Industry – Insight on Kashmir

Investing in economically disadvantaged communities of Azad Kashmir | By Mazhar Iqbal

Socially responsible investment

Investing in disadvantaged communities supports the idea of socially responsible investment and it aims to mutually benefit the investors and the communities served.

Community investment also offers new opportunities for business growth and market access to far-off areas. The investors get exposure to a new skill base in order to work locally.

Azad Kashmir has a huge investment potential

Azad Kashmir region has huge potential to provide safe and profitable investment opportunities in healthcare, tourism, education, and the social sector.

Although Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has a clear vision of the development and growth of disadvantaged areas of the country, the economic potential of remote areas in Azad Kashmir is still undiscovered.

Azad Kashmir emerging tourism hotspot

Azad Kashmir is an emerging tourism hot spot that offers attractive investment opportunities for both foreign and local investors.

The present governments of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir are keen to attract new investments and have clear strategy for growth of entrepreneurial activities.

Under-Construction Mega Project in Azad Kashmir

Opportunities to Accelerate Economic Growth

Due to the economic impacts of Covid-19, governments all over the world are desperately looking to accelerate economic growth. Thus, the they want to utilise all available resources in order to restart economic activity and in return create jobs for millions of people.

Pakistan seeking to restrain imports

Pakistan is actively seeking to restrain imports and finding new ways to expand exports. The export sector has recently taken flight as we have seen the textile sector of the country particularly working at its utmost capacity.

Here, I will briefly look into those sectors that have a huge potential to grow in the Azad Kashmir region.

The handicraft sector in Azad Kashmir

The handicraft sector of Azad Kashmir can be a prime export sector. Although, it has been stagnant for several years due to various reasons. But now, both the government and industry itself appear ready to overcome problems as soon as possible.

image of a white mulberry on a mulberry-tree branch. Organic cultivation of white mulberry

Specialised agriculture in Azad Kashmir

Specialized agriculture such as sericulture and olive plantation has a bright prospect.

Apart from a few bottlenecks in recent years of mismanagement in food and agriculture, Pakistan has been a self-sufficient country in the provision of food to its population.

Azad Kashmir, due to a small population has not a very high demand for food crops and with particular reference to its historic links with agriculture and forestry has huge potential in crop-based production that has yet not been discovered.

Crop-based production

Crop-based production is one of those sectors that make this region highly attractive for those investors who are looking into growing crops, fruit, and vegetable to process and market agriculture-based products such as cereals, pasta, biscuits and bakery products etc.

Crop production is agriculture based production of food and fibre. This includes all the feed sources that are required to maintain and produce crops.
The problem is with the level of output in agriculture that can be proved with investment in food processing, production, and other related segments.

Manufacturing in Azad Kashmir

Manufacturing can be the bread earner of Azad Kashmir. Currently, the region is importing all kinds of manufactured goods.

Manufacturing in new as well traditional industries such as IT, software, healthcare, and transport can take flight if the government takes it seriously.

We have seen in the present Pakistani government’s strategic decisions in manufacturing.

CPEC is a huge opportunity and eye-opener

The CPEC is a huge opportunity for Azad Kashmir based investors, particularly in renewable energy and export of energy.
As we know that manufacturing in China is becoming less competitive due to high US and European tariffs, there is a significant opportunity to work with Chinese manufacturers to transfer manufacturing activity to Azad Kashmir and use it as an export platform.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Renewable and sustainable energy is an area where Azad Kashmir offers attractive investment opportunities.

Hydropower, solar power, renewable, and many more sub-sectors present endless opportunities to foreign investors.

Highly saturated education sector

Although, education sector is saturating in terms of offering conventional employment opportunities, it is one of the top priorities of the present government of Azad Kashmir.

There are massive opportunities in the provision of higher education, skills literacy, professional and vocational training to people of rapidly expanding population centres.

Healthcare industry

Healthcare is also on the government’s priority list for long-term and medium-term investments. Health facilities across the country need to be built up through public-private partnerships.

Social Infrastructure

Social Infrastructure is a priority sector due to the present government’s social development policy.

In near future, Azad Kashmir will need to invest huge amounts of money into the provision of clean drinking water, waste management, urban and rural transport, etc.

Housing and Construction

Housing all over the world is a worry for the governments. The present government of Azad Kashmir is short of money but has got high ambitions to expand housing sector.

Affordable housing, public-private ventures, provision of modern and secure housing facilities all are on the government’s priority list.

Investment in Azad Kashmir has traditionally been low due to obvious reasons. Most people in Azad Kashmir, prefer to invest in real estate taking it for granted as a secure and profit-making sector.

Early profit-taking and safety of funds is much more as compared to the other businesses.

