Srinagar, Jun 28, 2025 : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday launched the ambitious Mission YUVA (Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan) at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) — a transformative initiative aimed at fostering youth entrepreneurship across Jammu and Kashmir.
Designed to create 1.37 lakh enterprises and 4.25 lakh jobs over the next five years, Mission YUVA seeks to build an inclusive and opportunity-rich ecosystem for aspiring young entrepreneurs in the Union Territory.
“I promise the youth of Jammu and Kashmir that I will try my best to help you reach heights where you will not only rewrite your destiny, but also that of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Chief Minister said in his address.
A Ground-Up Vision for Youth Empowerment
CM Abdullah emphasized that Mission YUVA is youth-centric, data-driven, and field-tested, shaped through an extensive outreach campaign that engaged over one crore people — a survey exercise on the scale of a population census. The findings informed the mission’s structure, with a focus on financial inclusion, skill development, market access, and ecosystem building.
The CM noted that over 30% of the projected beneficiaries will be women, highlighting the mission’s commitment to inclusive growth.
Financial Access Through AI
One of the standout features of Mission YUVA is its technology-enabled financing model. Acknowledging that lack of funding is a major barrier for aspiring entrepreneurs, the CM announced that the mission will assist applicants in preparing bank-ready Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) using Artificial Intelligence, reducing delays and rejections in loan processing.
“Even the best idea fails without funding or market access. Mission YUVA is structured to address both — through AI-generated DPRs and a strong market linkage ecosystem,” he said.
Not About Names, But Youth
Reflecting on past efforts, Omar Abdullah recalled his government’s earlier programme, SKEWPY (Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth), which helped many young entrepreneurs set up successful ventures.
“Unfortunately, successive governments were more focused on renaming schemes than sustaining their vision,” he said. “Mission YUVA should not represent any party or leader. It belongs to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Dignitaries & Support
The launch event was attended by Ministers Sakeena Itoo, Javed Rana, Satish Sharma, Advisor to CM Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to CM Dheeraj Gupta, J&K Bank MD & CEO Amitabh Chatterjee, MLAs, bureaucrats, and a large number of young entrepreneurs from across the UT.
Mission Director Shehzad Alam and Secretary Labour & Employment Kumar Rajiv Ranjan were also present, along with divisional heads and stakeholders.
The CM praised the humility and dedication of the team behind the mission, calling it a “vision built on fieldwork, collaboration, and the genuine aspirations of the youth.”
