B’pora engineer looses job to Covid-19, now among Kashmir’s youngest entrepreneurs

Bandipora, Feb 05: An engineer from North Kashmir’s Bandipora district who established a manufacturing business, has marked his name among the youngest entrepreneur in the region.
Zahid Imtiyaz Raina, a 24-year-old entrepreneur started manufacturing of paper cups, napkins and disposable glasses a year ago and has achieved success in this venture.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Zahid said that he had to leave his prior job during Covid-19 pandemic, following which he had a period of inactivity at home, during which he began contemplating a fresh start.
A year after starting his venture, Zahid has now become a job provider to the people in his vicinity.
“Our unit is small, technically classed as micro, though it employs 15 people. I owe this success to the Prime Minister’s Employment Guarantee Program,” he said.
Notably, the central government’s Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy 2021 appears to be yielding results in the Kashmir Valley. The approach was launched last year, to invigorate the sector and create employment opportunities in the J&K.
Presently, Zahid is striving to extend it further. He expressed that the jobless youngsters of the Valley should benefit from the plans of the national and Union Territory governments.
He said that a while back, paper napkins were mainly utilized by tourists however now in the current circumstance in J&K, it is being used in every household. Also the paper cups are even being used across Kashmir.
Zahid expressed that the demand for napkins and paper cups is increasing at a quick pace. “These items are essential components of our everyday utilization and can be found in numerous locations such as transit centers, cinemas, hotels, eateries, vacation homes and dwellings.”
He said that the increased demand for paper napkins will likely spur the requirement for paper napkin producing machines, thus boosting the market growth rate.
Describing the machine that he purchased for this endeavor, Zahid stated that the paper cup-making machine is a multi-section automated apparatus. It boasts continuous automated processes such as filling, sealing, oil-filling, heating, knurling, convex knurling, curving, unloading, and more.
He urged youth to remain actively engaged, suggesting they should strive to do something beneficial to themselves as well as their society.