Here - Start-up Kashmir!

seem to negatively influence or hinder the social
acceptance of entrepreneurship.
The role of the personal
environment for Kashmiri youth
Like in other societies, the opinion of parents,
relatives and friends play a major role in shaping
Kashmiri youth perceptions about entrepreneurship.
In Kashmir, parents play a major influencing
role in the career choices of youth. The family
system is very powerful in Kashmir and youth are
often duty bound to follow the wishes and desires
of their parents.
On career choice, in Kashmir a conflict often
arises between the aspirations of youth and the
wishes and wants of their parents. Many youth
we spoke to complain that they were not encouraged
to explore their true interests and talents
at a young age. As a result, many young people
feel they have entered degree programs and professions
that are misaligned with their interests.
Some youth we spoke to add that their parents had
urged or even forced them to follow medicine or
engineering. Many youth recounted experiences
in which their parents had expressed deep disappointment
when they tried to propose career plans
that diverged from the choice of their parents.
Overwhelmingly, parental expectations won.
Our observation is that the majority of parents
in Kashmir seem to undervalue entrepreneurship
compared to a career in medicine, law, engineering,
or with a private sector company or with government.
Fixed-income jobs are preferred. By far,
the choice that rises to the top of the list is the
government job. Indeed, government jobs have
long been associated with both stability and social
prestige in Kashmir. The element of lingering
conflict has further elevated the coveted status associated
with public sector employment, as it is
associated with income stability. One youth we
spoke to explain the preference of his parents:
“My parents see entrepreneurship as a risky and
unstable. While I know I could achieve success in
business, my parents would rather have me earn a
paltry some as a Class 4 employee in government
service. They say it’s more secure and will help
Spotlight on Successful
Entrepreneurs in Kashmir:
Fayaz Bhat
Brief Intro
- First generation entrepreneur.
- Studied at National Institute of
Technology, Srinagar
- Worked at National Informatics Centre as
Freelance Consultant for Infosys
- Started business in 2004
Vision:
“To build a world-class company having
offices through out the world and people
from diverse cultures and religions working
in our team. I want to add value to Kashmir,
the place where I live, for my personal satisfaction.”
Company
Musky Software Solutions
Software development | IT services in financial,
health, education sector | IT Consultancy
| Software support
Performance
Turnover of around 4.4 crore Rupees (US$
1 million)
Employees – 40
Headquartered in Srinagar with offices in
US and African Countries like Ghana and
Nigeria
Quote
“Entrepreneurship is to be an active stakeholder
in the development of the economy
where the team members live and work.”
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