No units were established under other central and Union Territory schemes such as the Youth Start-Up Loan Scheme (YSSL), Seed Capital Fund Scheme (SCFS), and the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) in Jammu and Kashmir during the last three years
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Srinagar
The Jammu and Kashmir government has said only 18 start-ups have received seed capital support in the Union Territory over the past three financial years, with funding released only in the current fiscal under the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI).
The government on Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly said that no seed capital was provided to start-ups in 2023–24 and 2024–25 under JKEDI or any other government-supported mechanism. Funding was released only in 2025–26, when ₹3.6 crore was sanctioned in favour of 18 start-ups, at ₹20 lakh per start-up.
The total seed capital released during the period stands at ₹9 crore, calculated at ₹5 lakh per start-up, the government said in reply to a un-starred question by MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay, adding that all 18 start-ups were funded in the current financial year. Officials said the sanctioned assistance was aimed at early-stage ventures with scalable business models, though details of sector-wise distribution were not shared.
The government also informed the House that no units were established under other central and Union Territory schemes such as the Youth Start-Up Loan Scheme (YSSL), Seed Capital Fund Scheme (SCFS), and the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) in Jammu and Kashmir during the last three years.
The disclosure comes at a time when the administration has been projecting entrepreneurship and start-ups as key drivers of employment generation in the Union Territory.
Significant gap
However, the figures highlight a significant gap between policy intent and on-ground implementation, particularly in terms of financial support to new ventures.
Start-up founders and industry observers have repeatedly flagged delays in funding, procedural bottlenecks, and limited outreach of existing schemes as major hurdles for aspiring entrepreneurs in the region.
The government, however, maintains that efforts are underway to strengthen the start-up ecosystem and expand institutional support in the coming years.
Officials said the administration was reviewing existing startup schemes to streamline approval processes and improve disbursal timelines.
“Steps were being taken to improve coordination between financial institutions and implementing agencies to ensure wider coverage and more effective support for early-stage entrepreneurs in the region”, said the officials.
Published on February 11, 2026
