Chennai: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) organised an inter-regional business conclave titled “Fostering Entrepreneurial Ties: North East Meets Tamil Nadu” on Friday at the Madras Cricket Club, Chennai.
As per an official statement, the said meet was held in collaboration with the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) and in association with the Hindustan Chamber of Commerce (HCC).
The programme brought together policymakers, financial institutions, industry leaders, MSMEs and entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu and the North Eastern Region to explore collaboration and investment opportunities.
Delivering the welcome address, Shivkumar Eashwaran, Chairman – Tamil Nadu, ICC and Honorary Consul General of Armenia, highlighted the importance of inter-regional economic integration and industry-driven partnerships.
The theme address was delivered by Dr Samir Baruah, Chairman – NER, ICC Banking & MSME Committee, who spoke on the entrepreneurial potential and sectoral strengths of the North Eastern Region.
In his keynote address, Lemli Loyi, Executive Director of NEDFi, outlined the corporation’s financial instruments and advisory support for investment-ready enterprises.
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Ramesh Dugar, President of HCC.
The second session, titled “Collaborative Opportunities: North East–Tamil Nadu”, featured industry perspectives from Manoranjan Das, Deputy General Manager, NEDFi; K V Reshma, Additional Director (Rural Projects), Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu; and Sendil Kumaran, Council Member and MSME Committee Co-Chair, HCC.
A panel discussion moderated by Dr Baruah included Prof. Senthilmurugan Subbaiah of IIT-Tech Incubation Centre, Guwahati; Sandeep Rajkhowa of Uptown Hospitech Pvt. Ltd.; and Kaushik Boruah of KIEGA Exims Pvt. Ltd., focusing on innovation ecosystems, export linkages and enterprise scalability.
The programme concluded with structured one-to-one B2B meetings to facilitate business engagements and potential investment collaborations among participants.
A special address on the bamboo sector was delivered by Kamesh Salam, Founder and CEO of South Asia Bamboo Foundation and Cane and Bamboo Value Chain Management (OPC) Pvt. Ltd., who highlighted opportunities for bamboo-based enterprises and inter-regional collaboration.