Leh, November 7: The Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation (SIDCO), a public sector enterprise under the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh, organized an Inauguration and Loan Distribution Ceremony at the Rural Development Department Hall near ARTO Agling, Leh. The event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Shri Kavinder Gupta, who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and distributed sanction letters to the beneficiaries.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Shri Bhupesh Chaudhary, IAS, Managing Director, SIDCO, who outlined SIDCO’s vision and journey since its establishment in 2021 under the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act. He highlighted that SIDCO was constituted to catalyze industrial and business growth in Ladakh by promoting entrepreneurship, generating employment, and enabling access to finance for small and micro enterprises.
He informed that SIDCO has already sanctioned financial assistance to 137 beneficiaries—89 from Leh and 48 from Kargil districts—under its self-employment and entrepreneurship promotion schemes, with a total project outlay of ₹16.17 crore. Earlier, ten beneficiaries—five each from Leh and Kargil—had also been supported under the initiative.
In his inaugural address, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Shri Kavinder Gupta lauded SIDCO’s proactive steps in fostering entrepreneurship and local job creation. He emphasized that such micro-loan initiatives empower the people of Ladakh—particularly the youth and women—to become job creators rather than job seekers, contributing to a resilient and self-reliant economy.
The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor distributed loan sanction letters ranging between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh to the beneficiaries, supporting a wide range of livelihood projects including knitting and tailoring units, cleaning services, fish farming, wood carving workshops, cafés, mushroom cultivation, laboratory testing facilities, and CCTV businesses.
Shri Gupta also appreciated the launch of the SIDCO Management Loan Portal, designed to promote transparency, accessibility, and ease of doing business. He expressed confidence that the initiative would further strengthen Ladakh’s local enterprise ecosystem and promote inclusive economic growth.
The ceremony was attended by Shri Bhupesh Chaudhary, IAS, Managing Director, SIDCO; Shri Romil Singh Dong, Deputy Commissioner, Leh; Shri Sonam Norbo, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Leh; and other senior officers from SIDCO and Administration.
