Kashmir’s entrepreneurial talent might have remained hidden for years and confined to a particular set of businesses such as agriculture, tourism, etc. However, with the UTs now open for investments after the cancellation of the state’s special status in 2019, they would soon become the land of business opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Accordingly, let us look at some potential entrepreneurship opportunities in Kashmir to broaden your choice of options.
10 Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Kashmir
There’s so much to do and explore for everyone who wants to step into entrepreneurship in Kashmir. So, apart from tourism and agriculture, let’s look at ten promising entrepreneurship options in J&K.
1. Restaurant Business
Starting a restaurant business in Kashmir, or for that matter, anywhere in the world, requires a considerable investment and availability of space. If you have it and possess culinary skills or the resources to manage the kitchen aspect, you may consider starting a restaurant in your city. Fortunately, today, you have many options when it comes to opening eating places. From conventional restaurants to moving eateries, you may explore alternatives based on the feasibility of aspects such as finance, permissions, local business potential, target audience, the scope of sustenance, etc.
2. Coaching and Mentoring
Years ago, someone made an effort to transform you into a capable person. Now, it is time for you to give it back to society! Yes. When it comes to entrepreneurship opportunities in Kashmir, you may also consider becoming a soft or hard skills coach and starting your training institute within your area of expertise.
Coaching could be a potential business opportunity considering future business opportunities, investments, and the subsequent need for a trained workforce in the valley.
3. Freelance Writing, Editing, Coding, Etc.
If you are a wordsmith, you may venture into services such as freelance writing and editing. The business requires minimal investment, such as a desktop or a laptop and an internet connection. On the other hand, if you are an expert in coding and have the financial muscle to create the infrastructure needed for coding, you can work as a freelance coder.
4. Collection of Recyclable Material
This one’s unexpected yet a potential business idea. Collection of recyclable material such as metal scrap, cans, tins, plastic, etc., and then selling it to the concerned buyers can prove a substantial source of income. However, this business requires a considerable workforce and roaming around dumping areas to generate revenue from waste.
5. Event Management
Event management is a pretty conventional business idea and something you may consider starting if you have people management skills and the patience to handle events and their complexities. As an event manager, you may specialize in specific events such as corporate events, wedding functions, birthday parties, etc. However, on the other hand, you may consider becoming a full-fledged event professional. The latter demands a massive amount of effort; however, it is a better option, as you can broaden your scope of services and qualify yourself for more business opportunities.
6. Courier Service
Starting a courier service in Kashmir is pretty straightforward. However, sustaining and running it successfully involves a significant challenge, given the valley’s uneven terrain and the lack of related infrastructure. But people have succeeded. We have an excellent example where Young Entrepreneurs from Kashmir Started a Logistics Company. Of course, they continue to face challenges. But those challenges don’t stop them from continuing with their journey!
7. Fitness Club
India’s fitness sector is still in its early stages. Hence, it has enormous potential to grow and be recognized as an industry. Accordingly, another potential business opportunity or avenue in Kashmir is opening a fitness club.
Nevertheless, you must note that starting a fitness club or a gymnasium in Kashmir demands substantial initial investment and funds to sustain when you may not have as many members and will have to pay for maintenance and staff salaries. Additionally, you will have to pursue a fitness course and become a certified fitness trainer.
If you are optimistic about the financial aspect and prepared to invest some time into fitness education, you can step into the relatively untapped and pretty nascent fitness sector of Kashmir.
Consider reading this success story to derive some inspiration – Aliya Farooq – First Kashmiri Woman Fitness Trainer.
8. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is one of the fastest-growing businesses. Today, every business in the world is going digital and intends to leverage the digital medium for business growth. But dealing with digital marketing isn’t as straightforward. It is a rapidly evolving area that requires businesses to hire digital marketing experts. This refers to a business opportunity based on which you may approach companies with your digital marketing expertise and services. Of course, it is a fiercely competitive space. But then, which field isn’t?
9. Corporate Flower Arrangement
Kashmir is slated to receive thousands of crores of investment in the near future. Accordingly, its residents would witness several companies stepping in and establishing offices on Kashmir’s soil. While that refers to the emergence of several business opportunities, one aspect that many might not realize is the need for providing corporate flower arrangement services. Potentially, corporate offices may need professional flower arrangement services to enhance office aesthetics, and that’s where you, as a corporate flower arrangement service provider, may get leads!
10. Milk Farming
Many may think of milk farming as a family business. Although that’s true to an extent, it isn’t something you do only through inheritance. A newbie can also enter the milk farming business. Some youngsters from Kashmir have proved it true. One of the examples is Imran Sheikh – A Milk Farming Entrepreneur from the Bandipora District.
Nevertheless, starting a milk farming business involves a considerable amount of initial investment and recurring investments from the viewpoint of infrastructural maintenance, cattle health, milk extraction technology, creating a sales network, etc. If you are game for it, milk farming can prove a potentially lucrative business.
Apart from the above ones, you may explore business opportunities within other business domains such as horticulture, sericulture, textiles, handicrafts, etc. Honestly, starting a business and running it successfully, in the long run, isn’t easy. However, nothing is impossible for people who are dedicated to making it big as entrepreneurs and contributing to society! You’ll encounter competition on the regional as well as national level wherever you go. But that shouldn’t hold you back or postpone or cancel your entrepreneurial endeavors.