Transport Sector of Azad Kashmir

The transport sector has consistently shown growth in Azad Kashmir in recent years.

So, the traditional small car manufacturing and import businesses have been taking advantage of it.

Yet, investors can make money from the automobile industry in Azad Kashmir.

From SUVs to public sector transport and from heavy machinery to small cars, there is a huge and booming market.

SME Sector

Small and Medium Enterprises world over are getting a fresh start as new trends and opportunities are creeping into niche markets sectors. These include creative work, software, food-manufacturing, IT, Travel and Tours, Dairy, Animal Husbandry, Fintech, Online Services, and many more.

Pakistan and China will soon have a new and alternative short road connectivity as an alternative to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Roadside commercial activity can be another way of tapping into economic opportunities.

Kashmiri Shawl weavers pioneered the labour movement

The Kashmiri shawl industry workers agitated against the cruel taxation system and employment conditions at least 21 years before the protests of the Haymarket labour movement. They were the pioneers of industry-wise workers’ rights movements in the world.

At least 28 shawl weavers who were put to death by the forces of the ruling Maharaja Ranbir Singh on 29 April 1865 at Zaldagar area of old Srinagar city. Those unarmed shawl weavers were protesting against the cruel taxation of the exploitative working conditions.

Every year, people in Kashmir, particularly the businesses related to Pashmina businesses, commemorate the death anniversary of those innocent weavers. They observe April 29 instead of May 1 as the Labour Day. It was the day when hard working shawl weavers marched through the streets of Srinagar’s old city against the cruel tax policies imposed on them by the Dogra regime. The shawl weavers of Srinagar were compelled by the circumstances of turbulent working conditions, unfair wages, excessive taxation and a ban on weavers who wanted to leave Kashmir valley.

The world labour movement was pioneered by protestors of the Haymarket Riot (also known as the “Haymarket Incident” and “Haymarket Affair”) that occurred on May 4, 1886. The Haymarket protester gathered to near Chicago’s Haymarket Square and turned into a riot after someone threw a bomb at police. At least eight people died as a result of the violence that day.

Almost 21-years before the Haymarket incident, Kashmiri shawl industry workers on April 29, 1865, protesting against high taxes. At least 28 workers lost their lives and hundreds were injured.

The origin of shawls in the world can be traced back more than 700 years. However , the shawl industry introduced by Zain-Ul-Ahadin in mid 14th century who backed the art of weaving in the Kashmir valley.

By the 16th Century the Kashmir shawl industry was an old and well-established one. King Akbar encouraged and promoted the manufacture of shawls in Kashmir. He also presented a gift of Kashmir jamawar shawl to the Queen of England. Fabrics Bernier description of shawls in the late 17th Century, leaves us in no doubt that he is referring to the same pashmina shawls that became famous as Kashmir (Cashmere) Shawls. It became a highly fashionable and stylish garment when Empress Josephine famously received Kashmir shawls as gifts from Napoleon.

Haji Pir

Haji Pir Pass (altitude 2,637 m (8,652 ft)) lies on the western Pir Panjal range on the road between Poonch and Uri. The Pir Panjal Pass (also called Peer Ki Gali ) connects the Kashmir valley .

Mulberry Tree, Silkworms and Industrialization in Kashmir

Industrial activity plays an important role in the development of a country. And economic growth depends on developing an inclusive and sustained approach to boost industrial activity. Though the state of Jammu and Kashmir has undergone various stages of industrialization, there has not been a significant improvement in developing modern industries as a major engine of economic development. The state mostly has manufacturing, small-scale and cottage industries etc. These industries are in both parts of Jammu and Kashmir but some parts have been marked as significant in traditional industries. Sericulture was once a highly regarded and developed industrial sector.

A few areas in the state of Jammu and Kashmir have historically been popular for the rearing of silkworms on mulberry trees. Silkworms are also known as webworms because of the silky webs they construct in trees. These insects are best raised on mulberry tree leaves as the best quality species of silkworms can eat only mulberry leaves. Though there are other kinds of webworms that can eat leaves of other evergreen trees. These silkworms are raised to produce silk and it requires a certain degree of scientific knowledge and technical skills.

Generating income via sericulture has been a popular economic activity in both parts of the divided state of Jammu and Kashmir. For thousands of households, sericulture has been a steady source of income. The popular places in Indian side are Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, and Miragund.

As the leaves of mulberry trees are soft, glossy, and smooth on both sides. The best-known varieties of the mulberry tree are red, black and white mulberry. These trees grow in sandy, dry soil and nurture freely in an area where natural drainage systems work well.

