Panel to frame SOPs, develop AI-based support system, revive stressed MSME units across J&K
Srinagar, May 15: The government has constituted a high-level committee for the implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir MSME Health Clinic initiative to strengthen the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Government Order No. 912-JK(GAD) of 2026, accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), sanction has been accorded to the formation of the committee comprising senior officials, financial experts and institutional representatives to oversee and operationalise the ambitious initiative designed to support and revive MSMEs in the Union Territory.
The committee will be chaired by the Administrative Secretary of the Public Works (R&B) Department, while the Administrative Secretary of the Industries and Commerce Department has been designated as Member Secretary.
Other members of the committee include the Administrative Secretary of the Labour and Employment Department, Director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd., Directors of Industries for Kashmir and Jammu, and the Executive Director of Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI).
The government has entrusted the committee with a wide-ranging mandate to create a comprehensive framework for the identification, diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of MSMEs, particularly those facing financial or operational distress.
As per the order, the committee will formulate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for identifying stressed and sick MSMEs and establish coordination mechanisms among government departments, financial institutions, industry bodies and knowledge partners.
The panel has also been tasked with designing a robust diagnostic architecture to identify stress factors affecting MSMEs and developing standardised tools for root cause analysis covering financial, operational, technological, regulatory and market-related issues.
To streamline monitoring and support, the committee will create a classification framework categorising MSMEs as stable, vulnerable, stressed or sick based on measurable indicators. It will also work on creating an indigenous platform for systematic data collection and integration, including GST, Udyam registration and banking data.
The order further states that the committee will identify operational gaps and weaknesses in MSMEs through data-driven insights and develop a real-time monitoring system for effective decision-making.
In a major technology-oriented component of the initiative, the committee has been asked to conceptualise and develop an AI and Large Language Model (LLM)-based interactive chatbot for MSMEs, especially stressed and sick units. The chatbot is expected to provide real-time guidance and advisory support, assist in problem identification and preliminary diagnosis, and offer information regarding schemes, compliance requirements and best practices.
The committee will also recommend sector-specific and enterprise-specific solutions, including financial interventions such as credit restructuring and incentives, as well as non-financial measures like technology adoption, skill development and market linkages.
The committee has also been directed to develop escalation and support mechanisms for high-risk sick MSME units and integrate experts from Small Business Development Units (SBDUs) established under Mission YUVA into the MSME Health Clinic framework.
The government order further mandates the committee to document and validate success stories of revived MSMEs, design dissemination strategies through dedicated portals and outreach channels, promote peer learning and best practice replication, and establish key performance indicators (KPIs) along with periodic review and impact assessment mechanisms.
The committee will identify systemic bottlenecks and suggest policy reforms to strengthen the MSME ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir while ensuring continuous refinement of tools, processes and interventions based on evolving needs and stakeholder feedback. (KNO)
