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VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

Enterprise.Development.Innovation

30

Battling
the

odds
a

14

pleased
chief minister
22

Advantage

Doda

Seed Capital
Fund Scheme
A component of Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare
Programme for Youth (SKEWPY) of the J&K Government,
provides seed money to start-up entrepreneurs coupled with
bank finance at concessional rates to enable their successful
enterprise creation. The scheme is being implemented by JKEDI
in collaboration with J&K bank.

Seed Money

35%*

provided by
JKEDI as non-refundable
seed capital

*35% seed capital component


up to a maximum of
- Rs 3 lakh for 10+2 and graduates
- Rs 5 lakh for post graduates
- Rs 7.50 lakh for MBA, B.E, B.Tech, Doctors ( MBBS, BDS, BVSC, etc. )

Bank Finance

65%

provided by J&K Bank at


concessional interest rates

=
Total
cost
of

Your dream
EDI

JAMMU & KASHMIR


ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE

Business

No hurdle, howsoever strong, can stop you from being an entrepreneur


We at JKEDI are dreamers, dream merchants and
storytellers. We dream a lot and encourage people to
dream preferably big but size doesnt matter
because we rmly believe that all our dreams come
true when we pursue them with strong will and
courage.

Growing interest among governmental policymakers in


promoting entrepreneurship and creating proentrepreneurial conditions are indeed appreciable. But we
at JKEDI, in particular, believe that we have only made
rst baby steps to remove determinants of
entrepreneurship.

This is the rst issue of J&K Entrepreneur as


entrepreneurship and business magazine, a rst of its
kind in the state. It the result of a long harboureddream woven by JKEDI family members. The journey
from a simple internal newsletter to a full-edged
news and feature magazine was not an easy one. There
were hurdles, but we didnt let them stop us from
dreaming and making our dream come true.

We understand the journey is long and not trouble-free.


But our commitment to the cause is of course built on
robust foundation that we have inherited from our
leadership. There are hurdles everywhere. We dont deny
them. No barrier is too strong to cause us to give up in the
pursuit of realising our shared dreams.

And the result of everybodys perseverance and hard


work at JKEDI is just in your hands.
It is indeed a humble beginning. There are many more,
in fact a lot more, dreams to be actualised about
JKEDI and its mission to enable enterprise creation in
the state, battling a huge crisis in terms of
unemployment.

The battle is hard, not unconquerable. But then the life is


all about struggle. The beauty is in the struggle to achieve,
not in the achievement itself. You cherish the hard won
battles only.
Please continue to dream with a rm sense of belief and
dedication. Lets realise them together.

It is our faith that entrepreneurship is the only weapon


to win the battle. And research studies done world
over only reinforce our belief. The studies have
proven that new enterprise small or medium drives
economic innovation, job allocation through selfemployment to pave a route out of poverty.

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

30
6

Phone:

10

22

20

40

24

JAMMU & KASHMIR


ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE

Where eve's

daughters
can break through the glass ceiling
J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

People in the state are fast becoming health conscious


and tness freaks. Stressed, caught in the web of lifestyle diseases, our women, particularly in urban centres,
want ladies-exclusive tness centres. Unfortunately
there are not many. There are huge chances of
entrepreneurial success in breaking through the sector.
All you need is a right facility at a right place. That forms
a critical path to your success. A 6,00020,000 square
feet of carpet area should be enough to open a gym
outlet. After equipments and machinery, second largest
expense involved in operating a tness centre is hiring a
staff. An investment of at least Rs.10 lakh boosted by an
effective marketing can make yours a sure shot success
To lead by example, make sure you are yourself super t
and are abreast of the latest in the eld of tness.

Have you heard the way to his heart is through his stomach? Or
even that he prefers food over everything else you thought is
important to him? Popularise these proven statements among
your circles and tell them how to win over their mens hearts.
Yes, you can teach them how to cook, if you are one of those
who can rustle up great food. And make a business out of it.
One can start cooking classes from home on a shoestring
budget as low as Rs.20,000 to buy good cookery books and
basic kitchen equipment.
There is a huge number of girls students or professionals
who want to learn how to cook delicacies and multi-cuisines
apart from the traditional Kashmiri dishes. One can make a
good livelihood out of this skill that has the potential to generate
a good yearly income.
The best part about this business is that your investment is
directly linked to number of people you teach, who are most
likely to pay you in advance. And you can conduct cooking
classes in the evenings or during non-business hours. Doesnt it
sound great?

Working mothers, particularly in our urban centres, are


in a desperate search of good day-care centres or
preschools and are ready to spend out of their pockets
for this service.
Initially, you can start this venture from your home to If you have an eye for fashion, this is the option for you. Even as
cut startup costs and run it on a moderate overhead and there is a mushrooming of boutiques in the state, a lot of scope
remains unlled in this sector. An investment of around Rs. 8
low operating expenditure.
lakh
will set you a nice factory-cum-shop. Remember,
For future expansion, if your home cannot cater to the
rush, you may consider renting a place. But in both cases innovation is a key here and a run of the mill stuff may drown
take care in maintaining hygiene and environmental you down.
health requirements in and around you premises.
For a day-care centre, you will need furniture like cribs,
beds and high chairs, toys and play structures, games,
diapering provisions, craft supplies, kitchen supplies
and feeding implements.
But remember, catering to the needs of children is very
challenging and you may require the services of trained
staff who love to be with children. Besides a good
location, you may need an investment of at least
Rs.200,000 to start the venture.

