J&K entrepreneurs should visit startup hubs in metropolitan cities: Investors at Srinagar summit

Prominent investors and fund managers gathered in Srinagar on Saturday urging aspiring entrepreneurs of Jammu and Kashmir to visit startup ecosystems in the metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and interact with successful startup founders for better guidance.

They said that India is following the footsteps of the United States and China in the startup ecosystem but are still lagging behind the developed countries.

The interaction was held at the convention centre on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar where the J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute hosted a program “Investing in J&K MSMEs and Startups through SRI Fund.” This event was held in collaboration with the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, through NSIC Venture Capital Fund Limited. The program is considered as a significant step under the J&K Startup Policy 2024–27, aimed to establish the UT as a premier startup hub in India.


“Entrepreneurs from here (J&K) should visit startup hubs in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. You should spend at least two weeks there to understand the ecosystem,” said Imran Jafer of Gaja Capital. He further advised that entrepreneurs should spend time with startup founders and get guidance regarding the next step of their own startup.

Similarly, Ashish Gupta, a serial entrepreneur, said that tier two and three cities of India need to mature into vibrant startup hubs to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem. “We are following the footsteps of China and the US but our country is still maturing. We are hopeful of seeing good startups coming from J&K as well,” said Gupta.

The program featured comprehensive presentations on the Self Reliant India Fund’s structure and investment flow, panel discussions on ‘Fueling Startup Growth’ , ‘Disruption & Opportunity’ and ‘Enhancing Market Access’ and success stories from MSMEs benefiting from equity support. The Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha was chief guest at the event who stressed on the critical role of equity-based financing in fostering entrepreneurship.

The officials informed that a total of 24 national venture capital funds participated, demonstrating increasing investor confidence in the region’s startup ecosystem. They further stated that over 93 J&K startups engaged in networking sessions with the venture funds exploring investment connections and collaborative opportunities.