Chief Secretary directs time-bound revival of 6,576 recoverable MSMEs in J&K

Orders faster field assessments, actionable revival plans and follow-up of rehabilitation cases

SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 16: Jammu & Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has directed the Industries and Commerce Department to complete diagnostic profiling and prepare actionable revival plans for 6,576 recoverable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) identified under the J&K MSME Health Clinic initiative.

Chairing a comprehensive review meeting on the functioning of the digital initiative on Wednesday, Dulloo called for accelerated field assessments, strengthened Small Business Development Units (SBDUs) and time-bound follow-up of rehabilitation cases to ensure that diagnostic assessments translate into effective interventions for stressed enterprises.

The Chief Secretary directed the department to strengthen the operational capacity of SBDUs and ensure their mandatory expansion to undertake coordinated assessment, handholding and follow-up of MSMEs.

He stressed that the Health Clinic should evolve into an effective mechanism for early diagnosis, coordinated rehabilitation and sustained monitoring of enterprises across Jammu & Kashmir.

2.94 lakh MSMEs assessed

Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, informed the meeting that the MSME Health Clinic is currently monitoring a portfolio of 3,42,261 registered MSME units.

Of these, 2,94,014 units have undergone diagnostic assessment, with 2,87,332 units, constituting 97.7 per cent of the assessed portfolio, found to be completely stable.

The assessment identified 6,682 units requiring active intervention. These include:

• 6,576 units classified as recoverable.

• 106 units identified as prone to chronic sickness.

Additionally, 48,247 units have been referred back to J&K Bank for data correction to enable refinement of the database and more accurate assessment of the concerned enterprises.

Dulloo directed the department to ensure that the assessment of recoverable units is translated into structured revival interventions, with periodic monitoring of recommendations emerging from the Health Clinic.

581 factory visits conducted

The meeting was informed that field teams have so far conducted 581 factory visits, resulting in the preparation of 317 comprehensive diagnostic reports.

Of these, 34 critical rehabilitation cases have received formal approval from the District Level Advisory Committee (DLAC).

The Chief Secretary called for faster field-level assessments and follow-up of rehabilitation cases to ensure timely support to stressed industrial units.

District-level teams strengthened

The Industries and Commerce Department has institutionalised district-level core teams across all districts to strengthen the field implementation mechanism.

Each SBDU comprises an Investment Promotion Officer (IPO) from the respective District Industries Centre (DIC), a District Nodal Officer (DNO) from the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI), a consultant and other members.

The department is also providing 60 additional consultants to SBDUs. Of these, 10 have been deployed so far, while the process for deploying the remaining consultants is underway.

Financial interventions under review

The meeting reviewed the status of financial interventions for stressed MSMEs, including loans restructured by J&K Bank.

Officials informed that details of 700 restructured loans are under detailed analysis to assess the scope for further interventions and align financial support with the requirements emerging from the Health Clinic assessments.

Digital tracking and AI tools

The meeting also reviewed digital systems developed to strengthen monitoring and delivery of the initiative.

The Industries and Commerce Department has deployed a dedicated end-to-end action-tracking portal and an integrated AI-powered chatbot to facilitate systematic tracking of cases and improve coordination among stakeholders.

Dulloo emphasised that the success of the MSME Health Clinic would be measured by its ability to convert assessments into effective interventions and deliver tangible outcomes in enterprise sustainability, competitiveness and industrial growth.

Meeting participants

The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department; Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department; Directors of Industries and Commerce, Jammu and Kashmir; Directors of Handloom and Handicrafts, Jammu and Kashmir; representatives from IIM Jammu and J&K Bank; and senior officers of the Industries and Commerce Department.