Kashmir's Startup Problem

In recent years, Government of India has bet big on startups. It’s a bet that’s paid off in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, but not in Kashmir. Despite over a dozen incubation centres dotting the region, and generous government incentives, the valley’s unemployment crisis is only growing sharper.

- 

The gap isn’t in infrastructure. It’s cultural, structural, and human. Startup India is a national mission. But in Jammu and Kashmir, it’s still largely a slogan.

Local entrepreneurs report that they can’t find reliable, skilled workers. At the same time, thousands of qualified youth complain of a mismatch between their aspirations and what’s on offer.

A young tech graduate may learn Python in theory, but he either finds no meaningful application for it in the local economy or is lured away by Gulf salaries. Even when startups try to build in Kashmir, they can’t retain talent. And those with talent don’t find reasons to stay.