To break through the cut throat competition, you have to


repeat HAVE TO be highly creative and inventive in your
designs. One way of doing that could be segmenting your
potential customers. You can design clothing lines catering to
different strata in the society.
You may also want to diversify your services. Remember,
women not only love to wear nice and trendy clothes, but also
take great care while matching other accessories to their outts
like bags, clutches, jewellery, shoes etc. It would be great to get all
the things under one roof.

And if you are clubbing it with a preschool, you may


need trained teachers and a complete learning
To start this business you would require buying different kinds
atmosphere for kids where children can come to learn
of sewing, embroidery machines. You may also want to hire a
and acquire skills and knowledge in a playful ambience.
good tailor.
However this is required for a day-care centre.

Saba Wani is a community organiser with JKEDI


and can be contacted at sabawani@jkedi.org

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

02014/E01/10A

SHAFI FITNESS CENTRE


a complete body building, weight loss & tness centre

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

10

Wassup

Asma Majid is a coordinator with JKEDI


and can be contacted at asmamajid@jkedi.org

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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Syeed Firdous warns of ve


avoidable booby traps on
entrepreneurial journey

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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A peep into

campus
Nazia Sha reports from JKEDI grounds about the buzz in the campus

When youth of J&K made


Omar Abdullah proud
On a cold and crisp November afternoon, a
warm smile, ad innitum, on Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah's face said it all. Feeling of pride and the joy of
achievements were writ large.
As the chief minister, on a visit to the institute
to attend its rst entrepreneurship meet, walked around
the sprawling JKEDI campus in Pampore, his belief in
the state's youth was reinforced when he saw the sun of
bright future has begun to shine through the dark clouds
of unemployment hovering over Jammu and Kashmir.

The government efforts to battle the ever


increasing rate of joblessness were reciprocated with a
gesture of gratefulness by a number of entrepreneurs
who spoke about their journeys through the crests and
troughs of entrepreneurship.
The institute held a similar meet in Jammu on
Non 29 with an aim to bring together the growing
community of JKEDI trained and promoted
entrepreneurs and excite the entrepreneurial streak of
the youth of the state beset with huge unemployment
problem.

Was it really possible, he asked, pleasantly


surprised after seeing successful entrepreneurs stalls at
the expo, a part of the JKEDI's Entrepreneurship
Meet-2013 held on Nov 9.

The chief minister on both the occasions


reiterated his stand that his handholding of youth of
Jammu and Kashmir was above his political motives.

He was even more surprised on seeing how


these entrepreneurs promoted by JKEDI have scored
success in their innovative businesses, previously
unthinkable of in the state.

Recognising difculties aspiring entrepreneurs


face in getting their ventures up, Omar Abdullah asked
them to write to him on his mail ofcial email account
gupkar@gmail.com so that he personally monitors the
implementation of SKEWPY.

That is perhaps what prompted a visibly proud


chief minister to say that they are the Christopher
Columbuses, the Vasco Da Gamas, the Tensing
Norgays, the Edmund Hillarys and the Neil Armstrongs
of the present day, referring to the famous rsts in the
world.
In his address to the crowd of more than 1,000
established and budding entrepreneurs, Abdullah said
he had never imagined that innovative business options,
such as tea packaging, a marble cutting unit, detergent
making were possible in the state.
In his own admission, the chief minister said
he was satised to know that the JKEDI has promoted
over 2,000 youth as entrepreneurs, mostly under the
government's agship Sher-e-Kashmir Employment
and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY),
architected by Omar Abdullah himself.

If you are not in a position to see me


personally, you can mail your difculties to me through
e-mail so that I would address your concerns with
regard to launch of your units, he said.
The chief minister also walked around the
stalls set up by the entrepreneurs. Omar Abdullah said
his government, the J&K Bank and the JKEDI were
committed to all possible help and handholding of
entrepreneurs to nurture their talent and make them
succeed in their ventures.
He asked them to exhibit their courage,
commitment and will to supersede all difculties and
achieve their goals.

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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A peep into

campus

The state of art hostel facility has been built at a


cost of Rs.15 crore. The building with 60 rooms and a
dormitory can house at least 220 participants at a time.
Equipped with modern heating devices, the rooms are
well furnished that present participants a homely
atmosphere besides ideal learning and training settings
in a serene background.
There is a huge dining hall, a recreational hall
with indoor sports facilities. Coming up is a gym centre
within and a tennis court outside of the building that is
expected to attract more young people to the institute.

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

15

A peep into

campus

JKEDI Entrepreneurship Meet 2013

oz
Shah Fair

Hospitality etiquettes are indispensably ingrained in his


persona. That is why Fairoze Ahmed Shah is referred to as the
hospitality cornerstone of JKEDI.
Having dedicated his life to hospitality, his is not a 10 to
5 job. Shah stays around 24X7 managing the eatery and the
guesthouse of the institute the JKEDI assets that he proudly calls
his own.
A man with a mother's heart, Shah makes it a point that
everybody else at the institute his colleagues and trainees as well eats
his or her lunch before he takes his own.
A quality freak, this simple guy runs after his staff to cook a food
that suits everybody's taste buds, to keep hostel and canteen surroundings
clean so that the places become delightful for visitors.
I am a born hospitality professional. I don't remember when I
thought of it as a career option. But I have always loved serving people and
making them comfortable when they are away from their homes, says Shah.
A hard taskmaster, Shah has mastered the art of making friends easily
with his warm smile and a never-say-no attitude.
You may call it a tool or a weapon but smile is my companion that helps
me to win companions of my life. I believe in smile-garnished services doled out
with icing of passion and excellence.
Shah loves to wear western attires and attributes this habit to his early
career days when he worked with foreigners in valley.
Born in south Kashmir's Anantnag, Shah has masters in tourism
management from Indira Gandhi National Open University. A diploma in French
language from University of Kashmir and a diploma in front ofce management
from Institute of Hotel Management. He has also done a course in hospitality and
aviation from Academy of Travel Tourism and Aviation Studies, New Delhi.
He was earlier associated with a multinational travel agency based in
Shanghai and New Delhi where he provided escort services to foreigners travelling
to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. He has also worked in many starred hotels of the
Kashmir Valley as front ofce manager. A keen history lover, Shah is also a movie
buff. Buried in his heart is a knowledge trove of classic Hindi cinema and that is why
his friends call him a walking encyclopaedia of classic Hindi movies.

