‘Hugged the PM, Got A Selfie...Not A Small Thing’: Meet Modi’s Entrepreneur ‘Friend’ from Pulwama

A small village of Samboora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, which otherwise was infamous for stone pelting, clashes and encounters, is now being known for its young entrepreneur, Nazim Nazir.

On Thursday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Kashmir, not only did he click a selfie with his “friend” Nazim, but also spoke to him about his honey business.

A beneficiary of the Viksit Bharat programme, Nazim interacted with Modi and impressed him with his journey. “I’m delighted after clicking a selfie with the PM. It’s not a small thing for me. I requested him for a picture at the end of the interaction and he agreed,” Nazim told News18, in an exclusive interview.

“I also hugged him and exchanged a handshake while requesting him to take forward our beekeeping industry,” he said.

The beekeeper’s business didn’t grow overnight. He started with just two boxes of bee hives and now supplies honey across India. “I feel lucky that I have reached so far, but this hasn’t been easy. I had to struggle. I have been working on my business since 2018,” he told News18.

The PM also posted his picture of Nazim on his X handle with a caption: “A memorable selfie with my friend Nazim. I was impressed by the good work he’s doing. At the public meeting, he requested a selfie, and was happy to meet him. My best wishes for his future endeavors.”

Nazim told the PM that his family wanted him to become a doctor or engineer, but he wanted to do something different. When Nazim started his business, the situation in the valley was volatile. “My passion for work has created his brand today. This isn’t an overnight success, I have worked very hard behind this. I sold honey in a plastic soft drink bottle in the beginning. There is no shortcut to hard work,” he said.

Nazim wants the youth to set up their startups, instead of waiting for opportunities.