LUNGLA : Advisor to Planning and Women & Child Development Minister and Lumla MLA Tsering Lhamu on Monday urged young people to become job creators rather than job seekers, highlighting entrepreneurship as a key driver of employment generation and rural economic growth.
Addressing a Gramin Udyog and Entrepreneurship Development Workshop organised by the Arunachal Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board (APKVIB) at Lumla, she encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to take advantage of the various schemes and support mechanisms offered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), APKVIB and other government agencies.
Lhamu also stressed the importance of value addition, innovation, branding and market linkages to enhance the income potential of local products and create sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural areas.
The workshop, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and self-employment, witnessed the participation of more than 200 villagers, artisans, farmer groups, Self-Help Group (SHG) members, unemployed youth and aspiring entrepreneurs from across the Lumla subdivision.
APKVIB Chairman Adv. Maling Gombu highlighted the importance of linking artisans, entrepreneurs and farmer groups with government programmes that support village industries and rural enterprises. He informed participants about the benefits of affiliating with APKVIB to access technical guidance, handholding support and developmental initiatives.
Resource persons from MSME, NERAMAC, DoNER and APKVIB highlighted the potential of village industries based on locally available resources in Tawang district. Sectors such as handicrafts, handloom, Monpa handmade paper, food processing, beekeeping and agro-based enterprises were identified as promising avenues for entrepreneurship.
During the technical sessions, MSME Itanagar Director (In-Charge) Dr Satish Kumar briefed participants on various schemes supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, while NERAMAC Itanagar Business Development Officer Md Abdul Rakib elaborated on market linkage opportunities and buyback arrangements in the agri-allied sector.
Participants actively interacted with experts and sought information on the commercial prospects of products such as amla, lemongrass, seabuckthorn and other high-value crops, besides seeking technical and marketing support.
Concluding the programme, APKVIB Development Officer Ralong Singhi reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to supporting rural entrepreneurs through training, capacity building, technology support, market facilitation and handholding initiatives.
