National SC-ST HUB’s exhibition and entrepreneurship conclave underway

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Feb. 6 (EMN): The advisor to Industries and Commerce Labour and employment, Skill development and Entrepreneurship, Imnatiba, on Thursday said that the department has received lots of benefits from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and that the ministry has approved three major projects for Nagaland — Dimapur furniture cluster, Chantongya food processing cluster and Tuli IT project.

Imnatiba said this while addressing the National SC-ST HUB (NSSH) state-level exhibition and entrepreneurship conclave as special guest at Hotel Saramati, Diampur on February 6. The seminar with the theme “Encouraging Entrepreneurship Emergency” is organised by MSME, state’s department of Industries and Commerce and Nagaland Industrial development Cooperation Ltd. and will conclude on February 8.

The advisor said that entrepreneurship is ‘a new thing and a new concept for them but it is the alternative economy to move forward. He added that ‘trade and commerce is not in our blood and instinct so we don’t know how to take up business and it is huge problem.’

Imnatiba admitted that the government has also failed to provide infrastructure and facilities but “fortunately Indo-Naga political talks is showing positive result”. He told the gathering that it is not time to criticise one another but to appreciate and support each other.

He told the gathering that NITC and department of Industries and Commerce are collaborating for a year-long awareness campaign and that the conclave was just the beginning.

Lamenting the conservative mindset of the people and preference for government jobs, he said massive awareness on National SC-ST Hub is necessary to beat unemployment issue in the state. He added that transformation and changes are always preceded by deliberations and advised the gathering to change the mentality so that they can move forward.

On the occasion, chairperson of governing council YouthNet, Hekani Jakhalu while giving an overview of entrepreneurship in Nagaland stated that ‘entrepreneurs from the state are not going to try unless the eco-system is placed by the government’. She added that proper policies should be framed for the entrepreneurs and that it is difficult for them to grow however talented they might be if there is no basic infrastructure.

Jakhalu said that some of the challenges faced by the entrepreneurs include lack of knowledge and skills to run a successful business, mentorship, marketing, communication, branding and management, basic infrastructure and inability to find new avenues.

The conclave was followed by inauguration of state-level exhibition and handing over of MSME sanction letter to beneficiaries. A total of 40 stalls — technology sector, textile, food processing and MSME innovation produce among others — have been set up and seven beneficiaries were handed out under Pradhan Mantra Mudra Yajana and stand Up India (SUI) loans.