CS reviews progress on Mission YUVA to boost entrepreneurship

Srinagar, Aug 07: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday conducted a comprehensive review of the youth empowerment program, Mission YUVA (Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan), launched in Jammu & Kashmir with the vision of transforming the region into a vibrant hub for enterprises and holistic employment.The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretaries (ACS) of Higher Education and Planning; Principal Secretary of Finance; Secretary of Labour & Employment; Director of IIM; MD of J&K Bank; Secretary of School Education; Director General of Budget; and other senior officers, while Deputy Commissioners participated virtually.During the review, the Chief Secretary received a detailed briefing on the primary objectives of Mission YUVA, which aims to generate widespread employment through enterprise creation and establish a robust, cross-sectoral business support ecosystem. He emphasised the importance of scaling existing businesses to boost the State Gross Domestic Product (SGDP) and fostering a startup ecosystem with innovative enterprises. Dulloo directed Deputy Commissioners to regularly review progress to ensure smooth achievement of the mission’s goals.Secretary Labour & Employment Kumar Rajeev Ranjan provided an overview of the scheme, highlighting that the program aims to create over 1,37,000 new enterprises and generate more than 4,25,000 jobs across various sectors. So far, the mission has received 31,411 loan applications—29,460 for nano-enterprises, 1,502 for new MSMEs, and 443 for existing MSMEs—with a total disbursed loan amount of Rs 29.70 crore and subsidy support of Rs 5.15 crore.The review also covered the IEC campaign Udyam Jagriti, which has successfully reached over 150,000 participants across all 20 districts, including 50,000 women. This campaign has facilitated over 8,000 loan applications. Additionally, a capacity-building mela held on August 2, 2025, attracted over 6,346 attendees, and a hybrid training module has been launched in ITIs and polytechnics to prepare aspiring entrepreneurs.On market access, the mission is focusing on enhancing e-commerce and trade linkages by creating an e-commerce