Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) offers boundless investment
opportunities to the prospective investors. It has rich reserves of water,
agro, forests, herbal and minerals resources. Minerals which are commercially
exploitable in the State are coal, gypsum, bauxite, lignite, graphic,
magnetic and lime stone. A number of mineral based projects have been
identified for private investment. Main industrial units in the State
are handlooms, handicrafts, gems and jewellery, etc. which have been accorded
the priority status. However, main occupation of the people in J&K
is agriculture and related activities like horticulture, sericulture and
floriculture. Besides, the scenic beauty of landscapes makes J&K the
most preferred tourist hotspot.
Agriculture
About 80 per cent population of the State depends on agriculture.
Paddy, wheat and maize are the major crops. Barley, bajra and jowar are
cultivated in some parts. Gram is grown in Ladakh. The horticulture industry
in Kashmir has become the bulwark of rural economy in the State, providing
job facilities to the thousands of people directly and indirectly. The
major horticulture items are apple, pear, cherry, walnut, almond, peaches,
saffron, apricot, strawberry and plum. The area under orchards is 242
lakh hectares. The State produces fruit worth Rs 2,000 crore annually
including export of walnuts worth Rs 120 crore. Jammu and Kashmir State
has been declared as Agri Export Zone for apple and walnuts. Market Intervention
Scheme has also been launched for improving quality fruit for export by
ensuing proper grading.
The State has suitable agro-climatic conditions for growing
variety of flowers. The floriculture industry in the State offers a good
source of supply to the domestic and international market. There is potential
for this activity to be propagated on a commercial basis.
Handicrafts
Handicraft is the traditional industry of the State and
has been of crucial importance given its large employment and export potential.
Some of the items of industry are papier-mache, woodcarving, carpets,
shawl making, embroidery etc. The handicrafts industry, particularly the
carpet industry, has been a source of substantial foreign exchange. It
provides employment to about 3.40 lakh artisans. The number of industrial
units has also gone up. Jammu has Urban Haats, while a similar Haat is
being commissioned in Srinagar. An Export Promotion Industrial Park has
been established at Kartholi, Jammu. A similar Park is being set up at
Ompora, Budgam. A pashmina dehairing project assisted by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) is coming up in the Leh industrial estate
of the State.
Tourism
Jammu and Kashmir, a bejewelled crown of India, provides
varieties of cultural, religious spots, adventure and sight seeing activities.
It is famous for its towering snow clad mountains, bubbling streams, transparent
and sparkling lakes, flower meadows, colourful orchards and rare fauna.
All such features of Jammu and Kashmir have always attracted numerous
tourists from all over the world. Tourism has emerged as an important
and one of the major contributors to the State's economy. There are various
places of tourist attraction in the State which are being visited by both
foreign and domestic tourists. Kashmir Valley is described as the paradise
on earth. Chashmashahi springs, Shalimar Bagh, Dal Lake, Dachigam, Gulmarg,
Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Amarnath shrine in the Valley, Vaishnodevi shrine
and Patnitop near Jammu and Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh are important
tourist destinations. Ladakh festival in September and Sindhu Darshan
in June are popular events. However, efforts are being made to support
houseboat owners and develop village tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Project Profiles
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