Mission YUVA gains momentum: 42,000 applications received, Rs 264 Cr projects sanctioned

Srinagar, Sep 8: Mission YUVA, the J&K government’s flagship youth entrepreneurship programme, is gathering strong momentum with over 42,000 applications received and projects worth Rs 264 crore already sanctioned, officials said on Monday.

At a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, it was revealed that 36,951 applications were for nano enterprises, 1,557 for new MSMEs, and 210 from existing MSMEs. So far, 4,190 projects have been sanctioned and more than 2,000 disbursed, reflecting growing participation from aspiring entrepreneurs across the Union Territory.

Banks have submitted 15,771 applications worth Rs 1,071 crore, disbursed Rs 133.46 crore, and claimed subsidies of Rs 23.18 crore. The average project cost under the scheme stands at Rs 6.3 lakh.

Reviewing the mission’s implementation, Dulloo stressed the need to improve the quality of DPRs, ensure timely credit flow, and enhance capacity-building programmes for applicants. He directed banks to clear pending cases at the earliest and called for hiring skilled manpower in project management units to ensure professional execution.

Principal Secretary, Finance, Santosh D. Vaidya, underlined that the programme’s success depends on skilling, credit support, and strong market linkages, while Director IIM Jammu suggested a year-long training calendar for stakeholders.

Secretary, Labour & Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, informed that the YUVA portal has recorded over 90,000 applications and the mobile app has crossed 50,000 downloads, making it one of the most transparent and accessible youth empowerment platforms in J&K.

The Chief Secretary also reviewed the district-wise YUVA dashboard, assessing progress on credit flow, DPR generation, and youth skilling activities.