In a significant step towards strengthening industry-academia collaboration, the University of Jammu and Blue Planet Environmental Solutions have partnered to promote an entrepreneurial mindset among students. Mr. Prashant Singh, Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, today visited the Centre for IT Enabled Services & Management (CITES&M), University of Jammu, to explore avenues for collaboration in technology-driven sustainability and startup incubation.

This collaboration aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become job creators rather than job seekers, aligning with India’s vision for a self-reliant and innovation-driven.

The collaboration aligns with the national vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, as envisioned by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, which emphasizes building a robust knowledge economy to drive India’s growth. This vision has been actively promoted by Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Sh. Manoj Sinha Ji, and Hon'ble Chief Minister, Jb. Omar Abdullah, who have been advocating the start-up ecosystem and promoting job creators rather than job seekers.

Mr. Prasant Singh, has recently been made as the member of the newly constituted Advisory Board of Centre for IT Enabled Services & Management (CITES&M). The advisory board shall be the THINK TANK for giving inputs which would be instrumental in shaping policies, strategies, and collaborative efforts that have the potential to drive the agenda and contribute to the vision of Centre as an IT hub and positively impact society as a whole. By leveraging the expertise of board members from various sectors, the Centre will be able to strategically align its activities with the evolving needs of university, society, industry, and government, ensuring that its initiatives contribute meaningfully to societal development on a local, and global scale. Mr. Singh’s appointment to the CITES&M Advisory Board is expected to strengthen research and industry linkages, particularly in the integration of digital solutions with sustainability practices.

Addressing the gathering, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umesh Rai, emphasized the University’s commitment to innovation-driven education. He provided a detailed presentation on the University’s flagship ‘Design Your Degree’ (DYD) program, which fosters interdisciplinary and experiential learning.

"The University of Jammu is shaping the future by integrating industry expertise into academics. Through initiatives like the DYD program and collaborations with global leaders like Blue Planet, we are ensuring our students become entrepreneurs and innovators who contribute to India’s vision of becoming a knowledge-driven global leader by 2047," he a added.

Mr. Singh congratulated the University of Jammu on securing NAAC A++ accreditation, stating that this achievement demonstrates the institution’s dedication to quality education, innovation, and impactful research. He emphasized that this milestone enhances the University’s position among the premier institutions of the country.

A key highlight of Mr. Singh’s visit was his interactive session with students of the Design Your Degree programme, where he shared insights from his journey—from growing up in a small village in Uttar Pradesh to leading a global sustainability enterprise.

Mr. Singh stressed upon the students to cultivate 3 C’s- curiosity, commitment, and courage as guiding principles in their professional pursuits. He advised them to embrace continuous learning, emphasizing that passion and purpose should drive their career choices, as true success is measured not just in financial gains but in the impact one creates.

Addressing queries on sustainable waste management, Mr. Singh highlighted Blue Planet’s innovative solutions for tackling both fresh waste and legacy landfills. He informed the students that the company is implementing one of the world’s largest waste processing facilities in India, capable of handling 10,000 tons of waste per day.

Mr. Singh further pointed out that India is no longer just a consumer of global technology but is now exporting homegrown sustainable solutions to Dubai, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Thailand, showing the country’s growing role in the global sustainability landscape.

Highlighting the emerging opportunities in India's digital and innovation ecosystem, Mr. Singh emphasized the growing role of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in shaping the country's economic landscape.

He informed the students that India is witnessing an unprecedented rise in GCCs, with one new GCC expected to be established every day for the next five years. These centers, set up by multinational corporations, offer vast career opportunities in technology, sustainability, research, and innovation.

Mr. Singh urged the students to equip themselves with skills that align with this evolving landscape, noting that India’s young professionals will play a pivotal role in driving the nation’s growth towards a projected $80,000 per capita income by 2047.

Earlier, Dr. Guneet Singh Sudan, Director, Centre for IT Enabled Services and Management (CITES&M) gave a welcome address and presentation on the various IT initiatives taken by the Centre. One of such initiatives is ‘Corporate Lecture Series’ and the interactive session with Mr. Prasant Singh is the first step towards this initiative. He further added these lecture series would be conducted monthly to strengthen Industry Academia collaboration. Ms. Jaswinder Kour, Service & Development Engineer, CITES&M conducted the proceedings of the event.

Mr. Singh’s visit to Centre for IT Enabled Services & Management and his engagement with the stakeholders of the University of Jammu reaffirmed his intent to forge meaningful collaborations in sustainability, technology, and education. His expertise in waste management innovation and environmental technology will provide valuable insights to the University’s research and academic endeavors. He expressed enthusiasm for collaborating on Mentorship, Internship for students of University of Jammu, Placements, Industry visits nationally and Abroad at Singapore, UK and New Zealand, Incubation Centre at Centre for IT, Projects and Certificate course as value addition with Department of Environmental Science, Mentoring Start ups and ensured to work closely with the University to develop innovative solutions that contribute to environmental and technological advancements.

Among others present on the occasion included, Dr. Neeraj Sharma, Registrar, Prof. Alka Sharma, Director SIIEDC, Prof. Vinay Chauhan, Director TBS, Prof. Piyush Malviya, Head, Dept of EVS, Prof. K. S. Charak, Dr. Deepika Slathia, Dr. Ginny Dogra, Director DIQA and others.