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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Nazia Sha is a community


organiser with JKEDI and can be contacted at
naziasha@jkedi.org

'TATA First Dot' Plan workshop


JKEDI organised a business workshop in association with TATA First Dot
Workshop, powered by NEN (National Entrepreneurship Network), to give a
platform and mentor student and prospective entrepreneurs.
Various students, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs participated in the
programme. Raj Shankar, principal
strategist, Ichiban business consultants
private limited and author of
Entrepreneur- Theory and practices,
addressed the gathering. He spoke on
various aspects of entrepreneurship.
A special session was conducted on
Turning business Models to Fundable
Business plans to help participants turn
their business plans into protable
ventures.
Kashif Khan, a Kashmiri entrepreneur,
shared his insights on starting
entrepreneurial ventures.
Workshop also saw panel discussion
pertaining key challenges faced by startups.

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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Arsalan Ashraf khan nds how young entrepreneurs are innovatiing in craft sector

Money has denitely helped me with the business,


but it is the mentorship that I cherish the most. I
have been able to learn a lot from my mentors about
business and how to take it forward," said Mahvash,
talking to a Delhi-based news agency, Indo-Asian
News Service (IANS).
The young Kashmiri craft entrepreneur claims that
she has been able to provide direct employment to
over 100 artisans, mostly women, who are involved at
various levels in producing hand-embroidered goods.
Arifa Jan, another young Kashmiri craftswoman, has
developed 44 new designs of contemporary numda
and cushion that she kept for sale and display and at
the Dastkar Winter Weaves at Kisan Haat in Delhi.
Jan says she sold 80 percent of her durree rugs at the
exhibition which later paved the way for her selection
by the government of India for an international craft
exhibition in Italy.

Namda

Zahida Amin is another example who has


innovatively experimented with Kashmir art. She says
her aim in her life is women empowerment and
making them entrepreneurial is the way to go. She
has formed a group and trained over 30 women in
traditional craft like zari, sozni, and crewel
embroidery.

new generation of craftsmen from the Kashmir


Valley are on the path to revive and develop age-old
craft techniques like traditional numda rugs, kani
shawls and crewel embroidery.
Six of them were in Delhi recently where they
exhibited their products and also talked about how
innovation can help in their larger goal of breathing
a new life into the age-old arts and crafts of
Kashmir.
One of the success stories is that of Mahvash
Masood, an alumnus of Craft Development Institute
(CDI), Srinagar, who has replaced the traditional
"ower and leaves" embroidery with "birds of
Kashmir".
This twist to the traditional design has received her
many accolades and also a nancial assistance from
Commitment to Kashmir (CtoK), an initiative
conceived to support a new generation of crafts
person from Kashmir.

Pashmina

Mahvash credits her little success -- and she is


dreaming of more to the mentorship she received
about business.
J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

20

Interiors | Branding | Products | Crafts


Design Studio

+91.9622.726.492
fumbh.designs@gmail.com
www.fumbh.com

Follow us on:

Aamir Shaq Qureshi explores potential business


areas in mountainous Doda, one of India's most
backward districts

Endowed with a huge wealth of natural beauty and


resources, Doda is a district of contrast in Jammu
and Kashmir. It has a number of small towns and
villages that offer a good variety of small and large
entrepreneurial options.
Largely, this mountainous district has remained
virgin with respect to business creations that
provides aspiring entrepreneurs a challenge as well
as an opportunity to test their perseverance.
The local agricultural resource base comprises the
largest extent of top grade farmland. The district
however faces some difculties due to underdevelopment despite being well located and a
number of quality business options possible.
It has generally been observed that people in the
district are inclined towards small business units,
rather than run after wage-based jobs. However,
lack of nancial resources and business
competencies has crushed many a dream of
business creation. The easy availability of basic
natural resources inclines people to be
entrepreneurs and set up small ventures.
The district lies on both the banks of the river
Chenab which, according to an ofcial admission,
forms part of the states most important water
resources.
The river is commercially very vital more
importantly for power generation. According to an
estimate, the river has hydel potential of about
15,000 MWs, which has not been exploited fully.
Natural resources encourage establishment of agri
and agro based business units in the district that
has a population of a close to 410,000 with a
density of 46 people per sq. km

People consume mutton, chicken, beef and sh in


large quantities. Food industry has a good growth
potential which paves the way for setting up
poultry, sheep and dairy farms because only 20
percent of consumed meat and poultry is locally
produced and remaining is brought in from other
states, mostly from Punjab.

