When there is an atmosphere built over years together to encourage people to people contact, business to business link mutual co-operation and understanding and investments in ventures of different hues by any two countries, what flows out is trade and commerce flourishing inter-se and thus pecuniary gains to businesspersons and overall progress takes place. Jammu and Kashmir is embarking on attracting investments both from within the country and from outside in different sectors like industries, real estates, hospitality, tourism, food processing and the like. Only last week, many MOUs were inked between the UT Government, various top real estate investors and Apollo Hospitals etc of the country during holding of first Real Estate Summit. Keeping the tempo of development of commerce and trade going, the UT Government signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with LuLu Group of Dubai at Dubai itself with intent to set up a food processing and logistics hub in Srinagar . This historic agreement is an embodiment and as a result of long standing and deep rooted relations between India and the UAE.
It is worth noting that only on the second day, many MOUs were again signed which are of great importance as many promising investors have shown increasing interest in investing in Jammu and Kashmir in various business and trade activities. Not undermining the three basics of promoting commerce and trade like ”connecting, competing and collaborating” with available vast resources including human expertise in respective fields and due exposure to and experience in marketability, inherent in the capabilities of Jammu and Kashmir, the UT could, in the words of the Lt. Governor rightly get transformed from “sleeping business destination to land of opportunities and investments”. That speaks for the fresh MoUs having been inked by the UT Government with Al Maya Group, MATU investments LLC, GL Employment Brokerage LLC, Noon Century Financial etc to widen the horizon of investments and starting new hubs of business in different part of the UT. It is not difficult to imagine as to how many new avenues of employment will get generated. Demographic dividend with industrious young population, as Jammu and Kashmir is blessed with, are in fact resources that matter the most in imparting new shape and speed to promoting investments and flourishing of trade and commerce.
Not only this, UT Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated Jammu and Kashmir promotion week at the Lu- Lu Hypermarket, Dubai. It is worth noting that many goods especially GI tagged saffron, fruits, particularly the famous varieties of apples, dry fruits, items of arts and crafts from the UT are being sold in Dubai markets and in this connection, now direct flights by many reputed Airlines from Srinagar via New Delhi and Mumbai carry the requisite merchandise benefitting both the sellers and the buyers. Fast transportation, ie; air consignments ensuring that- even fragile and perishable eatables reached Dubai markets in pristine fresh form. Referring to the MOUs signed with LuLu Group and subsequently with many more investors, let it be hoped that all the provisions would be scrupulously honoured and kept which can surely pave the way for more collaboration and investments taking place for the benefit of both the sides. That the concerned MOUs would not remain confined to just for what those were signed but had lot of potential to expand and explore more avenues as hoped by the Lt. Governor, which again was related to finding ways for more collaboration between the two sides.
As expansion of trade and commerce demands and was dependent on, adding new items and varieties that have area or place specifics and specialities, Kashmir’s finest spices for all weather use and even items of cuisine specials in preserved and refrigerated forms could further result in expanding the trade and commerce. Once Governments intervened and provided logistics to trade and commerce, avenues for generating more demand for products and continuous expansion could be easily achieved. COVID-19 constraints and challenges, of course, had caused wide spread adverse impact but it is to be noted with satisfaction that trade between Dubai and Jammu and Kashmir markets remained more or less steady and largely unaffected.
It is time to do some hard work in exploring which items produced or made in Jammu and Kashmir could be additionally showcased commercially and put in the basket of exports besides the traditional items of world class saffron, apples, walnuts, almonds and even dried apricots. Medicinal herbs are found in abundance in Jammu and Kashmir and certain species among them are believed to be of high therapeutic value which can be added into the items of trade from this side. That does not, however, mean any less of prompt reciprocity to keep the promising, if not highly ambitious , mutual collaboration in furthering trade and commerce opportunities going uninterruptedly.
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