Srinagar, April 29 -- Kashmir's medicinal plants have travelled the world for centuries. Saffron, kahwa blends, dried flowers, herbs, roots, and extracts sourced from the Himalayas often end up in wellness products sold with polished labels and premium pricing in distant markets. Much of that value, however, rarely returns to the region where these resources originate.

That gap sits at the center of Ridha Rashid's work.

A Srinagar-based scientist trained in analytical chemistry, Rashid belongs to a younger generation in Kashmir trying to connect research, entrepreneurship, and local industry in ways that feel practical rather than symbolic.

Her company, Hamdan Herbs, supplies medicinal plants and herbal raw materials to pharmaceutical ...