The area has a tradition of rearing livestock that further


reinforces the belief in a possible success of these farms.
The district has vast potential of cultivating livestock
fodder as the area has a huge wealth in shape of
pasturing elds. If exploited to if full potential, the
sector will go a long way in boosting the local economy.
An informal study by this author has found that a
nancial support up to Rs. 4 lakh can guarantee
successful establishment of agri and agro based business
small units in the district.
The other area in which entrepreneurship can be
developed by extraction and processing of different
minerals hidden in the district known for its
J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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rich mineral deposits including lead, mica, gypsum,


manganese, marble, graphite and copper.
Handicrafts is another area which can be given
boost by providing nancial assistance to the
prospective entrepreneurs. There has been a
tradition of manufacturing blankets in Bhaderwah,
know all over the state.
Mushroom cultivation is another prospective area
because wild mushroom of Doda is very famous
for its taste and color. There is huge potential of
establishing small economically viable and feasible
units in this eld.

learning among the people on how to scientically


establish their units. This can change the economic
scenario of this hilly area and boost the economic
activities which presently seem to be at lower ebb.
Other potential areas for service industry include:
automobiles, electronics, electrical and fabrications
works.
Potential areas for MSMEs include food Industries;
thermo/plastic ware; mineral water; agriculture tools;
horticulture processing; extraction of minerals and
manufacturing of cement tiles.

However, there is a need to create awareness and


J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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ISHFAQ MIR

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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Think Outside The Box

02014/E03/10B

Manufacturers of printed
corrugated cardboard boxes for
all purposes with
attractive features:
- Light weight
- Clean and hygienic
- User friendly
- Durable
- Reliable

do

Dietary Consultancy Services


This is the business for dieticians or nutritionists in
particular. It has greater chances of successes given that
the state is witnessing a huge jump in life-style diseases
like diabetes. People suffering from such diseases need
advices on their diet and are ready to meet a good
consultant who takes care of their dietary and nutritional
need.
Seed capital: Rs.40, 000
Can be started from home? Yes
RoI period: Immediate
Resources: A course in nutrition would be necessary
here.
Expected revenues: Rs.10 lakh (5 years); Rs.20 lakh (10
years)
Ofce requirements: One 1010 room as ofce space,
laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery
(visiting cards + letterheads)

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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Lawn and

Ishfaq Mir is a community organiser with


JKEDI and can be reached at
ishfarmir@JKEDI.org
(Intelligent Entrepreneur, Biz Wiz and
Entrepreneurship Research Journal)

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

27

However, there are five basic qualities that can make a start-up a successful enterprise.

You have to be one if you have set yourself on an


entrepreneurial journey. Because you cannot give up
that struggle so easily. Learn to be incessant in
calling, writing or meeting your clients. Do it as a
practice and dont feel inhibited if your rst two,
three, four or any number of calls have not been
returned.

So your product has not earned you prots. And


you are still reluctant to change. Guys! That surely is
not the way to go. Shradhha Sharma, a known
business writer in one of her write-ups on
entrepreneurship, says a key differentiator
between success and failure is exibility.
Sharma says all entrepreneurship success stories
have a twist in entrepreneur's exible response to
the feedback. So learn to welcome the feedback you
get from your market and work on it. Dont
disagree with the view simply because you dont
want to approve of it. Be ready to change if it is
indeed needed.
What? You are not? Come on. You either learn the
art or have someone with you who can share and sell
your story. It has been found that most successful
entrepreneurs are themselves or have one or more
glib talkers. Storytellers have a way with words. They
can effectively raise that two minutes elevator pitch
to sell your product. Entrepreneurs come and go but
good storytellers have always something to sell.

One of the greatest motivations behind being


entrepreneur is that it makes us admirable and lovable as
stars. However that virtue has to show in our conduct. If
we are successful, we should nd glory in making super
stars from our employees.
Please, please remember that your employees are coauthors in writing the success story of your venture.
Make them feel successful equally and treat them as super
stars when they have helped nd a start in you.

Uff! Look for anything but not entrepreneurship. You


know you have chosen a world outside of the punch-in,
punch-out 10-to-5 work environment. The world of
entrepreneurship is simply one of tireless, incessant hard
work where the urge to get more is never satiated.
Ambanis, Tatas and Birlas of the world have been churned
out of those grinding wheels that never stop spinning
around.
There are countless examples of hard work and
entrepreneurial success that tell us that less amount of
work possible cannot make us to earn as much money as
possible.
Entrepreneurial success comes by when your follow a 70
to 90 hours-a-week schedule. And that gets possible only
when you feel hungry for more. Remember that famous
soft drink slogan of late 1990s. Yeh Dil Maange More!

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

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02014/E04/10C

Cover Story
Sarwar Kashani

What is impeding enter


creat
Jammu and Ka

STOPPED
from being an entrepreneur

rprise
tion in
ashmir

very month at least 5,000 young men and women turn up at Jammu and Kashmir
Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) ofces -- in districts and main centres in
Kashmir and Jammu to be entrepreneurs. But only 10 percent of them move a step
forward to be trained as entrepreneurs.

The attrition doesnt stop there. The number decreases gradually at every step towards the
entrepreneurial journey. The decline doesnt follow a denite pattern but a eeting study by the
institute has identied varied reasons for the fall. These include social factors, local market
opportunity, education and training, access to business support and services, access to nance
and regulatory framework. Not necessarily in that order.
A report based on a survey conducted by Mercy Corps has found that an overwhelming majority
of 90 percent of all youth in Kashmir think that becoming an entrepreneur is either challenging
or very challenging due to these fear factors.
The report published in 2012 suggests that the perception of entrepreneurship among youth as
a challenging process might be one of the deterring inuences, holding back the level of total
entrepreneurship activities.
J&K Entrepreneur dissects these factors that hinder the entrepreneurial journey of youth in the
state with an upward of 600,000 educated unemployed men and women.

