SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 15: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Sunday placed a comprehensive set of trade and industry concerns before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, which is currently on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the economic and industrial landscape of the region.
A delegation led by KCCI Senior Vice President Ashiq Hussain Shangloo and Joint Secretary General Umer Nazir Tibetbaqal met Committee Chairperson Dola Sen and several Members of Parliament, including Renuka Chowdhury, Yusuf Pathan, Shiv Pal Singh Patel, Sadanand Shet Tanavade, and Prasun Banerjee. In a detailed memorandum, the Chamber underscored urgent issues ranging from industrial incentives and credit access to export decline and infrastructure gaps.
The delegation emphasized that despite the Centre’s repeated push for “ease of doing business,” entrepreneurs in Kashmir continue to face cumbersome clearance processes and challenges over expired no-objection certificates. They demanded a genuine single-window system to facilitate smoother operations for startups and established businesses alike.
KCCI drew attention to the vacuum left after the exhaustion of the Rs 28,400-crore New Central Sector Scheme in September 2024, highlighting the absence of a replacement industrial incentive scheme. The Chamber urged the government to ensure that at least 25% of benefits under any new policy be reserved for local entrepreneurs, in order to safeguard regional interests and encourage indigenous enterprise.
Frequent closures of NH-44, the lifeline connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country, were flagged as another major obstacle hampering trade. The Chamber called for the development of a modern logistics park in Kashmir and demanded additional dedicated parcel trains to secure uninterrupted movement of perishable goods, particularly apples and horticulture produce.
On the export front, KCCI expressed deep concern over the sharp decline in handicraft exports, which plummeted from Rs 1,162 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 733 crore in 2024-25. The Chamber sought urgent measures for export promotion, including the establishment of warehousing facilities abroad, such as the proposed Bharat Mart in Dubai, recognition of J&K under the Export Promotion Mission, and the setting up of an Inland Container Depot.
The memorandum further called for accreditation of the new Pashmina fibre testing lab at SKUAST-K, distribution of 500 modernized looms to artisans, and the reintroduction of the 3% interest subvention scheme on export finance to help revive the fragile handicraft sector. KCCI also strongly opposed any dilution of the proposed Golden Pashmina Brand, insisting that certification should be reserved exclusively for 100 percent handmade Pashmina to protect authenticity and global reputation.
Raising concerns over credit availability, the Chamber appealed to the Reserve Bank of India and commercial banks to relax rigid norms penalizing entrepreneurs with low or erroneous CIBIL scores. They argued that repeated disruptions caused by conflict and natural calamities had unfairly impacted business performance, making it difficult for genuine entrepreneurs to access finance.
KCCI expressed optimism that the Parliamentary Committee would carefully consider its set of recommendations and incorporate them into future policy frameworks. “Our appeal is for a balanced approach that fosters industrial revival, promotes exports, and secures the livelihoods of thousands who depend on trade and industry in Jammu and Kashmir,” the Chamber noted.