Opinion | From Stones to Startups: A Youth Shift

Kashmir’s Youth are no longer waiting for change, they are scripting a new era of growth and purpose with a digital and entrepreneurial spirit in their region.

For decades, Erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir faced political problems and economic stagnation. The youth often became victims of lost opportunities, stuck between conflict, shattered systems, and poor planning by successive governments. But today, a quiet change is happening now. Where rage was previously channelled in street protests and stone-pelting, today’s youth are starting startups, operating digital ventures, and shaping their futures via entrepreneurship and innovation.

The administration of Jammu and Kashmir, for nearly seven decades, failed to translate political commitments into real development. Political parties were more interested in symbolic politics and ad hoc decisions than in making long-term investments in education, employment, and infrastructure. Commitments like “Naya Kashmir” were not pursued to any major degree. Sensitive sectors like industrial growth, youth affairs, and entrepreneurship were not addressed, leaving a gap in opportunity and optimism among the next generation of the state.

In the past, the most valued ambition for youth and their families was to secure a government position. It was seen as secure and respectable, and the best means of keeping body and soul together in an unpredictable setting. It created the situation where many youth spent decades getting ready to occupy public sector positions while private enterprise was underdeveloped and hazardous.

In the recent past, however, there has also been a perceivable shift in culture. There is an increasing desire among young people for entrepreneurial endeavours. The transition has been facilitated by improved law and order, increased access to the internet, and the creation of an entrepreneurial culture. With peace restored, there is an increasing number of young people who now prefer to be employment creators rather than employment seekers.

The reduction in hartals (strikes), bandh calls, and curfews has been a long way towards effecting this change. Where previously shops used to close early out of fear, markets now stay open late into the night. Public movement is safer, and business continuity has increased. This secure environment has enabled young entrepreneurs to conduct their businesses without hitches and concentrate on expansion and not uncertainty.

Even small businesses run from home are now turning to international markets. Young people are using platforms such as Instagram, Flipkart, and Amazon to sell goods, provide services, and acquire international customers. From organic fruits and vegetables to self-made handicrafts, their engagement has transcended local bazaars to international online shops. Such exposure has encouraged confidence and global behaviour.

The statistics are telling. Between 2020 and 2024, the number of Jammu and Kashmir registered startups grew from 237 to more than 900. That 287% increase is the result of attitudinal shifts in direct proportion. Encouragingly, more than 30% of these startups are women-owned, a silver lining in a state where women’s economic activity has historically been low.

Government programs like the Himayat Programme, JK Youth Empowerment Programme (JKYEP), and the flagship Mission YUVA have empowered thousands of young entrepreneurs. They provide skill training, seed funding, digital platform and mentoring. Mission YUVA on its own intends to support, over 1.37 lakh enterprises and create 4.25 lakh jobs over 5 years by being a backing for young entrepreneurs to measure their success through AI, with support from market-linkage technologies and access to credit and business planning.

Startups are emerging in various sectors, from Agri-tech and food processing to logistics, digital marketing, e-commerce, and eco-tourism. Startups are not only relevant to the region’s strengths but are also offering sustainable, community-driven job models. The youth are making a real difference and addressing real issues.

Universities and incubation centers are also doing their part. Entrepreneurship cells and incubation centers have been established. The institutions have trained students through business model competitions, bootcamps, and mentorship. Even a university launched a “Design Your Degree” program, where students were able to customize academic courses with an entrepreneurial twist.

Town by town, young people are making their own story. A programmer develops an app to solve a community issue. A young woman with ambitions runs a home business selling organic cosmetics to national buyers. A logistics business connects rural craftspeople to mass markets.

Among the most exciting developments in this change is the increasing number of women. Once restricted by mobility limitations and cultural compulsion, numerous women today are successfully operating businesses from home or small offices. Initiatives such as Tejaswini, microfinance, and women’s training programs have made this transition a reality. Women now contribute to their families as well as to the overall economy.

In rural locations, individuals are not yet informed about government schemes. Young people are mostly not digitally empowered, or do not have a mentor. Credit is delayed due to bureaucracy. Youth are still pushed by families toward government service, rather than entrepreneurial risk-taking. And the psychological pressure of “making it” through such a high-profile route can lead to burnout or anxiety, especially for first-time entrepreneurs.

This kind of problem requires greater grassroots reach, quicker funding mechanisms, mental health care, and community mentorship networks. There was a need for more collaboration between the government, schools and the private sector to ensure that young people not only aspire to dream but are supported to actualize those dreams.

Jammu and Kashmir’s young people no longer wait for change; they are creating it. From coding to farming, from designing to digital marketing, young people are showing that the region’s real strength lies in its creativity and resolve. They are not only creating business, but a new identity, one of peace, purpose, and advancement. The foundation stones have been laid. The startups are breaking new ground. And with them, a brighter, self-written future for Jammu and Kashmir.

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