking with entrepreneurs, angel investors, mentors, experts and other student start-ups at the event.

Reader correspondent