90% industrial units in J&K since 2019 were set up by locals, says report by parliamentary panel

Published 8 August 2026 · politics

Nearly 90% of the industrial units established in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019 are owned by locals, according to a report by a Parliamentary Standing

Nearly 90% of the industrial units established in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019 are owned by locals, according to a report by a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, which was tabled in the Parliament on Friday (August 8, 2026). Between 2019-20 and 2025-26, 2,279 industrial units were established in J&K, the report said. Of these, 2,056 units were established by locals, and 223 units were established by non-locals. Together, these projects attracted investments worth ₹16,598.97 crore and generated 75,848 jobs, the report said. J&K’s Budget for 2025-26 pegs total expenditure at ₹1.12 lakh crore. Following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in J&K on August 5, 2019, the Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre claimed that the move would bring in development and open opportunities for business investments in J&K.

The data in the Standing Committee’s report show that local entrepreneurs account for more than 9 out of 10 new industrial establishments. The committee noted that industrialisation has been driven by the New Central Sector Scheme-2021 (NCSS-2021), a ₹28,400-crore incentive programme notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Under the scheme, 971 units were registered, including 754 established by locals and 217 by non-locals. Employment figures suggest that projects established by non-locals tended to be larger. The 754 NCSS-linked units established by locals proposed 20,629 jobs, while the 217 units established by non-locals proposed 31,268 jobs. Under NCSS-2021, 3,338 incentive claims worth ₹951 crore had been approved, the report said, while ₹814.68 crore had already been disbursed.

The committee, led by the BJP’s Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, described the progress in industrial development as significant and said the participation of both local and non-local entrepreneurs reflected improving investor confidence in the region. “The active participation of both local and non-local entrepreneurs” is an encouraging sign, the committee said, adding that sustained policy support would be necessary to maintain the momentum of industrial growth and employment generation in Jammu and Kashmir. The report added that Jammu & Kashmir had achieved a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 1.5, below the national average of 1.9, making it one of the better-performing States and Union Territories on fertility indicators. The Union Territory administration told the Parliamentary Standing Committee that the achievement reflected “sustained efforts towards strengthening maternal and child healthcare services, expanding access to family planning, improving female literacy, enhancing institutional healthcare delivery and promoting socio-economic development”.