Jammu and Kashmir is no longer defined only by the massive tourism it hosts. The Union Territory has become a hub for startups, too.

New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir was jolted by a cowardly civilian attack by Pakistani terrorists on April 22, 2025. Temporary restrictions were put in place, tourist sentiment took a momentary hit, investors' confidence shook for a while, but the resurgence was overwhelming. A year after the attack, J&K is writing a marvellous story of growth, not only in tourism, but startups, investments and income too.

Tourism resurgence

Following the Pahalgam attack, at least 48 resorts and several tourist sites were shut immediately in J&K. Two weeks after the attack, the government launched Operation Sindoor. Pakistan's retaliation once again put the valley in distress. However, the tourists said no to fear or hesitation following that. Despite the adversaries, more than 1.7 crore tourists visited J&K in the year 2025. It was less than the previous year's level of 2.4 crore but was still above the 2021 level of 1.1 crore.

Startup boom

Jammu and Kashmir is no longer defined only by the massive tourism it hosts. The Union Territory has become a hub for startups, too. And, women are making their special place in the startup ecosystem.

"The startup ecosystem expanded from 69 startups in 2020 to 1,255 startups by Dec 2025, including 434 women-led startups, across agri-allied, IT, services, and manufacturing sectors," according to the J&K Economic Survey 2025-26.

J&K's startup ecosystem is also supported by the ambitious Jammu & Kashmir Startup Policy 2024-27, which aims to facilitate funding by means of venture capital funds, loan guarantee programs, seed funding, patent-related assistance and assistance for mentorship.

Investments pour

Shooting investors' confidence is another jewel in the crown. J&K received investment worth Rs 5,260 crore in only nine months of FY 2025-26. This was 14 times the complete year 2021-22 level of Rs 377 crore. Besides, there is a long pipeline of proposed investments for the central sector schemes.

"New Central Sector Scheme has attracted proposed investment of Rs 14,292 crore, expecting to generate employment opportunities for more than 50,000 youth," the Economic Survey said. 

J&K has also received national recognition, ranking fifth in Ease of Doing Business in 2025.

Rising Per Capita Income

The Pahalgam attack had impacted income not only in the tourism sector but across businesses and industries. Despite that, commoners' wealth rose in 2025-26. Per capita income rose from Rs 1.55 lakh in 2024-25 to Rs 1.68 lakh in 2025-26.

While the per capita income in J&K was 75.7 per cent of India's per capita income in FY25, it also rose to 76.5 per cent in FY26.Jammu & Kashmir has known the scars of terror, so attacks like Pahalgam reopen old wounds, but today, resilience runs deeper, and recovery comes faster than ever before.