EmergE Annual Summit
SHILLONG: There is an urgent need to encourage entrepreneurship in the North East, and particularly Meghalaya, to put the region as well as the State on growth track, said Principal Secretary P.W Ingty on Sunday.
Addressing a gathering at the 5th edition of EmergE, the annual Entrepreneurial Summit of IIM Shillong that had the theme ‘Emerging North East’ on Sunday at the State Convention Centre, Ingty said, “The North East, and Meghalaya in particular, has been described as a region with potential but it is yet to emerge from that potential to actual growth. There is a burning need to push entrepreneurs’ drive.”
Ingty said the State and other parts of the North East have a number of constraints in terms of poor connectivity, difficult terrain, transportation, land availability, poor access to electricity, security of the region, illegal immigrants, poor medical facilities and shortage of skilled manpower, to name a few.
Meanwhile, encouraging budding entrepreneurs at the premier institute, Director Amitabha De said, “We need to be job creators as creation of jobs is important. Annual entrepreneurship programme is an excellent idea but we need to do more.”
Stating that the North East is a land of opportunities where the tourism industry can do wonders, he said, “Teaching entrepreneurship will not help unless we plunge into it. Entrepreneurship is for people who can do something different.”
The summit aims to transform Meghalaya into an entrepreneurial hub.
Earlier in the day, the students interacted with renowned entrepreneurs and got valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship and their success stories.
Later, the institute launched the Udyamita Awards, a series of awards that is the initiative of the entrepreneurship cell ‘i-cube’ at IIM, to facilitate budding entrepreneurs in the region and showcase their talent on the national and global platforms.
The awards series, which was envisioned by the students and the faculty members of the institute, is to recognise talents for start-up entrepreneurs who are from the North East.
