Srinagar, Jan 28: Mohammad Asim Khan worked in a technology solution company in Bangalore for more than six years. His yearning to start something of his own brought him back home to Srinagar two years back.
Buoyed by improvement in the situation and new facilities he started his own tech solution company. Two years on, his company had grown much more than he had expected. “I have now eight people working at my company. The main driving force behind the growth of my firm was the seamless internet connectivity for the last two years,” he said.
Like Khan, many techies have started their ventures for the last few years, which are recording good business, courtesy of reduced internet shutdown and government support.
Figures available with The Kashmir Monitor reveal that the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has recognized 855 start-ups in Jammu and Kashmir till July 2024.
The document suggested that the majority of the start-ups have come up after 2020 since the union territory has recorded negligible internet shutdowns.
Pertinently for years, frequent internet shutdowns posed a major hurdle for startups, disrupting operations, digital transactions, and communication with clients. However, with improved connectivity, businesses in sectors like fintech, agritech, tourism logistics web solutions, and food delivery have flourished in Jammu and Kashmir in the last three to four years.
The Jammu & Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) and other startup incubators have noted a surge in applications from young entrepreneurs. The government’s start-up policy and incubation programs, coupled with better internet accessibility, have encouraged youth to explore digital entrepreneurship.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has also launched several initiatives to support the start-up ecosystem. The JK Startup Policy 2024, launched by the government earlier this year, provides financial incentives, mentorship, and infrastructure support to budding entrepreneurs.
Zahoor Ahmed Qari, President, Kashmir Courier and Cargo Association (KCCA), said the uninterrupted services coupled with high-speed internet has revived the defunct logistic firms in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The uninterrupted internet services over the years is highly appreciable. We had recorded a good number of logistic firms that had gone defunct. But with seamless internet connectivity, all those firms have revived. The internet speed too is good that makes it easy for logistics firms to do their business,” he said.