SRINAGAR: Mission YUVA, the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s flagship entrepreneurship programme launched on June 28, 2025, has recorded registrations from more than 1.71 lakh youth and secured bank sanctions nearing Rs 1,000 crore, with over Rs 700 crore already disbursed to support new businesses across the Union Territory. The initiative aims to facilitate the creation of 1.37 lakh enterprises and generate nearly 4.25 lakh employment opportunities over five years, positioning self-employment and enterprise creation at the centre of the region’s job strategy.
Rolled out by the Department of Labour and Employment in collaboration with institutions including IIM Jammu, NABARD and Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Mission YUVA — Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan — has been designed as a comprehensive ecosystem intervention rather than a standalone subsidy scheme. A baseline survey covering over 24 lakh households and more than 1.1 crore individuals identified 5.5 lakh potential entrepreneurs, forming the empirical basis for the programme.
Officials said the scheme addresses both demand- and supply-side constraints that previously limited entrepreneurship. While many young people were deterred by fear of failure, limited access to credit and lack of guidance, institutional gaps such as weak field-level support, complex banking procedures and absence of post-loan handholding also restricted enterprise formation.
To bridge these gaps, the Mission has introduced a four-pillar framework focusing on culture, capital, capacity and connectivity. At the grassroots level, more than 2,000 trained “YUVA Doots” have conducted over 5,000 awareness camps in panchayats and urban wards to promote entrepreneurship as a viable livelihood option, particularly among first-generation entrepreneurs, women and youth in remote and border areas.
Access to finance has been strengthened through the introduction of the Nano Enterprise model, which targets small ventures in the ₹5–6 lakh investment range. These enterprises receive a 25 percent capital subsidy and 5 percent interest subvention, while MSMEs in priority sectors such as food processing, agritech, tourism, renewable energy and IT receive 6 percent interest subvention. The approach is intended to lower entry risks and make formal credit more accessible.
Capacity building has been integrated into the programme through a hybrid training system combining digital modules and classroom instruction. So far, 7,339 entrepreneurs have completed training, about 5,000 are undergoing training, and thousands more are enrolled for upcoming batches. The curriculum includes financial literacy, digital skills, cyber security awareness and introductory knowledge of emerging technologies, supported by local mentors.
The Mission is being implemented through a structured governance mechanism. District Level Implementation Committees headed by Deputy Commissioners scrutinise and approve proposals, while Small Business Development Units and Business Help Desks provide assistance ranging from DPR preparation and loan facilitation to post-sanction mentoring.
Progress on the ground reflects a growing pipeline. Of around 70,000 formal enterprise applications received, DPRs have been prepared for nearly 52,875 candidates. District authorities have approved 47,816 proposals, of which 16,141 have completed the full cycle and received bank sanctions. About 9,500 applications were returned mainly due to adverse credit history or documentation gaps, while the remaining cases are under various stages of appraisal. Officials said nearly 15,000 additional proposals are at advanced stages and expected to be sanctioned by March 2026.
The entire process is managed through the Mission YUVA App and portal, developed as a paperless digital platform that enables application submission, DPR generation, tracking and verification. The system also includes outcome monitoring to ensure that only operational and verified enterprises are showcased.
Authorities maintain that the programme is not intended as indiscriminate loan distribution but as a structured, viability-based initiative to create sustainable livelihoods. With rising registrations, steady sanctions and expanding institutional support, the government projects Mission YUVA as a key driver of entrepreneurship-led employment generation and a shift from wage-seeking to job creation across Jammu and Kashmir.
