Sopore, Oct 15: A private cargo insurance company has launched operations in Kashmir, positioning itself to provide financial protection to the region’s transport and horticulture sectors.
Marim Life Policy will focus on Sopore’s fruit mandi — described as Asia’s second-largest — which serves as the economic backbone of Kashmir’s apple industry and sees a heavy daily influx of commercial vehicles and freight.
Transporters and fruit growers have long flagged concerns over the safety of goods in transit, with commercial vehicles navigating difficult terrain and weather conditions that can damage or destroy highly perishable cargo.
The company said its cargo insurance scheme will offer tailored protection covering road and sea transport, secure handling and goods in transit. “Your goods, our priority,” it said in a statement, adding that the initiative is meant to provide a safety net for the local business community and stabilise the supply chain linking Kashmir’s fruit mandis to markets across the country.
Local traders welcomed the move, saying accessible and reliable insurance is crucial for sustaining the multi-crore fruit industry, which depends on the uninterrupted movement of trucks to other states.
The company has set up its office in the Fruit Mandi area of Sopore, placing it at the centre of the region’s commercial activity.
Sopore Fruit Mandi president Fayaz Ahmed Malik, besides other business leaders from different businesses, was present on the occasion.
