Srinagar, Aug. 23 -- At a packed hall in Srinagar on Saturday, dozens of young entrepreneurs gathered to hear a message that was as simple as it was ambitious: Kashmiri startups can go global.

The speaker was Khair Ull Nissa Shah, Executive Director of NEOM at the World Trade Center (India), who has been recognized internationally as Women CEO of the Year and one of the Top 50 Global Inspirational Women.

She was addressing Startup Kashmir's weekly mentorship program, a growing platform for the region's entrepreneurs.

"Start small, scale with creativity, and build through persistence," Ms. Shah told the audience, urging them not to wait for ideal conditions to launch their ventures.

Her talk, titled "Building Globally Relevant Startups...