Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Meets YourStory Founder Shradha Sharma to Discuss Strengthening Kashmir’s Startup Ecosystem

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today met Shradha Sharma, Founder & CEO of YourStory and The Bharat Project, to discuss a collaborative roadmap for strengthening entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic opportunities for young people and women across Jammu & Kashmir.

The meeting focused on building a stronger startup ecosystem by identifying practical ways to inspire, educate, mentor, and provide greater market access to entrepreneurs from every district of the Union Territory.

Shradha Sharma shared a set of proposals aimed at accelerating grassroots entrepreneurship, including entrepreneurship education programmes, storytelling initiatives to showcase successful founders from the region, and national platforms to help startups from Jammu & Kashmir access wider markets, networks, and investment opportunities.

A key part of the discussion was Orchardly, the Kashmir-based startup working to build premium apple brands and create greater value for the region’s horticulture sector. The conversation explored how such ventures can become examples of value addition, branding, and innovation emerging from Kashmir.

The meeting also discussed initiatives to celebrate and promote women entrepreneurs, inspire the next generation of founders, and build a stronger national narrative around Kashmir’s emerging innovation economy.

Shradha Sharma appreciated the Chief Minister’s openness and willingness to engage with new ideas.

“The spirit of Kashmir is not just found in its mountains or valleys. It lives in its tehzeeb—its grace, humanity, hospitality, and openness to dialogue. I am grateful to Hon’ble Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for taking the time to listen and engage so thoughtfully on ideas that can create opportunities for the youth and women of Jammu & Kashmir. I leave this meeting with optimism.”

The interaction reflected the Government of Jammu & Kashmir’s continued focus on expanding opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation by empowering young founders, women-led enterprises, and locally built businesses.

With one of India’s youngest populations, Jammu & Kashmir is witnessing a growing community of entrepreneurs building startups across technology, agriculture, tourism, handicrafts, food processing, and other emerging sectors. The meeting reaffirmed a shared vision of supporting this new generation through collaboration between government, industry, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The discussions concluded with a commitment to explore partnerships that can help educate aspiring entrepreneurs, strengthen market linkages, amplify success stories from the region, and contribute to building a globally recognised brand for Kashmir rooted in innovation, enterprise, and resilience.