No social acceptance
Social legitimacy of entrepreneurship is surely going
to make a difference. Our families are averse to risk
taking because of a fear of failure that acts as a
deterrent to starting a new rm.
It has been observed that that the majority of parents
in Kashmir undervalue entrepreneurship compared
to a career in medicine, law, engineering, or any
government job for a xed income.
For woman entrepreneurs, convincing their families
is more difcult and hindrances are beyond the
concerns of success. A woman in her early 20s
visited JKEDI ofce and got herself registered for
entrepreneurship development programme. She
never turned up again.
After consistent calling, she revealed the truth. My
family sees business as risky. They said nobody will
be ready to marry me if I have a nancial liability or
avail a loan facility, even if it was for a business, she
conded.
There are many similar examples that bring us home
the stark reality that entrepreneurship has still not
achieved the desired level of acceptance in our
society.

No entrepreneurship education
Education plays a vital role in entrepreneurship. With
74 percent literacy rate among Kashmiri youth, the
region has one of the highest literacy rates in South
Asia, according to the latest census. However, there is
very less or no emphasis at all on entrepreneurship
education in Kashmir. The current educational
system doesnt focus on promoting entrepreneurship.

Candidates who visit JKEDI ofces often complain


that they have not been exposed to the concept of
entrepreneurship in their early stages of youth. The
level of participation in early stages of education
worldwide has proven to be among main driving
forces in inuencing enterprise creation.
According to various surveys conducted worldwide,
providing individuals with quality entrepreneurship
education at early stages is one of the top priorities
of economy policymakers.
In the state, however, there is no effort at the
primary, secondary or high-secondary levels of
education to introduce the philosophy of
entrepreneurship and prepare the ground for
entrepreneurship as a viable career option. This
surely has had an impact on Kashmirs enterprise
culture.
Training and education can be a robust incubator
for new ventures. This includes training in technical
skills, managerial skills, entrepreneurial skills and
entrepreneurship. JKEDI does it but the initiative
needs to be extended to formal education is schools
and colleges.

They fear a lot and need continuous


handholding
Youth in Kashmir are terribly scared of failure. A
psychological barrier closely related to the fear of
failure is aversion to risk. Apart from the lack of
family support, they are themselves averse to
possibilities of failure. That I-have-nothing-to-lose
attitude, necessary for enterprise creation, is
J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

31

Cover Story
generally missing among them.
What if I fail in my effort to set up my business, they
would always say fearsomely. To win their condence, the
aspiring entrepreneurs need continuous reassurance that
there is someone to handhold them till they sustain
themselves. That is why business assistance service or
business developments services are needed to held start-up
entrepreneurs improve the performance of their
enterprises and access to markets, and their ability to
compete.
Even the Mercy Corps research has laid a great emphasis
on business assistance of start-ups, given the low levels
of entrepreneurship education and awareness in Kashmir
that will help them avoid failure and to realize their full
potential.

Where there is
there is a wa

Entrepreneurs must take initiative, create structure with a


social-economic mechanism and accept risk of failure.
They have to be risk takers while those who are risk averse
will seek the security in an existing establishment.

Lack of market experience


Many of the dropouts in the entrepreneurial journey give
up because they say they lack market experience.
This barrier is essentially related to the fear of failure. But
a little exposure to a related business can help in remove
the hurdle. A good experience before start-up, many case
studies have proven, is positively correlated to the
probability of success.
The essence of leadership is rst learning and doing
before leading. Therefore, the capability to start a business
is propelled by previous education and work experience.
The fear is not unfounded. Rushing into a new market
because it looks attractive and rewarding without having
some experience and background in it can indeed be fatal.

Teething troubles with nance


Lack of access to nance is one of the biggest factors
hindering entrepreneurship. Researches in various
countries have drawn a direct relationship between
availability of nance and levels of entrepreneurship
activity.
The Mercy Corps survey results suggest that a lack of
access to nance is a serious (if not severe) challenge,
facing young entrepreneurs in the Kashmir Valley.
This despite the fact that JKEDI implements nancial
schemes that are meant to help Kashmiri entrepreneurs to
get acess to money and start their businesses.
However, many aspiring entrepreneurs complain of
banking hurdles, resulting in a long-waiting time to get

nance. This is one of the main factors that demotivate


or impede the journey of an aspiring entrepreneur to
an established successful one.

Lack of market-augmenting
framework
The incumbent government in the state has time and
again laid a huge stress on single-window clearance
system. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has himself
emphasised on the need.
Though the state doesnt have strict regulations that
hinder enterprise creation and create a barrier to
entrepreneurship, but an entrepreneur has to get
clearance certicates from various government
J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

32

Difculty in getting skilled employees

s a hill
ay

Many entrepreneurs complain of difculties in


getting skilled employees who are motivated and
willing to grow with the venture. And if they nd
any one, retaining him or her is even more difcult.
They say there are possibilities of a breakdown
when employees expectations increases as employee
costs grow.
Here the emphasis on skilled development of youth
in Jammu and Kashmir so that they contribute
towards the creation of overall entrepreneurship
culture in the state, beset with a huge unemployment
of problem.

No scope for expansion


Though this is not a hurdle in enterprise creation
however many entrepreneurs feel stagnated because
the nancial schemes they have availed provide no
scope for expansion of their businesses.
They suggest that state government policies geared
toward boosting entrepreneurial activity should not
be conned to small businesses but extended to
large industrial investment.
They argue that if they have succeeded and proved
their mettle in small enterprise creation, they should
be trusted for the bigger ones now.

