Jammu and Kashmir offers vast business opportunities; investor summit in November in Srinagar: Govt official

Pune: A top Jammu and Kashmir government official on Thursday asked representatives from various sectors to explore business opportunities in the state which will become a Union Territory in October-end.

Mahmood Ahmad Shah, director (industries & commerce), was in the city to tap various sectors for investments in Jammu and Kashmir post scrapping of provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to the border state.

"We are having an investor summit in November in Srinagar and in order to build the momentum, we are talking to various sectors.

"To begin with, we started it from Pune and today met office-bearers of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA)," he said while talking to PTI.

He said Sarhad, a city-based NGO working for Kashmiri students, is helping the J&K government to reach out to various sectors, including industries and education, in Pune.

Representational image. Firstpost/Naresh Sharma

"Currently, there are a lot of opportunities in Jammu & Kashmir as far as dry fruit, apple processing plants, education, health care facilities and tourism are concerned.

"We are trying to reach out to industries and educational institutes, which can come and establish their facilities in the Valley," Shah said.

Asked about the meeting with MCCIA office-bearers, Shah said he conveyed to them the requirements of soon-to-be Union Territory.

"Today's meeting was an initial talk on the issue as plans will get more crystallised in coming days," he added.

Shah said he will be meeting representatives of educational institutes who want to set up their campuses in the Valley.

"We are welcoming people who can come and establish hospitals, medical facilities...educational institutes as that can open up employment opportunities as well as quality education for local students," he said.

Shah said they are trying to find out how to go about it and what kind of help they can get from Pune.

"We will get here some industry players from our region and see what kind of opportunities we can explore together," the official added.

Asked about the current scenario in J&K post the Centre's moves on Articles 370 and 35A, he said the situation in the Valley is improving fast.