Srinagar: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has urged the Government of Jammu & Kashmir to launch a focused rooftop solarisation drive across organised industrial estates, leveraging central MSME schemes to transform idle rooftops into productive, power-generating assets.
In a statement, FCIK described rooftop solarisation as a transformative infrastructure initiative that could strengthen industrial clusters while advancing sustainability and energy self-reliance in the Union Territory. The federation called for tapping the Integrated Infrastructure Development (IID) component of the Micro & Small Enterprises – Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
According to FCIK, rooftop solar systems in industrial estates can be treated as a “Common Facility” under the scheme, making them eligible for up to 60 percent funding support from the Government of India. It noted that aligning this central assistance with the J&K Industrial Policy 2021–30 — which provides 100 percent subsidy for alternative power solutions such as generators — would significantly reduce the financial burden on the UT government.
The federation emphasised that industrial rooftop solarisation is not merely an environmental measure but a strategic fiscal intervention. It said the initiative would help reduce the government’s power subsidy burden, curb Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses through localised generation and consumption, and contribute to additional power generation within Jammu & Kashmir.
“By producing power at the point of consumption, the initiative would effectively act as import substitution, reducing dependence on power procured from outside and strengthening energy self-reliance,” FCIK stated.
Explaining the MSE-CDP framework, the federation said the scheme is a flagship initiative of the Government of India aimed at enhancing productivity and competitiveness of micro and small enterprises through cluster-based development and shared infrastructure creation. Under the Infrastructure Development component, financial assistance of up to 60 percent is available for establishing or upgrading common facilities that benefit multiple units within a cluster.
FCIK said rooftop solar installations in organised industrial estates align fully with this mandate, as they constitute shared infrastructure serving all units in a cluster.
The federation lauded the Kashmir Small Scale Industrial Association (KSSIA), Bagh-i-Ali Mardan Khan, Srinagar — a constituent of FCIK — for engaging the National Institute of Technology Srinagar to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a rooftop solar power system as a common facility for the industrial estate.
FCIK said the Ministry of MSME has agreed in principle to the proposal and sought confirmation from the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) regarding power off-take and operational arrangements. With KPDCL having conveyed its consent, the proposal has now been taken up by the MSME branch with the Industries & Commerce Department, Kashmir, for preparation of the final DPR in accordance with MSE-CDP guidelines for submission to the State Level Steering Committee under the IID component.
The federation recommended that the Bagh-i-Ali Mardan Khan Industrial Estate project be adopted as a “test case” under the IID provision and urged the Deputy Chief Minister to direct the concerned authorities to expedite the process. It said that once implemented successfully, the DPR model and operational framework could be replicated across other organised industrial estates in J&K.
FCIK maintained that the initiative would promote green industrial growth, reduce dependence on diesel generators, improve power reliability for MSMEs, rationalise subsidy outgo, reduce AT&C losses, and align J&K’s industrial development strategy with national renewable energy goals.
