Srinagar, Aug 17: Zero Miles Grill and Cafe founder Jibran Khan on Monday chose to skip the eighth anniversary celebrations of his popular food chain and instead used the occasion to push for a single-window licensing system for food business operators in the Valley during a crucial review meeting with the FSSAI chief.<\/p>\n
The meeting, chaired by FSSAI CEO Rajit Punhani, IAS, at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), saw Khan walk in with a presentation folder rather than a celebration cake, focusing his intervention on regulatory reforms that he said were critical for the growth of food entrepreneurship in Kashmir.<\/p>\n
Sources said that the meeting, part of Punhani's four-day visit to the Valley, was aimed at assessing the challenges faced by Food Business Operators (FBOs) and exploring ways to streamline the regulatory framework.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the meeting, Khan said the existing licensing system was proving to be a major hurdle for entrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses in the region.<\/p>\n
"The system demands separate licences for every branch, duplicate filings, and independent audits for each unit. This is not red tape but a barrier to expansion and a disincentive for entrepreneurs looking to scale up in Kashmir," he said.<\/p>\n
Khan advocated for a unified single-window licensing system with a digital dashboard\u2014one registration and one compliance framework governing all outlets under a single brand.<\/p>\n
"The regulator must transition from being a strict enforcer to a facilitator, especially for startups and MSMEs. Kashmir's terrain is uniquely difficult, with supply chains collapsing during harsh winters and infrastructure deficits making compliance disproportionately harder than in the plains. These are ground realities, not excuses," he added.<\/p>\n
The restaurateur also criticised the existing grievance redressal mechanism, describing it as a labyrinth that leaves small players helpless.<\/p>\n
"If a small food business owner faces a field-level issue, most do not even know which door to knock on. We need a mechanism where small players can flag issues without being lost in bureaucratic labyrinths," he said, drawing nods from several attendees.<\/p>\n
Khan said the Jammu and Kashmir Food Commissioner gave a positive response and addressed his question, in which he had urged for a roadmap for restaurants, cafes and highway businesses. The Commissioner provided a detailed roadmap, explaining how they plan to establish a database within the next six months and that they are definitely moving forward in that direction.<\/p>\n
The interactive session was attended by prominent food business owners from across the Valley and was viewed by industry watchers as a bridge-building exercise between top-down policy perspectives and bottom-up ground realities.<\/p>\n
Official sources said the proposal for a single-window system has caught the attention of the FSSAI top brass and has been forwarded for active internal review.<\/p>\n
Khan's intervention, however, went beyond licensing. In a well-prepared presentation, he made a persuasive case for the FSSAI to fundamentally rethink its role in the Valley, sources added.<\/p>\n
"Food safety and business growth need not be in conflict. They can coexist, provided the regulatory framework is flexible enough to accommodate local realities. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work for a region like Kashmir," he said.<\/p>\n
Notably, the Zero Miles chain, which started its journey eight years ago, has emerged as one of the prominent homegrown food brands in the Valley. However, Khan's decision to skip the celebrations and focus on policy advocacy has drawn praise from many in the industry who see it as a significant step towards addressing long-pending issues faced by food business operators in Kashmir.<\/p>\n