How Internet Ban Clipped Wings Of Young Women Entrepreneurs In J&K Before They Even Took Flight

With documents in hand, Farheen Khan walks into the room of the principal of a reputed private school. An entrepreneur by profession, the 23-year-old is looking for a job after quitting her plan to be an entrepreneur. “To be an entrepreneur in Kashmir is tough,” says Farheen. It wasn't easy for Farheen to convince her family who wanted her to be a banker.

After completing her Master's degree in business administration from Kashmir University, Khan says, “I knew I had to become an entrepreneur. I started uploading photos of clothes, shoes, and bags on Instagram and WhatsApp and soon I developed a clientele and started catering to them. In just one year, I could see my business flourish from 10 customers to 30 in a month.” But before Khan could think of expanding her business, she had to wind it up because of the closure of the internet service in Kashmir following the scrapping of the state’s special status and its bifurcation into two union territories.

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