AHMADABAD: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) held an interactive business meeting in Ahmedabad on Friday. The engagement, chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, aimed at exploring investment opportunities, deepening trade relations, and building durable partnerships across key economic sectors.
The high-profile dialogue, held in the presence of senior officials and business leaders from both sides, marked a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two chambers in 2023. Addressing the gathering, KCCI President Javid Ahmad Tenga underscored the importance of moving “from potential to execution,” as he laid out the collaboration roadmap. He said the MoU’s focus sectors—including handicrafts, tourism, horticulture, solar energy, IT infrastructure, industrial investment, and cultural exchange—present transformative possibilities for both regions.
“Our partnership with SGCCI is rooted in mutual respect and shared economic aspirations,” said Tenga. “This engagement is not just symbolic—it’s about opening up market access for Kashmiri artisans and entrepreneurs who need larger exposure to realise their potential.”
SGCCI President Ramesh Vaghasia responded with an equally ambitious outlook, announcing the chamber’s plans to facilitate direct investments in Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted sectors such as solar energy, IT, data centres, and electric mobility as high-potential areas where Gujarat-based firms are keen to invest.
“SGCCI operates in 84 countries and has a strong network of entrepreneurs and investors,” Vaghasia said. “We want to showcase Kashmiri products in Gujarat and simultaneously invite Gujarat industries to explore investment opportunities in the Valley.”
He added that Kashmir’s handicrafts and horticulture sectors will find strong buyer interest in Gujarat, especially during winter, and offered to host KCCI at several trade fairs and buyer-seller meets in the coming months.
As a key outcome of the interaction, SGCCI extended a formal invitation to both the Jammu and Kashmir Government and KCCI to participate in the Global Investment and Tourism Expo to be held in Surat from August 23 to 25, 2025. The event is expected to draw business leaders, investors, and trade delegations from across India and abroad, and will provide a high-profile platform for Kashmir to showcase its economic potential.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the initiative and said such partnerships must result in actionable outcomes that create jobs and growth on the ground.
“We must focus on sectors where impact is visible in the short term—solar energy, IT, and electric mobility are promising areas,” the Chief Minister said. “The Government of Jammu and Kashmir will provide single-window facilitation for all genuine investment proposals and joint ventures that emerge from this engagement.”
Omar Abdullah also emphasised that economic cooperation must be accompanied by cultural understanding and people-to-people contact. “Initiatives like this do more than boost trade—they build bridges of trust and shared purpose,” he said, praising the chambers for their “vision and foresight” in establishing a framework for sustained cooperation.
The meeting was attended by several senior public officials, including Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Gulmarg MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah, Pahalgam MLA Altaf Ahmad Kaloo, and Additional Chief Secretary Dheeraj Gupta.
The KCCI delegation comprised Secretary General Faiz Ahmad Bakshi, Joint Secretary General Umar Nazir Tibetbaqal, Executive Committee Members Amir Manzoor Guna and Muhammad Ibrahim Siah, along with prominent hotelier and KCCI member Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya and other business stakeholders.
The session concluded on a positive and forward-looking note, with both chambers agreeing to establish sector-specific coordination groups to follow up on investment proposals and jointly prepare for a strong presence at the Surat expo later this month.