The way forward


The state government with a close assistance from JKEDI
has been striving hard to remove these barriers so that
youth of Jammu and Kashmir take entrepreneurship as
their rst career choice.

departments. Rightly so. However, time taken in


getting those clearances more often than not drives
another nail in the cofn of their dreams to be
entrepreneurs.
The Mercy Corps research also highlights these
procedural hassles as the burdens (that) take a toll
on the time and cost of entrepreneurs who are not
aware of such formalities.
In a number of cases, the survey nds, that the
obstacles faced while going through these
administrative processes and the discouragement it
caused actually forced (many) young Kashmiri
entrepreneurs to give up their entrepreneurial
journey long before they could put to test the
viability of their enterprise ideas on the ground.

In a step forward, it is recommended that a proper


framework to ease enterprise creation should be formed
within which economic activity takes place. A stable
macro-economic environment and structural policies to
produce well-functioning markets lead to healthy
entrepreneurship. There has to be an equal emphasis on
extending the existing nancial schemes to scale up
already created enterprises. This will prove to begreat
motivating factor for youth to consider entrepreneurship.
There has to be a thrust both at the governmental as well
as societal level for creation of competitive markets,
efcient capital markets (including venture capital).
There is clear a role for the society in fostering
entrepreneurship. At the societal level, people in the state
need to change their attitude and be receptive to
entrepreneurship. The role of education cannot be
stressed more in creating positive attitudes towards
entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship education and
awareness -- both formal and informal -- merit more
attention.
Sarwar kashani can be contacted at
sarwarkashani@jkedi.org and followed on twitter
at @sarwarkashani

Starting a business was


never this easy.....

National Minorities Development


and Finance Corporation

Term Loan

upto 10 lakh @ just 6% simple rate of interest

for

backward
sections
of minorities

JKEDI in collaboration with the National Minorities


Development and Finance Coporation(NDMFC) offers
soft loan for projects costing upto 10 lakh.The concessional
nancial assistance is available for any commercially
viable and technically feasible venture for people living
below double the poverty line.

EDI

JAMMU & KASHMIR


ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE

1. TrackMaven
This app streamlines your ability to monitor data on
your competition, without going through the hassle
of consulting multiple sources. Filter the marketing
activity you want alerts for and erase all the extra white
noise.

8. Hukkster
Looking for work attire but need to spend less due to a
limited budget? No time to browse the sale racks? Let our
app Hukkster do the dirty work for you and track your
most coveted products so you can easily get your hands on
the items you want, the moment they go on sale.

2. EchoSign
There's no longer an excuse to delay the closing of a
deal. This Adobe app allows you to electronically sign
documents easily and securely. It also records and
stores each document's history, so you have automatic
audit trails -- saving you the time and trouble of
backtracking in case the need arises.

9. Hinge
Single and no time to mingle? Hinge is a great app that
allows you to scope out other single men and women in the
area based on your personal network.

3. Free Wi Finder
A denite game-changing app for the entrepreneur
and tech guru who needs to be plugged in 24/7. In the
early stages of a start-up, every situation and
opportunity is high stakes and you can't afford to
allow a poor Internet connection to get in the way of
your company's success.
4. Uber
This app never lets us down. For any on-the-go
entrepreneur, this service is essential to ensure you
always have a way to get to that last minute meeting -even when every cab in the city is full.
5. MobileDay
For those frequent occasions when you're too busy to
be sitting in the ofce, use MobileDay to coordinate
all of your in-person and conference call meetings.
With this app, you can dial in automatically, email with
participants and even get directions to your meeting
place.
6. Skitch
Screenshots are second nature in the business world
these days, but it's a tedious task to make notes directly
on them. Enter Skitch. A product of the ever popular,
Evernote, this desktop and mobile application allows
you to get directly to the point through different
annotations, shapes and sketches.
7. FedEx Ofce
This mobile app is one of the most helpful on-the-go
apps for entrepreneurs. Easily send les, documents
or photos through the app to your nearest FedEx
location to be printed or made into a beautiful
presentation. You can even upload les directly from
Box, Google Drive and DropBox.

10. Power 20 Fitness Trainer


Sometimes it's hard to nd the time to stay t, yet exercise is
essential to staying energized and focused. We love the
Power 20 Fitness Trainer, an app that provides 20 minutes
of body weight movements you can literally do anywhere -in your apartment, a hotel room or even the ofce.
11. Venmo
is the perfect app for nights out with friends. Don't waste
quality time doing math on the back of a napkin. Simply
link Venmo to your bank account and then easily exchange
cash virtually with friends anytime, anywhere.
12. Mint
An entrepreneur probably knows a thing or two about
managing nances, but it's always good to be able to easily
access information about personal cash ow. Mint allows
you to record expenses, create budgets and manage savings
plans, all from your phone.
13. Pocket
As entrepreneurs, we're full of great ideas, so much so that
they hit us when we least expect them. Enter Pocket, a
phone-based bookmarking app which can save all types of
content - anything from a lengthy article to a work report -to all your electronic devices.
14. Unroll.me
There is nothing we hate more than a crowded email inbox.
Thankfully, Unroll.me was created to x that exact
problem. Simply sign up with your email address and let
Unroll.me nd all of your subscriptions for you. Then
easily scroll through and unsubscribe from the ones you'd
rather never hear from again. You can also make sure the
right emails break through all the noise.

