UK-based startup’s founder is upskilling Kashmiri youth

Learning: How this UK-based startup’s founder is upskilling Kashmiri youth

(Our Bureau, July 19; 6:55 pm)

School dropout-turned-entrepreneur Sheikh Asif wants to make more Kashmiri youth job-ready and help them wade through the vagaries of the pandemic. The 27-year-old, who founded UK-based web designing company Thames Infotech, is spreading awareness about web designing and digital marketing among the Kashmiris. So far, Sheikh claims to have taught digital marketing to 800 students across the globe. He is a nominee for Padma Shri 2022 — one of India’s highest civilian awards.

Kashmir to UK

Hailing from Srinagar’s Batamaloo area, Asif dropping out of school in 2008 due to financial constraints. Following this, he worked with a local IT company in Kashmir. Speaking to YourStory, Asif said:

“I have only studied till 8th standard. However, in 2016, I got a chance to visit the United Kingdom, where I met a Google employee who assisted me to set up a web design company Thames Infotech.”

Today, he runs the company out of Kashmir. Students can reach him on his official website (www.sheikhasif.com) or through his Facebook account.

Suicide prevention app

There has been an alarming rise in the number of suicide cases in Kashmir over the last year. In a bid to promote mental health during the pandemic and give people an avenue to vent out their concerns, Asif created a mobile application named ‘Listen To Me”. In just three weeks, more than 100 people downloaded the app, he said.