Opinion | Innovation, Start-ups & New Employment Opportunities for Kashmiri Youth

For a long time, the employment debate in Jammu and Kashmir has revolved around one familiar question: where will the next government job come from? That question remains important, but it is no longer sufficient. The aspirations of young people have changed, the economy is changing and technology has created opportunities that did not exist for the previous generation. The real challenge before Jammu and Kashmir today is to move from an economy where young people primarily seek employment to one where young people increasingly create employment. This transition will not happen simply by encouraging youngsters to become entrepreneurs. It requires an ecosystem in which an idea can move from a notebook to a prototype, from a prototype to a business and from a small business to a sustainable enterprise. Jammu and Kashmir has begun moving in that direction through its Startup Policy 2024–27, with the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) designated as the nodal agency. The policy seeks to strengthen incubation, mentorship, funding, market access and other forms of institutional support, with a stated ambition of building a stronger startup ecosystem by 2027.

The significance of this approach becomes clearer when one looks at the nature of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy. Agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, tourism and traditional small businesses remain important, but they do not have to remain traditional in the way they operate. Technology can connect an apple grower directly with markets, help an artisan sell beyond the local bazaar, allow a young designer in Kupwara to work for a company in Bengaluru, and enable a small tourism enterprise in Gurez or Karnah to reach visitors sitting hundreds of kilometres away. This is where innovation has to be understood differently. Innovation does not necessarily mean creating a sophisticated technology company. It can mean finding a better way of packaging saffron, improving cold-chain management for horticulture, developing a digital marketplace for artisans, creating local tourism platforms, using drones and geospatial technology in agriculture, building digital education services or developing solutions for waste management and renewable energy in remote villages. The opportunity is particularly important for Kashmiri youth because the digital economy has weakened the old geographical limitations. A young person does not necessarily have to leave Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the national or global economy. A graphic designer, software developer, digital marketer, financial services professional, content creator or online educator can potentially serve clients outside the Union Territory while living at home.

But access to the internet alone cannot create this transformation. Skills have to accompany connectivity. The Jammu and Kashmir Skill Development Mission is already working across sectors including IT-ITeS, electronics, tourism and hospitality, logistics, construction and other trades. Its publicly available dashboard also illustrates an important reality: training numbers are meaningful only when training ultimately connects with employment or self-employment.

The emerging Mission YUVA is another significant development. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Economic Survey 2025–26, the programme is projected to generate approximately 4.25 lakh employment opportunities over five years. Its approach includes awareness, entrepreneurship development, finance, capacity building and connectivity, while the Udyam Jagriti campaign has been used to promote entrepreneurship among first-generation entrepreneurs, women and youth, including those from remote areas.The real test, however, will be implementation. A young entrepreneur does not need another seminar as much as he or she needs timely finance, professional mentoring, reliable internet, affordable workspace, accounting and legal support, access to markets and a government system that does not make every small decision unnecessarily difficult. The 2024–27 Startup Policy recognises several of these requirements, including subsidised co-working support and assistance for eligible startups.There is also a need to change the social perception of entrepreneurship. In many families, a government appointment is still regarded as the safest and most respectable career, while a young person attempting a business is often advised to first find a “proper job”. This attitude is understandable because business failure carries financial and social consequences. But a modern economy cannot depend exclusively on government recruitment. Entrepreneurship must become a respectable career choice, while failure should be treated as part of the learning process rather than a permanent social label. Educational institutions have an important role here. Entrepreneurship cannot be taught effectively through a single annual lecture. Schools, colleges and universities should expose students to problem-solving, financial literacy, digital skills, intellectual property, product development and practical business models. The Startup Policy itself places emphasis on innovation centres and tinkering labs to nurture entrepreneurial talent from an early stage.

Jammu and Kashmir also possesses something many emerging startup ecosystems struggle to manufacture: a distinctive local economy and culture. Kashmiri handicrafts, horticulture, food products, tourism, wellness, adventure activities and cultural experiences provide a natural base for innovative enterprises. What is required is to combine this heritage with contemporary business practices. The future employment story of Kashmir should therefore not be written only in terms of vacancies. It should also be written in terms of startups, small enterprises, freelancers, cooperatives, technology ventures, women-led businesses and young people employing others. The objective should not be to tell every Kashmiri youngster to become an entrepreneur. Not everyone is suited to entrepreneurship, and traditional employment will remain essential. The objective should be to ensure that a young person with an idea is not forced to abandon it simply because the ecosystem around him or her is weak.Kashmir’s demographic dividend can become an economic advantage only when education, skills, finance, technology and markets begin working together. The next generation should not merely inherit the question of unemployment. It should inherit the confidence and institutional support to build businesses, solve problems and create opportunities for others.That is the real promise of innovation: not technology for its own sake, but the ability to turn the talent of Jammu and Kashmir’s youth into productive economic strength.

Syedjahanzeeb2@gmail.com