J&K Industries department receives 5,000 land allotment applications

31 Startups Apply for Seed Funding

Srinagar: The Industries Department of Jammu and Kashmir has received over 5,000 online applications for land allotment since November 2022, with pledges amounting to nearly Rs. 60,000 crore in investment, officials reported. These applications propose setting up factories and other industrial units with the potential to create over 2 lakh jobs.
The Department of Industries and Commerce (I&C) processes all applications under the new allotment policy, which includes a single-window system. This system gives fair weight to factors such as projected investment per Kanal, proposed direct employment per Kanal, industrial type, and environmental impact assessment. To ensure transparency, the department publishes a list of allottees on its official website and invites objections before formal allocation.
Following the repeal of the special status of the erstwhile state on August 5, 2019, and subsequent amendments to land laws, the J&K administration set a target of 4.8 lakh kanals of land to encourage investment. This includes expanding existing industrial estates and establishing new ones in Jammu, Srinagar, and other districts. Until 2020, the government allocated 2.4 lakh kanals of land to the I&C Department, including 1.6 lakh in the Jammu division and 80,000 in Kashmir.
To assess the evolving industrial scenario in J&K, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a meeting of the Industries & Commerce Department. He was informed that over Rs. 8,050 crore in investment has been realized since 2021. Around 889 units, promising employment to 46,857 people with an investment proposal of Rs. 18,185 crore, have started groundwork by the end of the previous financial year. For the first time, multiple units with investments above Rs. 500 crore were set up under the new industrial policy across different sectors.
The UT achieved 97% reform implementation as approved by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India, for the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) 2022. Additionally, 185 services have been made available online through a single window portal, with over 18 departments onboarded. There are 46 new industrial estates currently under development, providing feasible land of 18,888 kanals.
Out of 1,496 applications received under the New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS), 916 have been approved by the concerned authorities. From the approved outlay of Rs. 1,050 crore, incentives amounting to Rs. 210 crore have been disbursed by the J&K Development Finance Corporation (JKDFC).
Regarding the newly launched ‘J&K Startup Policy,’ 31 startups have applied for seed funding. The Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) is facilitating these startups in availing benefits from the Loan Guarantee Program as per DPIIT guidelines. The institute has onboarded mentors from various organizations to foster innovation and women entrepreneurship. Additionally, two patent cells have been established at JKEDI campuses in Pampore and Bari Brahmana.
The HAUSLA 2.0 program aims to promote women entrepreneurship across the UT. It focuses on building necessary business skills, enhancing market reach, and facilitating access to finance and government incentives. Out of 915 applicants, 511 women have been shortlisted by JKTPO/JKEDI, with district-level training scheduled from August to October this year.