Kashmir’s women code their way to the future
Vedicaa Manoj Sawal
Vedicaasawal@gmail.com
From traditional crafts to tech startups, a new generation of women entrepreneurs is rewriting the Valley’s economic narrative
Sana Aftab lives in a small apartment in Srinagar, where she mixes her MBA smarts with a business idea that most wouldn’t expect. She started out making soap in her own kitchen, and from those first homemade batches, launched Perdex, a brand for natural beauty products. What began as a side project now ships orders across India, all fueled by social media and online buzz. And honestly, Sana’s story isn’t unusual anymore. This is what’s happening all over Kashmir.
The numbers back it up. In 2019, there were just 12 women-led startups in Jammu and Kashmir. By 2024, that number jumped to 333. Government data says that out of 917 DPIIT-registered startups in the region, over a third are run by women. But this isn’t just about statistics or paperwork. These are daughters of a region shaped by conflict, deciding they won’t let geography or history box them in.
Tech is at the heart of this quiet shakeup. From 2021 to 2024, 52 tech startups with at least one woman director have popped up in Jammu and Kashmir. Eighteen of those started in just the last year, which shows things are speeding up. It’s not just e-commerce or digital marketing, either women here are building software, creating apps, and coming up with tech solutions for problems both local and global.
So, what’s pushing this change? Government policies definitely help. The Jammu and Kashmir Startup Policy 2024-2027 spells out real incentives for women, seed funding up to Rs 20 lakh, cheaper co-working spaces, help with patents. They want to see 2,000 new startups over five years, and women get priority. Women-led startups here have already received Rs 1.55 crore under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme.
But policies alone don’t spark ambition, role models do. When girls in Kashmir see women like Bilqees Bano, who chose mushroom farming over the usual career paths, or Aneesa Iqbal, who juggles student life and her own soap and candle business, they start to picture new futures for themselves. These aren’t Silicon Valley dreams imported from somewhere else. They’re local, built on what’s available, and driven by grit.
Zoom out, and Kashmir’s story fits into a bigger national picture. By 2027, India’s tech industry expects women’s participation to reach almost 15 percent, up from about 11 percent in 2022. Right now, nearly two million women work in India’s tech sector, and demand is soaring for roles in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and AI, fields where women are making their mark. Kashmir’s women entrepreneurs are riding this wave, but they’re also dealing with hurdles most people in Bangalore or Mumbai don’t think about: patchy internet, weak infrastructure, tough markets.
Still, these challenges force people to get creative. Look at Sheikh Asif. He dropped out after eighth grade, started Themes Infotech, and now teaches tech skills to others who missed out on formal education. Some of his students are young women from rural villages, picking up web design and development from home, turning digital know-how into financial freedom. Tech education is spreading through YouTube, online courses, and informal groups, you don’t need a fancy degree or city address to join in.
The real test now is reaching girls in schools, before old stereotypes take root. Research shows parents and teachers in Kashmir often believe boys are naturally better at STEM, so girls get nudged away from technical fields. Changing that means starting early: coding clubs in schools, female mentors in tech, lessons that put women’s achievements in science front and center.
Programs like Girls Who Code have already proved that when you give girls the right tools and support, they dive into STEM fields in huge numbers. Kashmir needs homegrown versions of these programs, shaped for its own cities and villages. Thanks to smartphones, reaching even the most remote places is finally possible.
Entrepreneurship platforms like Startup Kashmir are building real communities. They host meetups where women swap stories and advice. These gatherings matter, they make it normal for women to be in business, and they offer networks that replace the old boys’ clubs.
The economic argument is clear. Women-led startups aren’t just building their own futures; they’re creating jobs and helping Kashmir’s economy grow. Plus, they bring fresh perspectives to the table, solving problems that all-male teams might miss.
(The author is MA New Media Communications IIMC, Jammu)
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