Entrepreneurship Mela under Mission YUVA held at Kulgam

Kulgam: A one-day potential Entrepreneurship Mela was organised on Saturday under the ambitious Mission YUVA (Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan) programme at Mini Secretariat, Kulgam.
Organized by the District Employment and Counselling Centre (DE&CC) Kulgam in collaboration with the District Administration, the event focused on the strategic framework of project YUVA, implementation modalities, and the roles and responsibilities of officers involved.
The Mela witnessed wide participation from young potential entrepreneurs, officers from various departments, representatives of financial institutions, and startup mentors.
The event was formally inaugurated by Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Shopian, Altaf Ahmad Khan, who in his keynote address emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship for local economic growth and job creation. He stated that Mela marks a declaration that Kulgam’s youth are ready to lead their economic destinies.
Officers present included Assistant Commissioner Development, SDM D.H. Pora, GM DIC, Career Counselling Officer, Block Development Officers, CDPOs, Principals of GDCs, and students from different institutions.
Career Counselling Officer, Manzoor Ahmad Rather presented an overview of Mission YUVA.
Subject matter experts and resource persons from the Employment Department, DIC, Agriculture, JKEDI, and successful local entrepreneurs delivered sessions on startup ideation, credit linkage, business plan development, digital marketing, and scheme implementation.
Renowned poet Bilal Kashmiri presented a nazm on self-employment and dignity of work, reflecting the essence of Mission YUVA.
A symbolic Mission YUVA T-shirt was also launched by the ADDC, representing the energy and identity of aspiring entrepreneurs. Officers, Yuva Doots, and selected beneficiaries received the T-shirts.
Various departments including Employment, Industries & Commerce, KVIB, NRLM, Agriculture, Horticulture, ITI, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Fisheries, J&K Bank, and local entrepreneurs had set up stalls to provide on-spot registration, career counselling, and awareness on self-employment schemes.
A plantation drive was held within the Mini Secretariat premises to promote sustainability and green entrepreneurship.
A felicitation ceremony was also held to honour notable contributions. The award for Best Government Department Stall was given to the District Industries Centre (DIC) for its public engagement and informative presentation.
The event concluded with a Q&A session, where participants interacted with experts and clarified their queries.