SHILLONG: With a large number of young people getting their degrees, the challenge of getting employment worries them and as a solution to the growing unemployment, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said young minds should look towards entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the XXV Convocation of NEHU on Wednesday, he said economy of a nation could grow only through entrepreneurship as without initiatives from entrepreneurs.
Stating that the abundant resources and opportunities in the North East have not been explored, he said, “As we always say be job givers not job seekers. I think it is time that the young minds start taking that calculative risk, taking initiative of doing things that have been done all over the world.”
“We are not asking you do to something that nobody has tried before. It is happening all over the world. You simply need to start with here in our region and therefore entrepreneurship is important,” he added.
Pointing out that the government is keen to push for entrepreneurship, he said the government started a programme called ‘entrepreneur of the month’ with an objective to reward young budding entrepreneurs and inspire others.
Giving a thrust towards building entrepreneurship in the state, he said the government has the Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship.
“I think it is important is that entrepreneurship should be given a lot of priority because that is the way I feel that things will start moving forward for Meghalaya and India,” Sangma said.
Research institutes collaboration
According to Sangma, the energy and power of a large number of young people in the country should be channelized in the construction of economic development of India.
He pointed out that social organizations like educational institutions and research organizations play their role in building the economy and nation to grow.
Stating that right policies and ideas emanate from research institutes, he said, “Government needs to work closely with research institutes to come out with the right policy.”
Sangma also spoke of innovative ideas that flow from these research institutions which are then carried on to industries and the government gets back the money from the taxes levied on the industries.
“When the government gets back the money, the government again reinvest in research institute so that more ideas and innovations can come and that is how economy will grow,” Sangma said.
He said the state and the country was yet to reach to the level where developed nations follow this kind of a system.
“From my government side, we are very keen to move in this line and in fact we have been talking to many institutes to discuss on agriculture,” he said.
Sangma also informed that the state government would collaborate not just in agriculture but in other areas of finance and will likely discuss with NEHU on increasing the revenue generation of the state.
Make in Meghalaya
Turning to the agricultural sector, Sangma said the state government started the Lakadong Mission known as the best turmeric in the world
“But sadly we have not been able to innovate and use the right technology to add value to this product so that our farmers can get better revenue and better price for their product,” he said.
To push for local products, the CM said the government and institutions such as NEHU could tie up with self help groups or materials made by young entrepreneurs as an encouragement to them.
