Kite festival in Jammu marks Janmashtami
Jammu (PTI): A kite festival in Jammu marked Janmashtami on Thursday, in keeping with the ancient tradition of the Dogras and to promote culture and tourism in the region.
The event at the Bahu ropeway showcased the splendour of the ride that links important pilgrimage sites in the city.
Jammu Tourism Director Vivekanand Rai told PTI, "My greetings to all the people of Jammu on Janmashtami. Flying kites on Janmashtami is an integral part of Jammu culture."
Deputy Commissioner (Jammu) Sachin Kumar Vaishya inaugurated the festival to highlight the region's tourism potential.
Over a hundred enthusiasts took part in the festival with kites of various shapes, sizes and colours.
"We chose this location and invited the people. Over a hundred enthusiasts have come so that youngsters and tourists know that gondola rides are also available in Jammu," Jammu Tourism Deputy Director Mohd Jabbar told PTI.
Azharuddin, a kite enthusiast, said, "It is very good that the kite festival is being organised by the tourism department. I have been watching this festival for the past three years. We enjoy it. More children and youth should take part to promote culture."
Shubang Sethi claimed the first prize of Rs 3,000 while Himanshu Gupta and Kunal Goria secured the second- and third-place awards worth Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000, respectively.
All participants were also given certificates of appreciation.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge met a high-level delegation from Chile, led by Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday to discuss collaboration in emerging technologies, clean energy, and startup ecosystems, officials said.
The delegation’s visit to Bengaluru, as part of its India engagements, underscores Karnataka’s growing prominence as a preferred partner for global collaborations in technology, innovation, and startup ecosystems, officials added.
The discussions reflected strong alignment between Chile’s evolving technology-focused growth strategy and Karnataka’s established leadership in innovation and deep-tech ecosystems, according to a statement.
Both sides explored opportunities to build partnerships that move beyond traditional sectors and focus on innovation-led growth, talent exchange, and market access.
The meeting focused on opportunities in renewable energy, including green hydrogen and sustainable industrial innovation.
Other potential areas of collaboration included marine biotechnology, aquaculture technologies, and AI applications across traditional industries.
According to the state IT minister, Karnataka is now a global hub for deep-tech, AI, biotech, aerospace, and advanced research, backed by one of the world’s strongest talent pipelines.
“As partners under the global innovation alliance, we must move beyond agreements on paper to actionable collaboration,” Kharge said.
“We are keen to work with Chile on startup exchanges, market access programmes, and building joint innovation corridors, including R&D centres, incubators, and accelerators. Chile’s position as a gateway to Latin America presents a significant opportunity for our startups to scale globally,” he added.
Officials said the engagement builds on the Letter of Intent signed between the Government of Karnataka and the Government of Chile during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which established a framework for collaboration in startups, emerging technologies, research, and skill development under the Global Innovation Alliance.
Mackenna, Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the country is actively advancing its transition toward a knowledge- and technology-driven economy.
“Our engagement with Karnataka reflects our interest in building strong innovation partnerships that enable technology exchange, talent collaboration, and access to dynamic startup ecosystems,” he added.
“We see significant potential to work together in sectors such as clean energy, digital technologies, and emerging industries, while also strengthening Chile’s role as a bridge between India and Latin America,” he said.
