Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, June 19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the government’s employment-linked incentive programme had helped generate more than 7 million jobs across India, as he released financial incentives worth Rs 24 billion (USD 280 million) to first-time workers and employers under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY).

The incentives, transferred through the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism, will benefit around 1.5 million first-time employees and their employers, according to government officials.

Addressing beneficiaries and industry representatives, Modi said stronger collaboration between the government, industry and young job-seekers was essential to expanding employment opportunities and strengthening India’s workforce.

“Through PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, we are supporting employment generation, empowering youth and building a stronger workforce for the future,” Modi said.

The programme aims to encourage formal employment by providing direct incentives to first-time workers entering the organised sector while rewarding employers that expand their workforce.

The scheme, launched with an outlay of 994.46 billion rupees, targets the creation of 35 million jobs over two years.

Under its provisions, first-time employees are eligible for incentives of up to 15,000 rupees, while employers can receive up to 3,000 rupees per month for each additional worker hired. Manufacturing units are eligible for extended benefits for up to four years.

Modi said India’s demographic strength would play a crucial role in driving innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the coming decades.

“In the 21st century, opportunities will belong to nations that nurture skilled talent, foster innovation and uphold the highest standards of quality,” he said, adding that India possessed significant strengths in all three areas.

The prime minister said the programme was designed not only to create jobs but also to expand social security coverage by bringing more workers into the formal economy.

In Jammu and Kashmir, 1522 employees received incentives amounting to Rs 7.4 million, while 304 employers received direct transfers totalling Rs 254.2 million, officials said.

At a virtual event held in the union territory, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the programme had contributed significantly to expanding formal employment and social security coverage in the region.

LG Sinha said workers in Jammu and Kashmir had historically lacked access to comprehensive social security protections before the extension of national labour welfare legislation to the region following the constitutional changes of 2019.

“Today, over 3,300 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir are registered under the scheme, bringing more than 22,500 young people into formal employment for the first time,” Sinha said.

He said more than 31,000 job positions in the region had qualified for incentives under the programme, benefiting over 53,000 people directly.

LG Sinha urged more businesses to enrol under the scheme and praised the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for reforms aimed at improving ease of doing business and access to social security.

The government estimates that more than 35 million employment opportunities nationwide will receive support through the scheme over the next two years.