Jammu, September 8: In a major step towards strengthening the backbone of Jammu & Kashmir’s economy, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, the Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) and the Directorates of Industries and Commerce signed a landmark Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to establish the Jammu & Kashmir MSME Health Clinic (JKMHC) under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme. The initiative is designed to serve as an institutional mechanism for early identification of stress in Micro and small enterprises and provide them with both financial and non-financial support to ensure resilience and long-term growth.
The signing ceremony, held at the Board Room of IIM Jammu’s Jagti Campus, was attended by key dignitaries including Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu; Sudershan Kumar, Managing Director, JKTPO; Arun Kumar Manhas, Director, Industries & Commerce, Jammu; and Khalid Majeed, Director, Industries & Commerce, Kashmir, alongside senior faculty members, officials from both directorates, and representatives from JKTPO.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Sahay underlined the significance of hosting the Project Management Unit (PMU) at IIM Jammu, which he said would anchor a strong research-driven framework to address real-world challenges faced by MSMEs. Linking the initiative to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, he emphasized that students of IIM Jammu would actively participate in live projects with industries across J&K, gaining valuable field exposure while contributing innovative solutions for enterprise growth.
Sudershan Kumar, MD JKTPO, highlighted JKTPO’s role in expanding global market access for local industries through branding, promotion, and trade facilitation, with a focus on traditional crafts like handicrafts, carpets, and horticulture. Meanwhile, Director I&C Jammu, Arun Manhas, described the clinic as a “transformative support system” that would help small businesses adapt and thrive in today’s competitive economy.
The Jammu & Kashmir MSME Health Clinic is structured as a two-year programme (FY 2024–25 to FY 2026–27) with an outlay of ₹30.64 crore, aiming to cover 959 identified MSMEs across the UT. It will unfold in three phases: diagnostic studies and vulnerability mapping; targeted interventions, including working capital loans, technology upgrade subsidies, warehouse receipt financing, and export promotion grants; and finally, the creation of long-term monitoring and sustainability frameworks. Non-financial interventions will focus on skill training, quality certification, capacity building, and strategic mentoring.
Dean (Faculty & Research), Prof. Jabir Ali, noted that the initiative provides a rare opportunity to integrate rigorous academic research with field-level interventions, ensuring that insights generated contribute not only to enterprise rehabilitation but also to broader policy design for the MSME sector.
Officials stressed that the clinic is intended as a preventive measure rather than a curative one, designed to intervene early before enterprises slip irreversibly into sickness. By combining government support, academic expertise, and trade promotion mechanisms, the initiative promises to transform distressed enterprises into resilient contributors to both the regional and national economy.
The launch of this tripartite MoU positions IIM Jammu as a critical knowledge partner and further reinforces its growing role as a catalyst in industry, academia, and government collaboration in the region. The MSME Health Clinic, experts say, could become a replicable model for other states, setting a benchmark for how timely support and research-driven interventions can stabilize and empower the small enterprise sector that forms the lifeline of India’s economic ecosystem.