As per estimates, there are over 700,000 lakh mulberry trees, out of which 53 percent (370,000) are in Jammu Division and 47 percent in Kashmir Division. Annually, about 6,680 quintals of raw silk are produced which is approximately worth Rs. 50 crores or 50 million.

The sustainability of livelihood via sericulture is affected by various factors. However, non-availability of quality mulberry species, improper plantation practices, and inadequate aftercare has badly affected the growth and development of sericulture as a modern industry. To remedy the current situation, several solutions have been proposed in recent years. For instance, avoiding planting of mulberry in gravel and waterlogged soils, avoiding damage to the roots while uprooting plants, transporting plants without any damage to the buds and planting only disease-free plants among others.

Similarly, the inadequacy of mulberry leaves and damage caused by insects and pests are the major problems in the development and expansion of sericulture. Now the Sericulture Development Department is laying stress on raising dwarf mulberry trees to supplement and replenish the traditional tall mulberry trees. As a result of these efforts, the dwarf varieties have increased substantially in the state. The temporal change in the sericulture development has been given in Table 8.ulberry and maple trees have a significance in industrialization of Kashmir since long.

Carpets in Jammu-Kashmir

GirlandWorld

The exquisite and exotic carpets of Jammu & Kashmir are world famous. Thousands of local artisans are involved into carpet making and the carpet making factories are one of the most important industries of Jammu & Kashmir. These carpets called as Kalin are not only the major part of Jammu & Kashmiri home furnishing but also an integral part of local culture. The handcrafted or machine weaved carpets are exclusively designed and synonymous to the identity of Jammu & Kashmir. There are 800 carpet factories alone in Bari Brahmana area of Jammu. There’s lot of issues regarding child labourers in carpet factories but as unemployment is also very prominent in this region so these carpet factories also provide them mode of livelihood. Here are some of the clicks from my recent visit to the Shalimar Carpet Industries Bari Brahmana in Jammu & Kashmir.

Carpets in Jammu Kashmir

The Jammu & Kashmir Carpets…

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Cashmere Wool

Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from cashmere goats and other types of goat. Common usage defines the fiber as wool but it is finer and softer than sheep’s wool. Some say it is hair, but, in reality cashmere requires the removal of hair from the wool.

The word cashmere is an old spelling of the Kashmir. Cashmere is finer, stronger, lighter, softer, and approximately three times more insulating than sheep wool. Such wool product is the fine (dehaired)undercoat fibers produced by a cashmere goat (Capra hircus laniger). Average diameter of the fiber of such wool product does not exceed 19 microns; and does not contain more than 3 percent (by weight) of cashmere fibers with average diameters that exceed 30 microns. The average fiber diameter may be subject to a coefficient of variation around the meanthat shall not exceed 24 percent.

Cashmere wool fiber for clothing and other textile articles is obtained from the neck region of Cashmere and other goats. Historically, fine-haired Cashmere goats have been called Capra hircus laniger, as if they were a subspecies of the domestic goat Capra hircus. However, they are now more commonly considered part of the domestic goat subspecies Capra aegagrus hircus.

Cashmere goats produce a double fleece that consists of a fine, soft undercoat or underdown of hair mingled with a straighter and much coarser outer coating of hair calledguard hair. For the fine underdown to be sold and processed further, it must be de-haired.

De-hairing is a mechanical process that separates the coarse hairs from the fine hair. After de-hairing, the resulting “cashmere” is ready to be dyed and converted into textile yarn, fabrics and garments.

Cashmere is collected during the springmoulting season when the goats naturally shed their winter coat. In the Northern Hemisphere, the goats moult as early as March and as late as May.

In some regions, the mixed mass of down and coarse hair is removed by hand with a coarse comb that pulls tufts of fiber from the animal as the comb is raked through the fleece.

The collected fiber then has a higher yield of pure cashmere after the fiber has been washed and dehaired. The long, coarse guard hair is then typically clipped from the animal and is often used for brushes, interfacings and other non-apparel uses. Wikipedia

The Shawlwala !

Quill & Parchment

img_20161209_172500 by Sakhi

Let me tell you about my favourite winter thing, it’s Mystical to me.

I was sitting in my room today, snuggled in a thin blanket, reading a novel, “Me Before You” to be particular. Enjoying the coveted Delhi winters when I heard him. “Shawl, Kashmiri Shawl” came the call. He was at the gate and banging the metal lock loudly to get my attention. I went out to check out the visitor, and there stood a lean man, in a jacket and holding two heavy, big bags on both shoulders. I beamed to see him; he is no other than Rashid, The Shawlwala. His coming is like an official declaration that winter is here.

My mother was reluctant to let him in as she was napping and he would spoil her sleep, and told me to tell him to go away now, and come…

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