Srinagar, Sep 9: The Apex Committee of Mission YUVA (Youth Upliftment and Vibrant Advancement), chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the flagship youth empowerment initiative, with focus on strengthening entrepreneurship, skills, finance and digital market access across Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting assessed milestones achieved since the previous review in May 2026, covering the four broad dimensions of the Mission—Culture, Capital, Capacity and Connectivity.
Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Managing Director, J&K Bank; Commissioner Secretary, Planning; Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce; Director, IIM Jammu; Commissioner Secretary, Education; Secretary, Rural Development; Managing Director, JKRLM; representatives of universities, SKUAST, NABARD and other stakeholders attended the meeting. Deputy Commissioners from all districts joined through video conferencing.
Reviewing the district-wise progress, the Chief Secretary stressed close coordination among government departments, financial institutions, training agencies and field-level functionaries to ensure that the growing application base translates into viable enterprises, sustainable employment and long-term economic empowerment.
Dulloo called for stronger field mobilisation, effective handholding of applicants, timely processing of cases and greater institutional convergence. He also emphasised increasing participation of women and youth, strengthening training and mentorship and leveraging digital platforms to expand market access for locally produced goods and services.
Secretary, Skill Development Department, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, presented the latest progress, highlighting the substantial expansion of Mission YUVA's footprint since the May review.
Under the Cultural Mobilisation and Public Awareness component, average daily applications have risen by 39 per cent over the past three months, from 280 to 390. Female-led applications have increased by 76 per cent, from 91 to 160 per day, while women now account for 31 per cent of total applications, up from 27 per cent. Around 78 per cent of female applications are being driven by Self-Help Groups.
The Yuva Jagriti 5.0 mass mobilisation campaign has reached 88,300 individuals, registering a 42 per cent rise since the previous review.
Business Hackathons, launched on August 15, have engaged 18,000 students from more than 255 educational institutions and generated over 1,300 business ideas. The campaign will continue till September 16.
Overall applications have increased by 37 per cent, rising from 1,04,067 on May 15 to 1,42,196 as of September 7. SBDU verifications have reached 80,965, while DLIC approvals stand at 75,791.
Loan sanctions have grown by 53 per cent to ₹1,992 crore across 37,171 accounts, while disbursements have reached ₹1,826 crore across 32,665 accounts.
The initiative has also translated financial assistance into enterprise creation, with 13,597 new enterprises now fully operational across J&K—a 58 per cent increase since May. Another 6,777 enterprises are at the Work-In-Progress stage.
The capacity-building component has expanded significantly, with 36,474 student and entrepreneur certifications completed, marking a 73 per cent increase since the previous review.
The mentorship ecosystem has also grown sharply. As many as 2,645 entrepreneurs have been mentored by 482 onboarded mentors, with enterprise mentorship completion registering a seven-fold increase.
Digital market access has emerged as another major success. The number of J&K merchant storefronts onboarded on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has risen by 329 per cent since May to 9,266. Of these, 2,067 dedicated Mission YUVA youth stores have been fully onboarded, giving young entrepreneurs, including those from rural and semi-urban areas, access to the national digital marketplace.
The Chief Secretary appreciated the progress achieved since May and directed all stakeholders to sustain the momentum, strengthen delivery mechanisms and convert Mission YUVA's expanding outreach into durable enterprises, stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems and wider livelihood opportunities for the youth across Jammu and Kashmir.