Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha held interactions with the industry leaders in Kolkata and invited them to invest in Jammu and Kashmir.

The event organised by the Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO), Department of Industries and Commerce, J&K in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) included Industrialist/ Investors from Eastern India.

While discussing the host of interventions made by the UT Government for creating a sustainable, balanced, progressive, and competitive industrial ecosystem in the region, the Lt Governor made several important announcements on the occasion.

The Lt Governor has announced the enhancement of the Industrial Development scheme outlay to meet the exceeded expectation of investments in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The proposed investment has already reached Rs. 31,000 crore and is expected to cross Rs.51,000 crore by the end of the financial year. Given the response received, the government is enhancing the scheme outlay to meet the demand”, the Lt Governor observed.

With the quantum jump witnessed in the proposals received for setting up business enterprises, the demand for land has correspondingly increased, and to meet the growing demand, Land Bank is being developed across the UT. The Lt Governor announced that the UT government is coming up with the rules governing change of land use shortly to facilitate the setting up of business enterprises on private land.

‘This will ensure the seamless establishment of business enterprises on private lands. Business enterprises coming up on private land shall be entitled to all the incentives as per extant policy and procedure’, the Lt Governor added.

Due to the second wave of Covid and subsequent lockdown, several new industrial units have not been able to come into production within the specified timelines. To redress the issue, the Government is mulling to give a one-time extension to such units, up to March 31, 2022, for coming into production, announced the Lt Governor.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor said that J&K UT is on a mission to renovate, reinvent, and ready to take a quantum leap to become the fastest-growing region in the country, pushing the targets for economic growth and employment.

Our aim is to deepen the trust with the business conglomerate, build the industrial base and strengthen the socio-economic stability, observed the Lt Governor.

“Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Home Minister, we worked out a blueprint to unlock investment flows and are in the process of developing a business culture, and industrial ecosystem in J&K that has been missing since Independence,” the Lt Governor noted.

Elaborating on the efforts being made by the UT Government to encourage new investment, and to nurture the existing industries, the Lt Governor said that J&K is one of the best destinations in the country for setting up new businesses as of now with the best incentives and improving infrastructure facilities.

“We are fulfilling all the crucial requirements of the industries including the transparent policy of land allotment, private industrial estate development, ensuring ease of doing business, besides the administration has actively worked with solutions approach and introduced around 160 new initiatives and reforms in a short period of time”, the Lt Governor observed.

Promotion of industrial units, providing capital incentive, a liberal capital interest subvention, GST linked incentive, ease of doing business, development of sector-specific industrial estates and parks, single window system, are some of the reforms brought in by the government to unleash the potential of the industrial sector, the Lt Governor added.

Highlighting the immense possibilities presented by Jammu & Kashmir, the Lt Governor observed that the region offers abundant raw material for Agro & Food processing, manufacturing, land, labour, quick and competitive means of transportation. Besides, there is an ‘amazingly easy interface with the government’ through responsive governance and minimum government, in addition to being logistically the most attractive region with industrial land bank, sector-specific policy and international air cargo facility.

In addition, by December 2022, the train will also reach Kashmir giving alternate all-weather connectivity to the valley, he added. The Lt Governor further announced that the UT administration has a detailed “What you need” plan ready because we know that everybody wants a return on their investment sooner than later.

“This is the dawn of a new era for the growth, development, and overall well-being of the people of J&K. Barriers to trade and commerce have been removed. The people of J&K can now fully enjoy the rights and benefits enjoyed by all other citizens of India,” the Lt Governor observed.

Sh. Ranjan Prakash Thakur, Principal Secretary to J&K Government, Industries & Commerce Department and Ms. Ankita Kar, Managing Director, JKTPO elaborated on investment opportunities that J&K is offering to the Industries.

Principal Secretary Industries invited industry members to visit J&K and witness the changes on the ground themselves and take benefit of the best industrial policy in the country.

“We are confident that such steps coupled with the Central Government’s and UT Administration’s efforts in J&K will soon create an environment for attracting industry to the UT,” said Sh Subhasendu Chatterjee, Vice Chairman CII West Bengal State Council and Wholetime Director of Haldia Petrochemicals.

The interactive session facilitated prospective investors to have a dialogue on the immense investment opportunities presented by the verdant region.

A video of J&K encapsulating different developments in the UT in the last two years was also showcased on the occasion.

The event was attended by over 40 delegates and some prominent industry groups included Tata Steels, Haldia Petrochemicals, Anmol Feeds, Eveready Industries, KCT Industries, Herbalife Industries, Green Ply Industries, Titagarh Wagons, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited.