Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, May 7, 2025 – In a landmark initiative to empower the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, Sudershan Kumar, Managing Director of the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO), and Khalid Jahangir, Director of the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI), inaugurated the first batch of the Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Programme (ESDP) under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme in District Samba. Held at JKEDI Samba, the launch represents a bold step toward fostering entrepreneurship and strengthening the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) ecosystem in the region.
The ESDP, backed by the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, and the World Bank, is designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with critical skills in business management, digital financing, market access, and innovation. Speaking at the event, Sudershan Kumar highlighted JKTPO’s commitment to transforming Jammu and Kashmir’s MSME landscape under the guidance of Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vikramjit Singh. Khalid Jahangir emphasized the program’s role in enabling participants to convert ideas into sustainable businesses, driving economic growth and self-reliance.
The Samba ESDP builds on JKTPO’s recent efforts, including RAMP awareness workshops conducted with Grant Thornton Bharat LLP and District Industries Centre (DIC) in districts like Samba, Reasi, and Udhampur. A notable workshop on April 25, 2025, at the DC Office, Samba, engaged stakeholders from Handloom & Handicrafts, Labour Department, JKRLM, and students from Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Samba, underscoring a collaborative push to enhance the MSME ecosystem. The RAMP scheme, supported by a ₹74.03 crore budget (₹66.63 crore from the Centre and ₹7.40 crore from the UT), funds initiatives like buyer-seller meets, MSME Health Clinics, and Management Development Programmes (MDPs), with JKEDI implementing MDPs across 15 districts since mid-April, reaching over 300 participants.
Tailored to local needs, the ESDP offers mentorship, funding linkages, and incubation support, aligning with JKEDI’s achievements under the J&K Startup Policy (launched March 2024), which has registered over 250 startups on the DPIIT portal. A recent MoU with DPIIT (January 28, 2025) further strengthens the startup ecosystem. JKTPO, as the nodal agency for RAMP, is driving tools like the J&K MSME Health Clinic and M&E Dashboard to monitor and scale impact.
The launch resonates with the Omar Abdullah government’s focus on industrial growth and youth employment, as reiterated by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary’s push for prioritizing local talent in industrial ventures. Posts on X reflect public optimism about the initiative’s potential to address unemployment and foster economic development, though these sentiments remain unverified.
By empowering Samba’s youth with entrepreneurial skills and resources, the ESDP sets the stage for a vibrant MSME sector, positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a hub of innovation and opportunity.
