Over 13,000 MSMEs Assessed Across Jammu Kashmir; CS Pushes AI-Driven Reforms | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: More than 13,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been digitally assessed across Jammu and Kashmir under the MSME Health Clinic (JKMHC), with Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday directing the adoption of artificial intelligence-driven solutions to strengthen the initiative.

Chairing a high-level review meeting, the Chief Secretary called for scaling up stakeholder interactions and introducing advanced Large Language Model (LLM)-based systems for root cause analysis of stressed industrial units, backed by appropriate safeguards. He emphasised the need to train such systems on local datasets and explore indigenous platforms to enhance contextual relevance.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including the Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Director IIM Jammu, Executive Director JKEDI, Director Industries Jammu and other concerned officers.

Dulloo stressed the importance of evidence-based interventions and directed the preparation of detailed case studies based on field-level diagnostics to guide policy decisions and rehabilitation strategies. He also underscored the need for continuous capacity building, directing that structured training programmes be conducted every two months at the district level.

To strengthen institutional coordination, he called for integration of experts from the Small Business Development Unit under Mission YUVA into the MSME Health Clinic framework, along with participation from banks, NABARD and allied departments such as agriculture.

The Chief Secretary further directed the Industries and Commerce Department to engage with key financial institutions, including JK Bank, SBI and NABARD, as well as industry bodies such as FICCI, ASSOCHAM and CII, to enhance stakeholder participation and sector-specific inputs.

He also instructed that a comprehensive workshop be organised in July, following completion of assessments in both divisions, to gather structured feedback and refine the initiative.

During the meeting, it was informed that 13,357 enterprises have been assessed so far, of which 86.26 per cent were categorised as stable, 13.36 per cent as recoverable, and a small proportion identified as vulnerable to sickness.

Officials said the MSME Health Clinic has been designed as an end-to-end digital mechanism to evaluate the financial and operational health of industrial units using real-time data, including GST filings, banking transactions, power consumption and EPFO records.

The meeting was further apprised that over 60 industrial visits have been conducted and 56 units surveyed in detail across multiple districts, identifying key challenges such as high input costs, market competition, logistics constraints and working capital issues.

More than 1,000 MSME Health Certificates have been issued to stable units so far, with full automation of the certification process expected by May 10. District-level committees have also been constituted to enhance outreach, with plans to scale up daily interactions significantly from May 10.

The Chief Secretary reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening MSMEs through data-driven interventions, improved coordination and sustained support mechanisms across the Union Territory.