Fuzaib Farooq is a successful entrepreneur from Kashmir. He has his own brand name “Pashmilon” and is exporting his products all across the country as well as the Middle East.
Besides earning a successful livelihood, he provides employment to many other persons in his unit that manufactures silken blended cloth, stoles, shawls, arabian rumals, head scarf etc.
Fuzaib Farooq credits his success to the support and guidance he received from DIC Srinagar, who mentored him, and helped, established his first garment unit in Industrial Estate Bagi-i-Ali Mardan Khan Naushera seven years ago.
He was able to achieve his dreams and now along with being a successful budding entrepreneur, he is a motivator for youth, urging them to come forward and avail benefits of various government scheme, to fulfill their dreams by not only becoming owner of their own business units but also employment generator for others.
Another young entrepreneur from Kashmir, Zahoor Ahmad also had established his business unit in the same industrial estate. Zahoor Ahmad manufactures different kinds of spices and supplies different varieties of spices across the valley. Three years back, he approached DIC Srinagar for support and after following the proper process, with the help of state government he finally established his own unit.
DIC Srinagar i.e., the Directorate of Industries and Commerce is the premier organization which deals with all aspects of planning and development of small scale and tiny industrial units in the Division. It acts through 12 District Industries Centers (DICs), one in each district. There are 5 Industrial Estates functioning in Srinagar district including Shalteng, which spreads on 94 kanals of land with 34 functional units, whereas 223 units are operational at Khonmoh which spreads on 2038 kanals of land, at Zakoora, 38 units are functional and the land available is 237 kanals, Bagh-i-Ali Mardan industrial estate presently provides place to 101 functional units with the available land of 144 kanals and Zainakot, which is spread over 525 kanals of land with 151 functional units presently.
Apart from creating infrastructural facilities for industrial development in the shape of establishing industrial estates, export promotion parks and growth centers where fully-developed land, power, water, roads and where prospective entrepreneurs are encouraged to establish their ventures, the Directorate provides facilities of according various registrations, imparting training to entrepreneurs, coordinating with various sister agencies, granting different State/Central Government incentives to various industrial units.
To address the issue of unemployment in the state and to create self employment opportunities for the unemployed youth, the government has initiated various attractive schemes that incentivize setting up of income generating units by budding entrepreneurs. These schemes aim to eradicate joblessness and boost the economic output of the state economy.
Director Industries and Commerce Kashmir, Bilal Ahmad Bhat said that the government under new State Industrial Policy 2016 had introduced Package of Incentives. This package includes 30 percent capital investment subsidy on plant and Machinery, 3-5 percent interest subsidy on working capital loan, 100 percent subsidy on purchase of new DG sets/solar/wind generators/hybrid solar wind systems, 100 percent subsidy on purchase of QC & testing equipment, 100 percent subsidy on preparation of project report, 60 percent subsidy on pollution control equipment, 15 percent price preference to local SSI units in Government Purchases, 50 percent subsidy on installation of equipment for green & environment protection like rain water harvesting, recycling of waste water and solid waste management, 25 percent subsidy on automation/software/hardware/business process re-engineering/IT/online pollution control devices, 30 percent subsidy for obtaining ISI/BIS/FPO/AGMARK/ECEMARK certificates etc and exemption from payment of toll tax, court fee, stamp duty, etc.
Appealing to unemployed youth, Bilal Ahmad Bhat said that if anyone desires to start his own venture, he/she should log on to www.industrieskashmir.nic.in for provisional registration and later on counseling will also be provided by General Manager DIC office of their respective Districts if required.
In Srinagar district, a total of 672 MSME units were registered in organized sector which provides employment to 1950 persons, whereas, in unorganized sector 4620 units were registered which provides jobs to 11703 persons. Overall a total of 5292 units feed 13653 souls in district Srinagar.
Government of India has also approved the introduction of a new credit linked subsidy programme called Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) by merging the two schemes that were in operation till March 31, 2008 namely Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) and Rural Employment Generation Programme.
Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) was launched with the objective of generating employment opportunities through establishment of micro enterprises in rural as well as urban areas whereas; PMEGP is a central sector scheme being administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).
The PMEGP is being implemented by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a statutory organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME as the single nodal agency at the National level.
At the State level, the Scheme is being implemented through State KVIC Directorates, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industries Centers (DICs) and the banks. The Government subsidy under the scheme will be routed by KVIC through the identified Banks for eventual distribution to the beneficiaries & entrepreneurs in their Bank accounts.
The role of DICs in the implementation of the scheme is mainly identification of beneficiaries, identification of area specific viable projects and providing training under entrepreneurship development programme.
In 2016-17, DIC Srinagar placed 148 applications of PMEGP before DLTFC (District Level Task Force Committee) in which 132 applicants were selected for establishing their units under the said scheme. In 2016-17, 120 units were formally registered in DIC Srinagar which provided employment to 748 persons. A total of 168 cases were sponsored under MSME scheme for the year 2016-17 in Srinagar and from April 1, 2017 to June 29, 2017, 65 cases were sponsored in District Srinagar.
