Jammu, Mar 10: The FICCI FLO Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (JKL) Chapter hosted “Samriddhi,” a special event marking a year of initiatives focused on women’s empowerment, grassroots entrepreneurship and collaborative development across the region.
The event was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani as the chief guest, while FICCI FLO National President Poonam Sharma was the guest of honour. The programme witnessed participation from FLO members, Self-Help Group (SHG) workers, Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) representatives and dignitaries from various professional and social sectors.
Speaking on the occasion, Aarti Chowdhary, Chairperson of FICCI FLO JKL, described Samriddhi as a reflection of the chapter’s journey over the past year, which focused on collaboration, grassroots engagement and meaningful social impact.
She said the chapter worked closely with SHGs, FPOs and cooperative institutions to ensure that women are not only trained but also supported in creating sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurial opportunities.
During the event, the organisation highlighted several collaborations aimed at strengthening women-led economic participation in the region. The chapter signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with cooperatives including UAM, MCL and the Jammu and Kashmir Dairy Cooperative Federation (JKFDC). A significant partnership was also announced with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to create structured livelihood opportunities for rural women and SHG members.
Further strengthening these initiatives, the chapter also signed a national-level MoU with UMMAC and MCL Cooperative, along with three state-level MoUs with SRLM under the leadership of Subramanian, FIDGO and Government Degree College Kathua. These collaborations aim to promote skill development, entrepreneurship and capacity building among women.
A key highlight of the year was the Skill-to-Scale initiative, under which more than 100 women from SHGs and FPOs received training. Through collaboration with Nidra Mattresses, these women were able to convert their skills into livelihood opportunities by producing pillow covers for the company, creating a sustainable source of income.
The chapter also launched two major initiatives during the year. These include a women-led dairy livelihood programme in collaboration with NABARD, under which cattle were provided to women beneficiaries, and the installation of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) to improve community preparedness and access to weather-related information.
Chief guest Nasir Aslam Wani appreciated the efforts of FICCI FLO in promoting women’s empowerment and supporting entrepreneurship at the grassroots level.
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