Women-led Startups in Jammu Kashmir Receive Rs 1.5 Crore Support Under Seed Fund Scheme: Centre | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Union Government has stated that women-led startups in Jammu and Kashmir have secured a modest share of central funding under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), with only seven ventures supported since its inception in 2021. The information was shared in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question on national trends in funding, mentorship, and support for women entrepreneurs.

According to the figures on record, no women-led startup in Jammu and Kashmir received approval under the SISFS in 2021 or 2022. The first two approvals came only in 2023, when startups from the Union Territory received a combined Rs 0.30 crore. The support increased in 2024, when four women-led startups were approved for Rs 1.05 crore. During 2025, up to October 31, just one startup was approved with funding of Rs 0.15 crore. Over the five years, the UT recorded a cumulative allocation of Rs 1.50 crore for seven ventures.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, while presenting national data, said that women-led startups across the country have secured significant support through the government’s three flagship schemes: the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS). However, the figures show a marked concentration of funding in States with deepened startup ecosystems, notably Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, and Delhi.

Under the Fund of Funds route, Alternative Investment Funds supported by SIDBI invested Rs 2,838.9 crore in 154 women-led startups nationwide between 2020 and October 2025. The State-wise break-up, which was placed as an annexure, reflects low participation from smaller and Himalayan regions, including Jammu and Kashmir, though the reply does not provide a specific UT-level figure for this component.

The Centre reported that, under the SISFS alone, incubators across India approved Rs 284.79 crore to 1,635 women-led startups between 2021 and October 2025. In this period, JK’s share remained among the lowest. States such as Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu accounted for the highest number of supported ventures and the largest volume of sanctioned funds.

The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, said that the schemes together address early-stage capital constraints, provide seed support, and enable credit access without collateral for new ventures. He added that sector-wise variations in support mirror the concentration of women entrepreneurs in areas such as health technology, crafts and design, food processing, education technologies, and consumer services. However, the reply did not include State-specific sectoral break-ups or success rates.

On mentorship and training programmes for women entrepreneurs, the Ministry informed the Upper House that these are being run through incubators and institutional partners across States, though the reply did not include UT-wise participation numbers. It noted that outreach and capacity-building efforts continue to expand but acknowledged that certain States lag in submitting proposals or fully utilising available schemes. The reply did not name the lagging States but said that the Ministry is taking corrective action through “regular review meetings, capacity strengthening of State Startup Cells, and continuous engagement with incubators.”

For Jammu and Kashmir, the data indicates that while women-led entrepreneurship has begun to access national funding channels, the ecosystem remains in an early stage compared with leading startup hubs. With only seven women-led ventures receiving seed support in five years, the UT’s utilisation remains limited, suggesting the need for stronger incubator networks, more aggressive mobilisation of proposals, and targeted mentoring support.