With a total of 35 youth trainees, a 21-day long entrepreneurship programme was concluded at Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (J&K EDI) on January 25 in Leh.

Moses Kunzang, ADC, Leh was the chief guest on the occasion whereas Mohd. Taqi, Deputy Director, District Employment and Counseling Centre, Leh, Zakir Hussain, General Manager, District Industry Centre, Leh and Paljor, Vice President J&K Bank were present on the occasion.

Moses Kunzang, ADC Leh said, “Today we have educated youth coming up as a new generation entrepreneur which are good and can be very successful.  But youths must not follow the already existed business; they should do research, study and then go for new business. Today we have good internet facilities in the region and the youths should take benefit from it to make the business successful. It will not only benefit you but will open an ample of job opportunities for many unemployed youths of the district.”

Dorjay Wangchuk, Executive Manager, JKEDI, Ladakh Division informed, “This financial year, we have trained 75 candidates and another batch of 75 candidates will be processed in future. In the last four years, JKEDI has established 167 units under Seed Capital Fund scheme and have financed to the tune of ₹30 crores. Likewise, under Youth Startup Loan scheme we established 40 units and each has been provided ₹8 Lakh with the simple interest rate of 6%. Under Himayat scheme we have established 112 units.  Including the entire three schemes, we have established more than approximately 350 units in Leh district.”

He further said, “Basically our aim is to create an environment of an entrepreneur so that we can generate more employment. There should be an enabling environment for entrepreneurs in Ladakh which at the same time can solve the unemployment problem. We are giving impetus to developing rural entrepreneur by establishing small-scale units, doing so there can be ease in declining the urbanization problem.”

He also presented a Powerpoint presentation about the three schemes on the occasion.