Shillong: Aiming to cash in on the potential of business owners and entrepreneurial culture, Facebook has partnered with the Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship and Department of Tourism to digitally train 10,000 people in one year.
The digital training program that marks the completion of one year of Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi connectivity project in the state, will support small businesses in connecting with their customers. Facebook’s ‘Boost Your Business’ has been designed to arm Indian businesses with the knowledge, skills and technology required to stay innovative and connect with customers at home and abroad.
In an elegant ceremony to mark World Tourism Day with the theme ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation’ here on Thursday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma welcomed ‘Boost Your Business’ to Meghalaya and lauded the success of Express Wi-Fi. He also felicitated five entrepreneurs from the state besides launching a video on the success of Mathew Sangma, a Tura based entrepreneur who sells honey, green tea and handmade bamboo products on Facebook.
“Our goal is to create digitally inclusive communities with a strong and vibrant economy for the state. With Facebook’s reach and support, we will be able to develop a community that will provide Meghalaya’s local artisans and business owners’ with global visibility.
) This will be a step forward in encouraging entrepreneurs of the state to drive to grow and contribute to the economy”.
The chief minister informed that his office has decided to initiate ‘entrepreneur of the month’ programme in which selected budding entrepreneurs will receive incentives from the government. This programme will “help leverage the drive for innovative and fresh ideas and also motivate others to become entrepreneurs”.
Speaking on the huge potential that tourism has in creating economic opportunities for the people the chief minister highlighted the need for the right packaging and promotion to be able to market it to the intended target groups.
“Tourism is a sector that requires specific marketing. Partnership of the tourism sector with digital social media platforms such as Facebook will allow us to spend our resources more effectively”, he added.
Entrepreneurs from the state shared their success stories. Over 400 entrepreneurs & NGO members participated in the ‘Boost Your Business’ workshop on Digital Marketing and Online Safety followed by a special training workshop for 50 NGOs.
During the programme, a book entitled ‘Meghalaya Rivers’ authored by Joe Rea-dickins, Dan Rea-Dickins and Zorba Laloo was released by the chief minister.
Besides the chief minister, the programme was also attended by Tourism Minister Metbah Lyngdoh, Principal Secretary, Tourism, R.V Suchiang, Director, Tourism, C.V Diengdoh, officials from various departments and students.
