Syed Ahsan Ul Haq Andrabi Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Medical Electronics) Managing Director- Strategy, Purchase & Execution Global Diagnostic & Imaging Centre, Baramulla & Handwara Former Deputy General Manager – Operations, Siemens Healthineers Former Service Specialist, GE Healthcare Former Biomedical Engineer Trainee, Apollo Hospital, New Delhi MRI Service Specialist (Certified from Germany) CT Service Specialist (Certified from Germany & China) Participant, RSNA 2025 – Future Role of AI in Radiology Conference, Chicago, USA
A Message To Gen “Z”
Kashmir is blessed with talented, intelligent, and hardworking people. Yet, despite this immense potential, the region continues to struggle with producing enough entrepreneurs and job creators. The question is Why?
The story often begins in childhood. A child learns the alphabet A for Apple, B for Boy. But somewhere along the way, another lesson quietly takes root—G for Government Job. From that moment, many young minds begin to believe that success has only one destination i.e. securing a government job. As this mindset grows stronger, the dream of becoming E for Entrepreneur and a job creator, an innovator, and a builder of opportunities—gradually fades away. Without realizing it, many talented youths enter a trap of waiting, where years are spent chasing a limited number of government vacancies instead of exploring their own potential to create businesses, generate employment, and contribute to the region’s economic growth.
In many families, schools, and communities, the safest and most respected career is considered to be a government job. Parents encourage it, teachers reinforce it, relatives praise it, and society celebrates it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with aspiring to a government job. The problem arises when it becomes the only acceptable dream.
As a result, many young people never even consider starting a business. Their ideas remain unexplored because they are taught to seek employment rather than create it. Instead of asking, “What problem can I solve?” or “How can I build something that creates jobs for others?”, they are encouraged to focus solely on securing a stable government position.
This mindset has long-term consequences. A society that produces only job seekers will eventually face a shortage of jobs. In contrast, a society that encourages entrepreneurship creates innovation, generates employment, strengthens the economy, and inspires future generations.
If Kashmir wants to unlock its true potential, the change must begin at home and in our classrooms. Parents should encourage curiosity, creativity, and calculated risk-taking. Schools should teach entrepreneurship alongside traditional career paths. Society should celebrate successful entrepreneurs with the same respect that it gives to government officers.
The goal should not be to discourage government jobs but to ensure they are one career option among many—not the only definition of success.
The Confidence Gap
In my opinion, another major reason is the lack of self-confidence and the fear of stepping beyond the security of a monthly paycheck.
Kashmir has no shortage of talent. Our private educational institutions, hospitals, technology firms, and small businesses are filled with highly skilled professionals. If these talented individuals pooled their knowledge, experience, and resources, they could build institutions comparable to some of India’s leading organizations, such as Physics Walla, BYJU’S, and Aakash Educational Services, Medanta- The Medicity, Max, Appollo like Hospitals.
Yet many of these capable professionals never take that leap. Instead, they spend years helping build someone else’s vision while postponing their own. Every month, they wait for the familiar notification that their salary has been credited. A salary provides stability and dignity, but it can also become a comfort zone that discourages risk-taking and entrepreneurship.
The same pattern can be seen in healthcare.
Kashmir has exceptionally talented cardiologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, physicians, and other specialists. Many possess the expertise, reputation, and leadership needed to establish world-class hospitals, diagnostic centres, and healthcare networks. Yet most remain employees, waiting for the salary notification at the end of each month instead of becoming founders who could create opportunities for hundreds of others.
A salary is not the problem. The real challenge begins when the security of a paycheck suppresses the courage to dream bigger. Entrepreneurship demands confidence, collaboration, vision, and the willingness to embrace uncertainty. Until more talented professionals begin believing that they can build institutions instead of only serving them, Kashmir’s entrepreneurial potential will remain underutilized.
The Cost of the Current Mindset
These two factors a deep-rooted preference for secure government jobs and a lack of confidence in entrepreneurship have, in my opinion, significantly limited the growth of Kashmir’s private sector.
Every year, thousands of young people graduate and enter the job market. However, the number of available positions, particularly in the government sector, remains far smaller than the number of applicants. Those who are unsuccessful in one recruitment cycle continue preparing for the next, where they must compete not only with their own batch but also with a new generation of graduates.
The consequences extend beyond unemployment, Years of uncertainty and repeated competition often lead to financial dependence on families, delayed financial independence, frustration, mental stress, postponed marriages, and physical and emotional exhaustion. Many spend the most productive years of their lives waiting for opportunities instead of creating them.
Learning “Khudi” from Childhood
In my opinion, alongside A for Apple and B for Boy, our children should also learn the spirit of Khudi, a concept introduced by Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
“Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle, Khuda bande se khud pooche, bata tere Raza Kai hai”
The philosophy of Dr Allam Iqbal strongly encourages self-reliance, creativity, leadership, and the building of institutions rather than dependence on others. His concept of Khudi (selfhood) inspires people to become creators of opportunity instead of merely seeking security.
If Kashmir is to break this cycle, it must build an ecosystem that values entrepreneurship as highly as traditional employment. Schools, colleges, families, policymakers, and financial institutions all have a role to play in nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset. By encouraging innovation, improving access to finance, simplifying regulations, supporting startups, and celebrating job creators alongside job seekers, the region can unlock the immense potential of its youth. The goal should not merely be to help young people find jobs, but to empower them to create opportunities for themselves and others. Only then can Kashmir move from a culture of waiting for employment to one of building enterprises, generating wealth, and driving sustainable economic growth.