Courtesy: www.entrepreneur.com

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

35

Walk the talk with a venture capitalist

An entrepreneur should not worry about


hurdles. He should be passionate enough
about his ideas to overcome all odds,"
Deshpande told a Delhi-based news
agency Indo-Asian News Service (IANS)
in an interview.
Deshpande was appointed cochairman of US President Barack
Obama's National Advisory Council on
Innovation and Entrepreneurship three
years and a half years ago.

The best mantra for entrepreneurs to


thrive in a startup venture is to bulldoze
all odds, says Indian-American venture
capitalist Gururaj 'Desh' Deshpande.

The entrepreneur, best known for cofounding the Chelmsford, MA-based


internet equipment manufacturer
Sycamore Networks, the Deshpande
Center for Technological Innovation at
MIT and the Deshpande Foundation, said
the government should also know how to
"celebrate entrepreneurship".
Presently, Deshpande is the Chairman
of A123Systems, Sycamore Networks,
Tejas Networks, HiveFire, Sandstone
Capital, Sparta Group, and sits on the
Board of Airvana that makes femtocell
solutions for improving the voice
coverage, data performance and capacity
of 3G wireless networks. He is also a Life
Member of the MIT Corporation, the
Board of Trustees of MIT.
He said innovation was the key to
success in entrepreneurship, and that
Indian entrepreneurs should focus on the
Indian market rst before exploring the
overseas market.
"Indian entrepreneurs should focus on
the solutions (irrespective of industry)
which are very cost effective and there is
scalability. Later on, quality can be injected
into it," Deshpande said.

"We look into four things - good idea, good


entrepreneurship, good mentors and access
to capital. The best way to build entrepreneurship
is to celebrate entrepreneurship."
J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

36

500,000 startups every year generate four million jobs


He said that in the US, around
500,000 startups every year
generate four million jobs.
"We look into four things good idea, good entrepreneurship,
good mentors and access to capital.
The best way to build
entrepreneurship is to celebrate
entrepreneurship."
In the US, the "Celebrate
Entrepreneurship" initiative has
travelled through various cities to
inspire many people wanting to
take a plunge into the
entrepreneurship pool, Deshpande
said.

they cannot gamble," the investor


said.

company, which does intense


research and development (R&D)
in that space.

"The US is always open for more


talented people to be a part of its
social and economic system."
Deshpande, however, said that
now there are more opportunities
in India and many people are
returning after nishing their
studies abroad.
"When we went in the 1970s,
there were very few opportunities,
but now they are more
opportunities and many people are
returning to their own country
where they get their own culture to
raise family," he said.

He said India needs to improve


its "product culture" from "service
culture". To inculcate product
culture in the country, people
should be able to anticipate a
market and should be ready to
invest accordingly.

He said half of the 400


engineers who work in his
company, Tejas Networks, have
returned from the US to work in
India.

"A lot of time they fall because

Tejas is a telecom gear-maker

"We plan to invest Rs.1,700


crore ($380 million) in R&D in the
next ve to six years," Deshpande
said.
The investor said that the
Indian government has so far
looked at exporting IT services, but
now it should look at exporting IT
solutions.
We need to export IT
solutions, which will also help us
recover big shortage of foreign
exchange in the country as well."

(The interview rst appeared


on IANS website www.ians.in)

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

37

SHESPEAKS
By Kahkashan Yousuf

OMEN EMPOWERMENT
AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP

I know there are quite a few nancial schemes


for women to be entrepreneurs but the
business world remains male-dominated where
a voice of women is seldom heard. The reasons
for this are multiple and interrelated. But all of
them converge at our archaic mindsets that
have been programmed since ancient times to
treat women as the children of lesser god, to
put it mildly. And harshly, as an object that the
god has created to serve men.
It sounds too simplistic but a fact remains: Is
economic development really possible if half
of the population has no access to the benets
and no role in making that development
possible at the grassroots level?
However, there I can see a silver lining around
this dark cloud, not in Jammu and Kashmir but
surely in the West. I am hopeful that we learn a
lesson or two from the phenomena.
According to an article in The Economist,
womens empowerment will be front and centre
in 2014 as more companies, communities and
countries invest in womens entrepreneurship.
A survey by the Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor says that there are 126 million women
operating new businesses and another 98
million at the helm of established ones the
world over.
But in Jammu and Kashmir we still face a huge
equality gap at almost every level.

We can reduce this gap by including women in the


movement of our entrepreneurship so that they gain in
power and we strengthen our claim on representing the
needs and issues of the states powerless people. By doing
that entire families can be reached, especially the children
and the young.
Empowerment of women contributes greatly to the creation
of an environment in which children grow up as aware
citizens. Women that are aware of their rights and place in
society pass this self-condence on to their children.
At JKEDI, we need to have specic entrepreneurship
programmes and schemes only for women so that they gap is
reduced and women get a desired place in the society that
they have missed, perhaps, all through the human history.
Tail piece: Ayesha Aziz is all set to y high literally. The
Kashmiri teenager is poised to become the youngest girl
from the valley to get a commercial pilot license.
Ayesha, from Baramulla, was inspired by Indian-American
astronaut Sunita Williams.
"Since my childhood, I loved ying planes. I was among the
three Indians picked last year for a 15-day training course by
the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA). That was a lifetime experience," she said.
"A meeting with Williams during this training boosted my
dream and I committed myself to full the dream. I received
training pertaining to the space shuttle mission,
extravehicular activity, multi-axis, and micro-gravity and
manned manoeuvring unit."
Her early training took place in Mumbai, where her family
lives now. She believes that youngsters in Kashmir,
particularly women, should pursue their passion and not feel
held back by the state's recent tumultuous history.

