2026: Optimism or Despondency |
Predicting future events, especially political and administrative developments, is not easy. More so in the presence of opportunistic and unreliable politicians. As we enter 2026, Jammu and Kashmir stands at a critical juncture of “Economic Federalism” versus “Political Limbo.” While infrastructure and industry are reaching record milestones, the social and political fabric remains sensitive. The forecast for 2026 suggests a shift from infrastructure building to operational scaling. With proposals worth over ₹1.63 lakh crore registered by late 2025. 2026 is expected to be the year of “commissioning,” where hundreds of units in food processing and pharmaceuticals move from paper to production. The J&K Startup Policy 2024–27 aims to hit a milestone of 2,000 recognized startups by the end of 2026. Key focus areas include Ag-Tech (apple supply chain) and specialized manufacturing. A major “Solar Push” is underway with a target to solarize 12,000 government buildings by March 2026, projected to save the exchequer roughly `70–80 crore annually.
The “Vibrant 2026 Tourism” campaign is in a recovery and rebrand phase. The USBRL (Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link) is the primary driver for 2026, with Vande Bharat trains expected to bring a more stable, weather-independent flow of domestic tourists. The Tourism Department is heavily promoting “unseen” spots and border tourism (Keran, Gurez) to decentralize the rush from the traditional Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Targeting more than 2 Crore tourists after reaching 1.58 crore visitors in 2025 (despite setbacks), the target for........