Jammu, March 16 — Over the past decade, more than 200 investors from across India have been allotted land in Jammu and Kashmir’s industrial estates to set up business units, according to official data. This surge in investment activity accelerated notably after the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of the region into two Union Territories in August 2019.
The majority of these investments are concentrated in the Jammu region, particularly in the districts of Kathua and Samba, while fewer investors have shown interest in establishing businesses in the Kashmir Valley.
Under the Industrial Policy 2016-26, 28 entrepreneurs were granted over 500 kanals of land in Samba and Kathua. However, the revised Industrial Policy 2021-30, introduced after the abrogation of Article 370, attracted wider interest from business groups across India. Investors from Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have shown enthusiasm for setting up ventures in the Union Territory.
Delhi leads the list with 50 investors, followed by Haryana with 45 and Punjab with 43. Others include Uttar Pradesh (14), Maharashtra (9), and seven each from Gujarat, Chandigarh, and Himachal Pradesh.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary emphasized that the Industrial Policy 2021-30 focuses on sectors like manufacturing, IT, agriculture, healthcare, real estate, tourism, renewable energy, and handicrafts. He highlighted that women-led enterprises, holding at least a 51% stake, are eligible for special land allotments in industrial estates.
Choudhary added that the government is committed to implementing policy initiatives that will create an investor-friendly environment, driving economic growth and boosting industrial development in the region.
