Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Shri Rameswar Teli today graced an entrepreneurship conclave ‘North East SC/ST Entrepreneurs Conclave 2019’  at Aijal Club in Aizawl organised by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Export Promotion Council. The Conclave was also graced by Lok Sabha MP Shri C. Lalrosanga and Aizawl North II MLA Shri Vanlalthlana.

Speaking at the Conclave, Shri Rameswar Teli outlined the Prime Minister’s vision for development and employment generation in the North Eastern states which has resulted in more Ministers from the Central Government visiting the states to learn and know more about the region and the peoples’ needs and aspirations and provide inputs and to see for themselves as to what needs to be done on ground. He said that MSME and Food Processing Sectors have huge potentials in the North Eastern region which needs to be tapped and as a  Minister from the region he will do his utmost to develop the food processing sector and promote entrepreneurship  which can create employment for the youth in the region. 

He announced that the Ministry of Food Processing Industries would in the next one or two months organise a Road Show or Workshop in Aizawl where various schemes of the Ministry will be highlighted so that budding  entrepreneurs from Mizoram can have information and know more in depth about food processing and its related activities. He pointed that 10 percent of funds earmarked for development of the region from various Ministries by the Central Government does not get spent fully and utilised and added that using this earmarked fund the region can achieve a lot more in terms of development, infrastructure and employment generation. He lamented that banks do not readily give out loans to entrepreneurs in the region and this gap needs to be addressed if industries are to be set up in the region he added.

He compared the air connectivity of Aizawl and Imphal and said that air connectivity to Mizoram must be improved and that he will highlight the issue during the upcoming NEC Plenary Meeting this week.

Lok Sabha MP Shri C. Lalrosanga said that the Conclave will go a long way in raising awareness about various facets of entrepreneurship among the youth of the region. He pointed that Start-up revolution has a huge potential in the region but mentorship is crucial in nurturing such start-ups he added. He also expressed that start-ups must go beyond cities and urban centres for entrepreneurship to develop fully in the region.

The Business Session held earlier in the day addressed various issues of entrepreneurship with presentations from  MSME Export Promotion Council, NEDFi, APEDA, SIDBI and NSIC and also had a Q&A Session.