SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir can be effectively addressed by building a strong start-up culture and a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem across the Union Territory.
Speaking at the Annual Start-up Mela of the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) at Bari Brahmana, the Chief Minister said reliance on government employment alone cannot resolve the region’s job crisis, stressing the need for a vibrant private sector and sustained support for emerging enterprises.
Addressing entrepreneurs and industrialists, Omar Abdullah described unemployment as one of the most serious challenges facing JK. He said promotion of start-ups, hand-holding of existing industrial units and encouragement of private enterprise were essential to generating long-term employment.
The Chief Minister noted that young people in the region are increasingly moving beyond traditional career paths and embracing innovation-driven ventures in sectors such as agriculture, technology, handicrafts, tourism, renewable energy and services.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to strengthening the start-up ecosystem, he said JKEDI, universities and educational institutions would play a central role in identifying and nurturing new enterprises. He announced that the Seed Capital Fund of JKEDI would be enhanced and that the institute would be further empowered under the JK Start-up Policy.
Omar Abdullah said the government is focused on improving access to finance, mentorship, incubation facilities and market linkages to ensure that entrepreneurial ideas can be transformed into sustainable businesses.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani said start-ups and self-employment initiatives remain key to addressing youth unemployment. He said JKEDI has made notable progress in promoting entrepreneurship and would receive continued government support.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister released a JKEDI booklet titled Startup Policy Implementation and Outcomes and distributed capital grants of Rs 50 lakh each to incubation centres at several universities and higher educational institutions, with an initial instalment of Rs 15 lakh released on the spot.
He also awarded annual start-up honours in multiple categories and disbursed seed funding amounting to Rs 3.60 crore to 18 start-ups facilitated by JKEDI.
Earlier, the Chief Minister visited exhibition stalls showcasing innovations developed under JKEDI programmes and interacted with young entrepreneurs, encouraging them to scale their ideas while leveraging local resources.
Senior government officials, representatives of industry bodies, start-up founders, entrepreneurs and students attended the event.
