CM Launches Mission YUVA, Aims to Create 4.25 Lakh Jobs in Five Years

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday launched Mission YUVA (Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan) at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, a flagship initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and generating employment across Jammu and Kashmir.

The programme targets the creation of 1.37 lakh enterprises and 4.25 lakh jobs over the next five years. Over one crore individuals have been surveyed to inform the mission, with the data expected to support policy development across multiple sectors including education, health, and youth welfare.

Addressing a gathering of government officials, legislators, civil society representatives, and young entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister said the mission is designed to empower youth through financial support, entrepreneurship opportunities, and ecosystem development. “Access to finance remains a key barrier for aspiring entrepreneurs. Mission Yuva aims to address this by using Artificial Intelligence to generate bank-ready Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), removing delays in loan processing,” he said.

The CM also highlighted the role of market linkages and institutional support in ensuring business success. He stressed that the programme is rooted in fieldwork and collective planning, rather than decisions taken in isolation.

He acknowledged previous efforts to support entrepreneurship, including the Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY), and noted that while not every venture succeeded, many beneficiaries had gone on to create employment for others.

Rejecting politicisation of the mission, he said, “Mission Yuva should not be identified with any political party or individual—it belongs to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.”

The event was attended by Ministers Sakeena Itoo, Javed Rana, Satish Sharma; Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani; Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta; J&K Bank MD & CEO Amitabh Chatterjee; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Secretary Labour & Employment Kumar Rajiv Ranjan; Mission Director Shehzad Alam, and others.

Further details on implementation are expected to be released in coming weeks.