Srinagar 29 Jun : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said Jammu and Kashmir must create a new generation of exporters and diversify its export basket to achieve the ambitious target of doubling exports by 2030.
Addressing the inaugural session of the J&K International Buyer-Seller Meet in Srinagar, CM Omar, said the Union Government’s target of doubling exports by 2030 leaves Jammu and Kashmir with only four years to significantly expand its export base.
“We have to support those who are already exporting, but at the same time we need to create exporters out of people who are not exporting today. Their markets are presently confined to Jammu and Kashmir or at best some parts of the country. Our effort is to make exporting easier for them,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the Buyer-Seller Meet assumes significance as it brings together international buyers, exporters, manufacturers, artisans and self-help groups on a common platform to explore new markets.
Highlighting Jammu and Kashmir’s unique trading history, CM Omar said the region had traditionally exported its products without relying on formal export mechanisms.
“Our buyers came to us in the form of tourists. They purchased our products and carried them back to different parts of the world. Many lifelong relationships between buyers and artisans were built that way. We rarely had to participate in organised buyer-seller meets or handicraft fairs because buyers automatically came to Kashmir,” he said.
However, he said prolonged disturbances and the decline in tourism forced artisans to completely change their business model.
He also said nearly 98 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s exports currently originate from only four districts, while the remaining districts account for just two per cent.
“The challenge before us is how to increase the number of exporters and expand exports to every region of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He stressed the need for establishing a dry port in Jammu and Kashmir to simplify export procedures.
“We urgently need a dry port. Today our goods are exported from here but are often stamped elsewhere, because of which exports get credited to another state. We are working to ensure all export-related procedures are completed within Jammu and Kashmir itself so that exporting becomes easier for our entrepreneurs and our exports are properly reflected in our own account,” he said.
