SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today conducted a comprehensive review of Mission YUVA (Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan), a flagship youth empowerment initiative launched in Jammu and Kashmir aimed at transforming the region into a vibrant hub for enterprise and holistic employment generation.
The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretaries of Higher Education and Planning, Principal Secretary Finance, Secretary Labour & Employment (L&E), Director IIM, Managing Director of J&K Bank, Secretary School Education, Director General Budget, and other concerned officers. All Deputy Commissioners participated virtually.
During the session, the Chief Secretary carried out an in-depth assessment of the mission’s core objectives—primarily focused on fostering large-scale employment through enterprise creation and developing a robust, cross-sectoral business support ecosystem in the region. He emphasized the need to scale up existing businesses to boost the State Gross Domestic Product (SGDP) and promote a dynamic startup ecosystem anchored in innovation. He also directed Deputy Commissioners to conduct regular reviews to ensure the smooth implementation and desired outcomes of the mission.
Secretary L&E, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, presented an overview of the scheme. He informed the meeting that Mission YUVA targets the creation of over 1,37,000 new enterprises and aims to generate more than 4,25,000 job opportunities across multiple sectors.
As of now, the mission has received 31,411 loan applications—29,460 for nano-enterprises, 1,502 for new MSMEs, and 443 for existing MSMEs. A total loan amount of ₹29.70 crore has been disbursed, supported by ₹5.15 crore in subsidies.
Under the updated IEC campaign Udyam Jagriti, a panchayat-level awareness drive has been conducted successfully, attracting over 1.5 lakh participants from all 20 districts—including 50,000 women. This campaign has also facilitated the submission of over 8,000 loan applications.
Additionally, a Capacity Building Mela was held on August 2, 2025, across all 20 districts, drawing 6,346 participants. A hybrid training module has also been rolled out in ITIs and polytechnic institutes to support aspiring entrepreneurs.
In terms of market access and e-commerce integration, the mission is working to enhance linkages through the development of an e-commerce seller platform utilizing the ONDC network. Plans are also underway to organize business conclaves and regional trade fairs to stimulate trade and commerce.
The Mission YUVA App and Portal have played a crucial role in the mission’s outreach, with over 50,000 downloads and 1.4 lakh portal visits reported. A strong support structure has been established, including Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), Small Business Development Units (SBDUs), Business Help Desks (BHDs), and a network of 1,000 Yuva Doots to offer grassroots-level support to budding entrepreneurs.
