Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has directed the Industries and Commerce Department to accelerate field assessments and prepare actionable revival plans for 6,576 recoverable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) identified through the J&K MSME Health Clinic.
The directions were issued during a review meeting on the functioning of the digital initiative, which is designed to identify signs of business stress, assess MSME health and facilitate targeted rehabilitation and follow-up.
2.94 Lakh MSMEs Assessed Under Health Clinic
The J&K MSME Health Clinic is currently monitoring 3,42,261 registered MSME units across the Union Territory. Of these, 2,94,014 units have undergone diagnostic assessment.
The assessment classified:
- 2,87,332 units, or 97.7% of assessed MSMEs, as stable.
- 6,682 units as requiring active intervention.
- 6,576 units as recoverable.
- 106 units as prone to chronic sickness.
- 48,247 units were referred to J&K Bank for data correction to improve the accuracy of the database.
The Health Clinic uses financial and operational indicators to identify early signs of stress and classify enterprises according to their business health.
Chief Secretary Seeks Faster Field-Level Action
Dulloo directed the Industries and Commerce Department to speed up field visits and strengthen the Small Business Development Units (SBDUs) responsible for assessment, handholding and follow-up of MSMEs.
He also called for completing diagnostic profiling and preparing structured revival plans for all 6,576 recoverable units, with periodic monitoring of the recommendations emerging from the Health Clinic.
District-level core teams have been established across J&K. These teams include officials from the District Industries Centres, the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI), consultants and other SBDU members.
The department is also adding 60 consultants to strengthen SBDUs, with 10 already deployed and the remaining appointments under process.
581 Factory Visits, 34 Rehabilitation Cases Approved
Field teams have so far conducted 581 factory visits and prepared 317 comprehensive diagnostic reports.
Of these cases, 34 critical rehabilitation proposals have received approval from District Level Advisory Committees.
The review also examined financial interventions. Details of 700 loans restructured by J&K Bank are being analysed to determine whether further assistance is required based on the findings of the Health Clinic.
Digital Portal and AI Chatbot Track MSME Cases
The Industries and Commerce Department has deployed a dedicated action-tracking portal and an AI-powered chatbot to monitor cases and coordinate interventions.
The Health Clinic’s digital platform is intended to allow MSMEs to undergo business-health assessments, receive guidance from field-level teams and track the progress of support measures.
The initiative was developed under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) framework as a preventive mechanism for identifying stress in enterprises and providing financial and non-financial support before units become chronically distressed.
Focus on Turning Diagnosis Into Revival
The Chief Secretary said the Health Clinic should function not merely as an assessment platform but as a mechanism for early diagnosis, coordinated rehabilitation and sustained monitoring.
The review meeting was attended by senior officials from the Industries and Commerce, Public Works, Handloom and Handicrafts departments, along with representatives of IIM Jammu and J&K Bank.
The latest directions place the focus on moving from identification of stressed enterprises to concrete revival measures, with regular follow-up of the cases flagged through the Health Clinic.
