I believe Kashmir needs more ground-level surveys to understand the root causes of the challenges it faces. 

Such studies can identify problems, measure their scale, and generate evidence that helps policymakers and advocacy groups make informed decisions.

Employment remains one of Kashmir’s biggest challenges, much like in many parts of the country. Rapid advances in technology, especially artificial intelligence, have made the job market more competitive. 

The Jammu and Kashmir government has responded by encouraging young people to explore entrepreneurship and nano-entrepreneurship through its revamped startup policy and initiatives such as Mission Yuva.

Even with a supportive ecosystem, entrepreneurship appeals to only a section of society. 

A 2025 SEBI survey found that fewer than 10 percent of Indian households invest in the securities market, with risk aversion emerging among the key reasons. Studies from different countries also show that 65 to 90 percent of people prefer financial stability over uncertainty. That naturally limits the pool of future entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship remains an important driver of economic growth because thriving startups strengthen the local economy and create employment. 

A rough estimate suggests startups in Kashmir employ three to five people on average, although many early-stage ventures begin with only one or two founders. Even then, startups directly engage well over a thousand people in the valley.

A successful entrepreneur creates opportunities for many others.

The MSME sector remains the valley’s largest employer. Reliable data is limited, but broad estimates suggest MSMEs employ around five lakh people in Kashmir alone. 

According to the Ministry of MSME, Jammu and Kashmir has 8.19 lakh Udyam registrations. Assuming a broadly even distribution between the Jammu and Kashmir regions, the valley could account for more than four lakh registered MSMEs.

Those enterprises should generate at least 10 lakh jobs. 

But the picture changes because nearly 99 percent of them are micro enterprises, many employing only the owner. 

The Union Territory has only 3,220 small enterprises and 215 medium enterprises.

These figures reveal an important trend. The organised........

© Kashmir Observer