News Desk
JAMMU, India — In Himalayas emerald valleys, a quiet transformation is taking root. On Monday, March 10, 2025, the Jammu and Kashmir government unveiled a striking milestone: since 2019, Rs 10,516 crore—equivalent to $1.26 billion—has flowed into this Union Territory, a region once synonymous with unrest but now emerging as a beacon of India’s economic ambition. It’s a tale of grit and growth, one that stretches beyond the rugged landscapes of this northern frontier, hinting at a nation determined to weave even its most troubled threads into a tapestry of progress.
The revelation came from Surinder Choudhary, the Minister in-charge of Industries and Commerce, during a Legislative Assembly session in Jammu. With a measured tone, Choudhary presented the figures in a written reply to MLA Budhal Javed Iqbal Choudhary’s query.
Since the fiscal year 2019-20, he said, Rs 10,516 crore ($1.26 billion) has been invested across the territory, split between Rs 3,407.63 crore ($408 million) in the Kashmir Valley and Rs 7,108 crore ($852 million) in the Jammu region. These aren’t mere ledger entries—they’re the sound of machinery whirring, roads unfurling, and livelihoods taking shape.
The numbers unfold like a slow-building crescendo. In Kashmir, the journey began modestly: Rs 164.37 crore ($19.7 million) in 2019-20, dipping to Rs 148.89 crore ($17.8 million) in 2020-21 as a global pandemic gripped the world, then sliding further to Rs 125.87 crore ($15.1 million) in 2021-22. But the tide turned sharply. By 2022-23, investment spiked to Rs 737.36 crore ($88.4 million), and in 2024-25—up to February 25—it rocketed to Rs 1,423.17 crore ($170.6 million).
Jammu’s arc is equally compelling: Rs 132.27 crore ($15.9 million) in 2019-20, Rs 263.85 crore ($31.6 million) in 2020-21, Rs 250.89 crore ($30.1 million) in 2021-22, then a leap to Rs 1,416.07 crore ($169.8 million) in 2022-23, Rs 1,966.20 crore ($235.7 million) in 2023-24, and a staggering Rs 3,079.57 crore ($369.2 million) in 2024-25 so far.
For decades, Jammu and Kashmir lingered in the global imagination as a land of breathtaking beauty scarred by conflict. The 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which revoked its special status and placed it under New Delhi’s direct control, was a watershed—divisive and daring.
Critics mourned the loss of autonomy; advocates promised prosperity. Five years later, the Rs 10,516 crore ($1.26 billion) in realized investments—part of Rs 1.63 lakh crore ($19.5 billion) in proposals since 2019, per the J&K Economic Survey 2024-25—offers evidence that the gamble might be paying off. Nearly 2,000 industrial units have taken root, employing 63,710 people, a lifeline in a region where joblessness once fueled despair.
This is about more than dollars and rupees. It’s about hope taking hold. In Bhaderwah, Jammu, lavender fields now stretch across the hills, a Rs 5,000 crore ($600 million) agricultural initiative championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his March 2024 visit. Union Minister Jitendra Singh has dubbed it an “agro-startup revolution.”
Tourism, too, is soaring—10.8 million visitors flocked to the territory in the first half of 2024, drawn by Rs 1,400 crore ($168 million) in projects under schemes like Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD, which are polishing gems like Srinagar’s Dal Lake and Gulmarg’s ski slopes for the world stage.
The government’s hand is unmistakable. The New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS) 2021, backed by Rs 28,400 crore ($3.4 billion), has greenlit 971 projects, committing Rs 10,471 crore ($1.25 billion) and creating 51,897 jobs.
Infrastructure is racing to catch up: five tunnels, costing $3.42 million, are being carved out by the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation, promising year-round connectivity by December 2025. A $1.2 billion elevated metro rail system in Srinagar and Jammu, due by 2026, aims to ease congestion and bind the region tighter. Even the handicraft sector—sustaining a million artisans—has gone global, with Flipkart’s 2020 partnership linking Kashmiri weavers to e-commerce.
But the road isn’t without bumps. The Rs 10,516 crore ($1.26 billion) realized pales beside the Rs 84,544 crore ($10.14 billion) in proposals since 2021, per a 2023 Indian Express report—progress is sluggish, hampered by delays and a tapped-out land bank of 11,861 kanals (1,482 acres), with 20,000 more in negotiation. Jammu’s dominance in funding highlights a persistent Kashmir-Jammu divide. Yet, the signs are promising.
The startup scene has surged 287 percent since 2020, with 917 ventures by 2024—33 percent women-led—per the Economic Survey.
Exports hit $212 million in 2022-23, ranking Jammu and Kashmir second among India’s small states for export readiness.
On the ground, there’s a tentative buzz. At Srinagar’s Rangreth industrial estate, the territory’s biggest IT hub, young coders tap away, a stark contrast to the lockdowns of old. In Jammu’s Kathua, textile worker Rafiq Ahmed, 34, loads goods for Delhi, his wages a newfound constant. “It’s not everything, but it’s something,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow. “My father only knew seasons of nothing.”
For India, Jammu and Kashmir is a proving ground—a microcosm of its $5 trillion economy dream. The Rs 10,516 crore ($1.26 billion) isn’t just a number; it’s a pulse, a sign that a fractured land is stitching itself back together.
