Arunachal CM empowers women entrepreneurs with Rs 5 crore seed fund for dedicated Development Cell

To empower women entrepreneurs, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on November 24 announced the establishment of a dedicated Development Cell with a seed fund of Rs 5 crore. The announcement was made during the opening session of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) State Workshop, organized by NITI Aayog at the DK Convention Centre.

"The Dedicated Entrepreneurship Centre for Women will function as a hub for women entrepreneurs, providing access to mentorship, capacity building exercises, and other programs beneficial for women-led startups. The Centre will also run dedicated incubation and acceleration programs for women," stated Chief Minister Khandu.

Alongside the establishment of the Development Cell, Khandu unveiled five new initiatives under WEP. These include supporting clean energy entrepreneurship, engendering growth for home-stay owners, launching NASSCOM Future Skills, a helpline for NE women entrepreneurs, and the launch of BITS, Pilani, and Aditya Birla Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurs program. These initiatives, implemented by NITI Aayog, are aimed at fostering women entrepreneurship in all states of the North East.

Lauding NITI Aayog for these initiatives, Chief Minister Khandu highlighted the holistic approach taken by his government over the past seven years to create an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs. Approximately 6,500 of the more than 20,000 MSMEs in Arunachal Pradesh are owned by women.

Under the Arunachal Pradesh Start-up Policy, Khandu announced the establishment of Incubation Centres in the state and extended facilities to at least 50% of districts over the next five years. A special clause to support women entrepreneurs has been included in the Arunachal Pradesh Start-up Policy 2022-23.

"We have mobilized more than 85,000 women into 9,301 SHGs, 951 PLFs, and 27 model CLFs. We have provided credit linkages to more than 2,900 SHGs and provided more than Rs. 33 Crore bank credit to SHGs," informed Chief Minister Khandu.

Emphasizing the importance of women-led development, Khandu asserted, "Women-led development has always been the priority of the Government of India and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh." He urged present and aspiring entrepreneurs to seize the opportunities presented by the new initiatives.

Present at the occasion were NITI Aayog’s Dr Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, Yashodhara Rajoria, Co-lead for WEP in States, Executive Committee Member, WEP, Anna Roy, Senior Advisor, Chief Secretary Dharmendra, central and state government officials, and women entrepreneurs from various North-Eastern states. The initiatives are poised to make a significant impact on the landscape of women entrepreneurship, providing avenues for skill development, mentorship, and financial support.