Jammu Tawi, October 10: Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to emerge as a major destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), backed by its young workforce, improving infrastructure, investor-friendly policies and expanding start-up ecosystem, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Saturday.
Addressing the valedictory session of the J&K Global Capability Centre Summit 2026, Sinha said the Union Territory could move beyond hosting capability centres to developing innovations for global markets.
Congratulating IIM Jammu, NASSCOM and partner institutions on organising the two-day summit, he called for coordinated efforts to attract companies seeking talent hubs, innovation centres and operational facilities.
Sinha said India has more than 2,100 GCCs employing over 19 lakh professionals, and their expansion into Tier-II and Tier-III cities offers Jammu and Kashmir an opportunity to attract investment.
Highlighting the region’s entrepreneurial growth, he said the number of start-ups had increased from 69 in 2020 to 1,305, an increase of more than 1,800 per cent. Graduates from IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, NIT Srinagar and other institutions, he added, could help meet industry requirements.
The Lieutenant Governor identified financial support, lower operating costs, incentives for pioneering multinational investors, returning local talent and opportunities in specialised sectors as key advantages for attracting GCCs. He also highlighted the potential of agri-tech, tourism-tech and the digitisation of handicrafts.
Outlining a roadmap for the next five years, Sinha stressed industry-academia partnerships, credible policy implementation, leveraging regional strengths and inclusive growth through a hub-and-spoke model.
He expressed confidence that GCCs could become an important component of J&K’s industrial ecosystem over the next decade, contributing to an innovation-driven economy.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, NIIT Chairman Rajendra Singh Pawar and IIM Jammu Director Prof. BS Sahay was among those present.