Chief Secretary, Atul Dulloo, today said that Mission Yuva is a transformative movement aimed at changing mindsets and empowering the youth across Jammu and Kashmir economically.

He made these remarks while chairing a one-day session held for members of the Small Business Development Unit (SBDU) and Business Help Desk (BHD) under Mission Yuva at Srinagar.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Secretary emphasized that Mission Yuva seeks to shift the youth’s mindset away from viewing government jobs as the only career path. “It is an effort to bring about psychological and mental transformation among our youth. Once this happens, institutional support will enable them to realize their dreams and aspirations,” he said.

Atul Dulloo underscored the programme’s focus on sustainable economic opportunities, entrepreneurship and self-employment, stressing that vast employment potential lies across industries, agriculture, allied activities and the MSME sector in J&K. He called for creation of a strong economic ecosystem to facilitate the business development and community upliftment. “This is not merely a policy initiative; it is a people’s movement towards empowerment, social upliftment and economic self-reliance,” he added.

Highlighting the need for wider outreach, the Chief Secretary directed the officials to launch door-to-door awareness campaigns on employment opportunities under Mission Yuva besides proper handholding of aspiring entrepreneurs.

He urged all stakeholders including government agencies, private institutions and banks to work in close coordination to make J&K a model of successful youth entrepreneurship.

The Chief Secretary also instructed the banks to ensure hassle-free loan disbursement. “Treat every loan seeker as a business opportunity. Support them until their units are successful. Let J&K become a model for youth-led enterprise,” he said.

Atul Dulloo spoke on various self employment schemes and cited the success of the NRLM, where nearly two lakh “Lakhpati Didis” have become symbols of economic empowerment in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, MD & CEO of J&K Bank, Amitava Chatterjee, said that Mission Yuva presents a significant business opportunity for the banks to expand their loan portfolios while contributing to J&K’s socio-economic development. He highlighted the bank’s active role in shaping the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and reiterated its commitment towards empowering the youth and boosting entrepreneurship in the region.

Earlier, Administrative Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, Kr. Rajeev Ranjan, presented an overview of the progress under Mission Yuva, focusing on awareness, documentation and timely loan disbursement.

The event was attended by Shahzad Alam, Director Employment/Mission Director, Mission Yuva; Aushtosh, General Manager Corporate Banking (Agriculture & MSME); Rakesh Magotra, Deputy General Manager, J&K Bank besides officers from NABARD, JKEDI, SIDBI and members of SBDU and BHD.