CM Pema Khandu launched Innovation & Investment Park at Niti Vihar in Itanagar

 APIIP aims at connecting all budding startups in State: CM

 Seed funds also awarded to 31 emerging entrepreneurs

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the investment division of the Arunachal Pradesh government has managed to bring the first phase of the entrepreneurship development programme to its logical conclusion by launching the APIIP (Arunachal Pradesh Innovation & Investment Park) here on Saturday.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who launched the park at Niti Vihar here, also awarded seed funds to 31 winners of the Entrepreneurships Development Programme 2020.

APIIP -- the first of its kind in the State -- will go a long way in creating a vibrant ecosystem for the young entrepreneurs and to build a self-reliant, knowledge based economy, so that the youth could be transformed from job seekers to job givers.

Speaking on the way forward for the startups initiative in the state, Khandu asked the investment division to fully focus on area so that the park is developed into a world class facility and the State could produce entrepreneurs who can drive sustainable and scalable businesses.

The Chief Minister hoped that the park would be able to connect all the budding startups in the State. "Through this center, the government can promote tourism, agri & allied sectors which are the high priority sectors of growth," pointed out Khandu. Stating that the capital region is a big city and it has a big market for startups, Khandu said that people should produce consumables like vegetables and meat locally, so that dependencies on other States are reduced. The chief minister also pointed out that presence of a large number of Indian Army and other paramilitary forces in the state which presents a larger market for the entrepreneurs.

"Launching of APIIP is the starting point of a vision," Khandu said and assured to strengthen the investment division by providing all kinds of government support.

Khandu added that he is committed to review the programme of the park through investment division intermittently.

While congratulating the 31 winners and the investment division team, Khandu said, "the country can move further when the business community progress".

Khandu said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the identity of North East Region has improved significantly.

"Connectivity has improved making travel from East to West Arunachal seamless, road constructions are going on all across the state, railway connectivity has improved and very soon places like Tawang, Basar, Ziro will be connected by railways," the Chief Minister said.

"Work on Holongi airport is going at full swing and if all goes smoothly, we will be able to launch the airport on August 15 next year," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the Planning & Investment portfolio, expressed his immense happiness to see the youth of the state coming forward to do something on their own.

He congratulated the winners and said that the achievements are essentially 'fruits of freedom' which would ensure that youth of the State become job givers instead of job seekers.

Mein also lauded the Planning & Investment division for creating such a world class facility for startups and assured to give all possible government support to the park. The programme was also attended by Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, Planning & Investment Commissioner Prashant S Lokhande and State Nodal Officer for Startup and Investment Promotion Tabe Haidar among others

Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Programme was launched by Khandu on August 15 last year which culminated on Saturday.

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