DoNER minister urges women entrepreneurs to invest in NE

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GUWAHATI, Nov 17: Union DoNER minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday urged women entrepreneurs across the country to invest in the Northeast and take a lead in developing the region as an industrial hub.

“To develop the country, we have to develop the Northeast states too and empower the people with more entrepreneurship and industrial aids,” said the minister while launching Swayam, an initiative of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s women’s wing, in the city on Tuesday.

Endorsing Swayam, Singh said: “The initiative has already been launched in Delhi and other places, resulting in successful engagement of women from all sections in big and small self-employed vocations.” He said Swayam would open a new chapter in the growth of the Northeast.

“The Prime Minister is keen to initiate the development of NE states through the Act East policy and make Guwahati a business hub. If this policy succeeds, it will help our country, and in particular the NE states to compete with the counterparts of other South Asian countries,” Singh said, adding “Women entrepreneurs can play a vital role here. Instead of being job seekers, women can become job creators.”

Singh also spoke of the DoNER ministry’s initiative to start a film institute in Aruchal Pradesh and sports university in Manipur in the first part of the next year.

The minister said that expansion of healthcare entrepreneurship in the region was through private-public participation being worked out in a big way. Even in the health sector, some leading women entrepreneurs had come forward to set up establishments in north-east, he added. (IANS)