With No IT Sector: Kashmir lags behind rest of country

When information technology (IT) has revolutionized life worldwide, Kashmir in North India lags behind because it lacks an IT industry.

Residents believe an IT sector would solve unemployment in the Kashmir Valley and prevent the exodus of young people studying IT or searching for jobs elsewhere.

In India, one of the most technologically advanced countries, The IT sector contributed around 7% to India's GDP in 2023-24, according to the IT Ministry's website. It also created significant employment opportunities, estimated to employ 5.43 million professionals, increasing by 60,000 people from FY23.

Mobile phones and the Internet have changed communication, but IT industries and parks are still unknown. This has affected the youth who are forced to pursue IT jobs outside their home state. Thousands of Kashmiri youth work in IT companies in India and abroad.

“Information technology is the most important sector in this century. But Kashmir lack it,” said Saima Farooq, who works for an IT company in Delhi.

Ameena Trumboo, an IT student in Kashmir’s college, feels anxious about her future due to the lack of job opportunities in the Valley. “I was lucky to get into Kashmir’s engineering college. But now I don’t know where I will find a job,” says Ahmad.

“I don’t know how things will turn out. I don’t want to leave Kashmir and my family,” she adds.

Ameena criticized the government for neglecting the careers of Kashmiri youth in the IT industry. “Kashmir has talented youth but our authorities seem unconcerned about their future. It’s bizarre not to have an IT industry in the 21st century,” said Ameena.

The problem extends beyond IT jobs to limited IT education. Kashmir Valley has only one government engineering college, the National Institute of Technology (NIT), and one private school, the Srinagar School of Management (SSM) College of Engineering and Technology.

SSM offers diplomas in IT, while NIT offers degrees. Students not accommodated in NIT have to move out of state or study abroad.

Another student said it’s imperative to develop the IT industry to secure the future of Kashmiri youth. “Our intelligent and hardworking youth suffer due to inadequate IT education and industries here,” he said.

Thousands of IT students leave Kashmir every year, he added. Civil engineering students find jobs in various sectors in Kashmir, but IT students struggle.

“He added, ‘Their future gets ruined,’ and sees the need to build IT education and related jobs in the Valley.”

List of industries in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir is rich in water and forest resources but lacks metallic minerals like iron-ore, copper, good quality coal, petroleum, and natural gas, which hinder the development of basic industries and manufacturing centers.

Kashmiris have a great reputation as artisans, celebrated for their skill in art manufacturing. The chief centre of Kashmiri industries is Srinagar, but other localities are also famous for their specialties. For example, Islamabad (Anantnag) produces excellent embroideries; Kulgam is known for lacquered woodwork.

Silk Textile

Silk textile is one of the oldest industries in Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmiri silk-goods are known worldwide for their quality, color, and shades. Historical evidence shows that silk fabrics were exported to the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. During the medieval period, the Mughals promoted the silk industry in the Valley of Kashmir.

According to 1995-96 data, the silk industry and its allied activities employ about 2.50 lakh people and contribute about Rs. six crores (60 million) to Jammu and Kashmir’s income. It also provides raw material for shawl making, carpet, gabha, namda, hosiery and embroidery. Additionally, it utilizes culturable waste and less productive tracts for silk textile activities.

Rammbagh Silk Factory, Srinagar-Silk Production, 1994-95

The Rambagh Silk Factory produces about 50,000 kg of raw silk annually, fluctuating between 37,361 kg in 1982-83 and 57,850 kg in 1991-92. The silk production depends on the availability of mulberry leaves, the main food of silk-worms.

Rambagh Silk Factory: Categories and Number of Workers 1995

One-third of the workers (33.68%) are spinners, about 23% are storekeepers, and about 18% are cooks. The remaining 25% are cleaners, knotters, and reminders.

Carpet-Making and Woolen Textiles

Carpet-making is one of the oldest industries in Kashmir. Kashmiri carpets are famous worldwide for their designs and patterns. Although carpets are made in most valley towns, the major factories are in and around Srinagar.

Kashmiri carpets are made with a cotton warp and a pile of wool, silk, and synthetic fibers. The quality and value of the carpet depend on the knots per sq cm/inch, yarn quality, dye-stuff, and finish. Both government and private manufacturers make Kashmiri qaleens (carpets).

Carpet-Making and Woolen Textile

Carpet-making is one of Kashmir’s oldest industries. Kashmiri carpets are renowned globally for their designs and natural patterns. Though carpets are made in all valley towns, the major factories are in and around Srinagar.

In Kashmiri carpet manufacturing, cotton is used for the warp, and wool, silk, and synthetic fibers for the pile. The knots per sq cm/inch determine the carpet’s quality and value, along with yarn, dye, and finish quality. Kashmiri qaleens (carpets) are made by government and private manufacturers.

Forest Industries

Jammu and Kashmir has about one-third of its total area under forest. The higher altitudes have conifers, while the lower altitudes have pine and deciduous broad-leaves trees. These forests provide raw material to forest-based industries like paper, pulp, match, delicate boxes, sports goods (cricket bats), furniture, joinery, toys, artifacts, and decoration pieces.

Several joinery mills have been established in Srinagar, especially along the Srinagar-Baramulla Road, Pampore, and Jammu, while sports goods are manufactured at Miran-Sahib (Jammu) and in the villages of Anantnag District. There’s an urgent need to develop forest-based industries in the state on a scientific basis.

Willow, mulberry, and walnut trees can provide raw materials for sports goods, furniture, and wood artifacts. Nearly 5,000 workers earn their livelihood from the forest-based industries with an annual production of over Rs. 5 crores (Rs. 50 million).

Jammu and Kashmir’s agrarian economy yields over 50% of its GDP, providing raw materials to various industries like fruit-canning, oil extraction, flour mills, rice-husking, bakery and alcohol preparation.

The plain areas of Jammu Division and the Valley of Kashmir produce large quantities of rice. Over 60% of the state’s population eats rice, so there are numerous rice-husking factories mainly in smaller towns of the rice-growing areas.

Papier Mache

Papier mache is made from paper pulp, papier mache is used to decorate smooth wood with intricate freehand designs. The main articles include pen-boxes (qalamdan), tables, cabinets, trays, and boxes. It has a strong national and international market. After 1989, political unrest affected the industry as it discouraged tourists. The industry is mostly in Srinagar and its adjacent areas.

Cement Industry

The raw materials for cement are calcareous and argillaceous materials. They’re mixed in suitable proportions to form the raw mix limestone, gypsum, coal, bauxite, and clay. Limestone and gypsum are abundant in Bara­mulla and Anantnag districts.

The Wuyan Cement Factory is the largest cement supplier to the Valley of Kashmir, established in 1962 with raw mate­rial from Uri and Baramulla. It employs about 275 workers and produces 2,000 tonnes of ce­ment annually. In 1982, the J & K Cements Ltd. Khrew, was founded, employing over 500 workers to produce about 600 tonnes of cement daily.

Industrial Complexes

Since 1980, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has focused on establishing agro-based, forest-based, and mineral-based industries. The State Industrial Development Corporation has set up industrial complexes at Rangreth, Khunamoh, and Doabgah in Kashmir, and at Bari Brahman in Jammu.

The Rangreth factory assembles television sets, radios, transistors, electronic clocks, stabilizers, electric blankets, tape recorders and watch jewels. Joinery articles, matches, automobile batteries and tiles are manufactured at Khonamoh.

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