Srinagar, March 26 -- The promise of 46 new Industrial Estates in Jammu and Kashmir was meant to be a turning point, a bold declaration that the region would embrace industrial growth, attract investment, and generate employment under the vision of "Made in Jammu and Kashmir." Nearly two years later, the reality is sobering. Despite land transfers, repeated assurances, and official claims of progress, the initiative remains mired in delays, disputes, and bureaucratic inertia. What was projected as a transformative policy has become a test of governance, exposing the gap between ambition and execution.

The government's announcement in 2024 was accompanied by the transfer of over 22,000 kanals of land to the Industries and Commerce Departm...