Srinagar: During the last few years, many young people including non-locals and foreigners are emerging as entrepreneurs in Kashmir. Now, a young American businessman, Brady Lee, not only started his own business the Valley but has become so ingrained in the local environment that he understands as well as speaks the Kashmiri language. He became very popular after a video of his speaking in Kashmiri went viral.
Brady Lee also rose to fame on social media in the Kashmir Valley because of his commitment in taking forward his business in apple chips, also known as tsounthachi (dried apples) in Srinagar. The 34-year-old entrepreneur actually came on a trip to the Valley with his wife a few years ago. Lee, who holds a degree in agriculture, thought of starting his own venture after he spoke to local entrepreneurs and saw the business potential in Kashmir.
Brady lapped up the opportunity to join a venture in Kashmir as a consultant to set up a food processing business. He currently lives at Nishat in Srinagar. “We are trying to come up with something that would not just compete with already running local businesses, but would add and increase markets in Kashmir,” he said.
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During a special conversation with ETV Bharat's Senior Reporter Parvez ud Din, Brady Lee and his local friend and factory manager said that after various stages and consultation with many businessmen, the apple chips venture could be started successfully. "The potential of this business is very high and I hope that we will succeed in achieving the objectives with which I started this work."
Brady said that their apple chips are currently shipped on order across India and they are working on contracts in several states of India. "We want to expand this in future. So that apple chips products have reached all states of India and foreign countries like USA, UK and UAE etc. We are looking into the problem through multiple perspectives. People need sources of employment. There is a need to reduce wastage. Moreover, we need to have more natural and healthy snack options,” Brady said.
The American entrepreneur said there is a tradition of tsounthachi (dried apples) in Kashmir and people munch on these in winter. “But we wanted to bring in quality and provide a new look to it. We decided to dehydrate the apples in order to preserve the health qualities of the apples (not bake or fry them),” he said. For him, last year was primarily experimental and they have just started getting into real production of apple chips.
Brady is currently running his business in Kashmir on a visa. The extension of the business visa often has to be done in accordance with the rules and regulations and it is difficult to say how far he will be able to continue this journey, but he said, "I am sure that in the coming days this business of apple chips will develop further and many youths will get employment here."
