Start-up India, Stand-up India: Dr Jitendra Singh calls on young minds to explore unexplored avenues of Northeast

NewsBharati    19-Feb-2018
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New Delhi, February 19: Encouraging young minds from all over India to take forward their budding Start-Ups Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Dr Jitendra Singh invited youths to Northeast and try their fortune through unexplored potentials of the region. 

Addressing a gathering of participants, after going through the various stalls put up at the "Skill India" exhibition at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Dr Jitendra Singh said, while all the avenues of livelihood and new ventures are gradually getting exhausted in other parts of the country and States, the immense unexplored avenues and potentials of North Eastern region are still available and beckoning the young entrepreneurs to come and try their luck.

 

Dr Jitendra Singh also referred to the decision taken by the Ministry of Northeast to provide "Venture Fund" to any youngster who wishes to set up an entrepreneurship in the region. He said, this provision will be in addition to the provisions already available in Prime Minister's "Start-up India, Stand-up India" programme, which includes provision of tax holiday as well as 3-month exit period. He disclosed that over 65 proposals from youngsters all over India are under process to avail of the "Venture Fund" for setting up entrepreneurship in the Northeast. He also informed that the first lot of Venture Fund documents were handed over to the new Start-Ups by PM Narendra Modi himself during his visit to Aizawl, Mizoram in December last year.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, “Venture Fund” has already become popular among the youngsters. If we are able to move forward with the plan that we have envisaged for ourselves, he said, the day is not far when Northeast will become a favourite destination for young Start-ups from all over India. With its vast unexplored avenues, he said, those looking for livelihood will soon find a potential enterprise in the Northeast, particularly in fruit, food, handicraft and tourism industry, he added.

Northeast Venture Fund is the first dedicated venture capital fund for North-Eastern region and the initiative to set it up began in April last year. He further explained that “North-East Venture Fund” has been set up by North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi), which already has the mandate to encourage entrepreneurship in the region, primarily by offering support to the first-generation entrepreneurs. In addition, the NEDFi also performs the role of hand-holding and capacity building, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the region has huge potential for young Start-Ups unlike many other parts of the country and hoped that the patronage being provided by the Central government will make up for the constraints faced by a youngster when he sets out to be on his own.