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

38

Zubair Lone recollects a day with JKEDI's mentor

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JUL-SEP 2014

40

JKEDI

achievements

The institute conducts awareness and training


programmes for aspiring entrepreneurs as part of its
endeavour to create and manage an overall
environment for enterprise creation in Jammu and
Kashmir.
The training is followed by suitable nancial
assistance to budding entrepreneurs under various
Central and State government sponsored schemes
helping them to establish their enterprises and create
employment opportunities for their peers.
Following table encapsulates JKEDI's activities in the
last Fiscal.

SCFS 1049

Enterprises

YSLS 125

Enterprises

JKEDIs
activities in
last fiscal

NMDFC

272

Enterprises

Amount Disbursed
Youth Start-up Loan Scheme
Amount Disbursed
Term Loan scheme of National
MinoritiesDevelopment and
Finance Corporation
Amount Disbursed
Seed Capital Fund Scheme

Rs. 151.56 lakh

Rs. 237.6 lakh

Rs. 3605.28 lakh

SCFS
YSLS
NMDFC

JKEDI sponsored
venture among

Indias
top 30

student start-ups
A JKEDI sponsored and mentored IT venture
IAC Software Solutions of Waleed Qureshi
gured in the list of Indias Top 30 student
start-ups.
The list of promising start-ups was announced
in February earlier this year at an award
ceremony of The TATA First Dot powered by
NEN National Conference-2014 after a fourstage stiff scrutinizing process.
Another JKEDI sponsored start-up The
Cambridge Foundation School, a joint venture
of Mir Adil and Nayeema Shah gured in the
list of Peoples Choice Awards category.
IAC Software Solutions was founded with an
aim to provide quality software training to
students of the valley. We recognized the need
for an institute that would be one of its kind in
delivering courses aligned with the industry
standards and methodologies, said Waleed on
receiving the certicate and memento. We are
committed to provide the best education
combined with the exposure thats very
important for a software professional, and
which we lack in the valley.
There were two categories of awards; Jury
Awards and Peoples Choice Awards. Out of
Top 20 (Jury Awards) and Top 30 (Peoples
Choice Awards), the rst 11 startups were
declared as competition winners with benets
like networking with entrepreneurs, angel
investors, mentors, experts and other student
start-ups at the event.
IAC was among eight start-up ventures from
Kashmir Valley shortlisted for TATA First Dot
Contest, an all-India level competition. This is
for the rst time that nomination of any student
start-up from J&K was accepted for the
contest.
Start-up ventures from Kashmir whose
nominations had been listed for nal
competition are DepRel Building Solutions, (by
Syed Abrar), Discover Kashmir, started and run
by Sajad Kralyari, Aalam Automobiles, (by
Rukhsana), Rock Nation Films, started and run
by Wajahat, Zargar Brothers (by Farooq
Ahmad) and IAC Software Solutions, started
and run by Waleed Ahmad Qureshi, The
Cambridge Foundation School (by Mir Adil and
Nayeema Shah); and Unique Feeds.
JKEDI will continue its tie up with the National
Entrepreneurship Network (NEN); Wadhwani
Foundation Trust and has already planned skill
development courses, networking of existing
entrepreneurs at national-level and faculty
development programmes for this year.

I earned no prot and felt letdown with myself as a businessman. But


there was a lesson to learn that business is about uncertain downs, if
not managed properly, and certain ups, if handled pensively.
The lesson learnt at JKEDI as a trainee will remain with me forever.
It all happened when we were simulating as a business group and were
conducting economic activities in the form of real-world scenario. At
the initial stage we were not able to make any prot. The reason being
we lacked that proper knowledge of conducting business.
But the JKEDI entrepreneurship training made us experience and test
the situations before we would be encountering them in real life. As
the days passed by we learnt how to make prots and at the end of
simulation, our balance sheet was in a green zone of $1,200 prot
representing healing, balancing of our emotions and inspiring more
compassion.
Thanks to the friendly atmosphere at JKEDI that not only helped me
polish my skills but also chiselled out a good human being out of me.
I felt more condent of being able to make my ambitious project a
reality because the institute gave wings to my dream.
It may sound like an over gratication but the fact remains that the
credit goes to an experienced and talented faculty that churned out
that hidden businessman buried in me. Our trainers were friendly in
conduct and strict in giving us lessons. Flexible in teaching and rigid in
disciplining us.
The hard taskmasters reinforced my belief that spending time in
training at JKEDI was the right choice that I made after a long time.
They not only provided me knowledge regarding how to be an
entrepreneur but also how to make my business a success.
The most amazing fact about JKEDI made me to believe that
government organisations can also be people friendly. They cared
about us, provided us good food and feel at home during the training.
And when the training ended, the humble trainers would ask for
feedback on how to improve the training atmosphere. I felt at a loss
for words. They are doing so good and still craving for perfection.
Only humble souls can do so.
I wish the training was for a longer duration so that I could reap more
harvest. But then I also understand JKEDI may have nalised the
training duration quite thoughtfully.

(The writer, a business graduate, is a JKEDI trained


entrepreneur and underwent entrepreneurship training
in November 2013 under Seed Capital Fund Scheme.
Expressions in the writeup are solely that of the writer
and in no way represents J&K Entrepreneurs views)

J&K ENTREPRENEUR VOL 5 ISSUE 1 JAN-MAR 2014

42

humility to

learn
capacity to

dream
courage to

JAMMU & KASHMIR


ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE

www.jkedi.org

act

JAMMU & KASHMIR


ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE

Photo by: Zayed Raq

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