IIE, Guwahati signs MoU with IIM to boost entrepreneurship ecosystem

NEW DELHI: With an aim to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the North Eastern Region (NER), the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre of Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIMS) to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the North Eastern Region (NER).

The objective of this partnership is to encourage entrepreneurship, incubation, and startups in the North Eastern Region. To support professional development in the areas of management, entrepreneurship, and skill development, and to meet the larger demand for capacity building and entrepreneurship promotion in the NER, the institutes will collaborate and exchange information and resources.

Promising entrepreneurs in the Northeast require adequate funding, improved infrastructure, and financial literacy to establish and grow their enterprises. This collaboration intends to build a start-up environment in the North East of India that will further strengthen all of the crucial elements of an entrepreneur-enabling ecosystem, potentially attracting investor investments. Meanwhile, the region is teeming with craftsmen, artisans, and resources that might become a substantial source of employment for its citizens.

"The Northeast has tremendous potential that is just waiting to be discovered. This partnership will help create an atmosphere where startups and entrepreneurs can flourish in the region by not just supporting and encouraging the locals but also giving them access to formal training, professional mentorship, and the technical know-how needed to run a successful business. Our aim is to foster an entrepreneurship enabling ecosystem that promotes innovation and growth in the Northeast." said Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

By collaborating on this initiative, both institutes will benefit from each other's strengths in promoting skill development in the NER and the country at large. The institutes will together conduct certified courses on entrepreneurship development and also train startups and incubates under the Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre, IIM Shillong. They will also promote educational lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and other knowledge dissemination programmes in the region. Both institutes will share infrastructure facilities like laboratories, libraries, incubation centres, etc. with each other for the research work of incubates and beneficiaries. Faculties from both institutes will be a part of mentoring, training, workshops, and evaluation juries for the incubation centre.

In the presence of Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, MSDE and Anuradha Vemuri, Joint Secretary, MSDE, Sandesh Tilekar, Director, MSDE, Dr Lalit Sharma, Director, IIE Guwahati, and Dr D.P. Goyal, Director, IIM Shillong, signed the MoU. Other dignitaries present included Shri Prasanta Goswami, Associate Faculty Member, IIE Guwahati, and Dr Sanjiv Ningombam, Centre Coordinator, APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis. The MoU will be valid for a period of five years.

The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. The institute's main goal is to provide training, research, and consulting services to small and micro enterprises (SMEs), with a special emphasis on entrepreneurship development. IIE has created 2316 entrepreneurship programmes since its inception, and 80053 candidates have been trained through these programmes. The institute has also started a number of cluster development projects with a total of 30874 beneficiaries. As part of the entrepreneurship summit, NERES 1.0 (North Eastern Regional Entrepreneurship & Startup), IIE has additionally assisted 200 promising start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs all across NER.

MSDE was formed on 9th November 2014, by the Government of India to focus on enhancing employability of skills. Since its inception, MSDE has undertaken significant initiatives and reforms in terms of formalizing the policy, framework and standards; launching new programs and schemes; creating new infrastructure and upgrading the existing institutions; partnering with States; engaging with industries and building societal acceptance and aspirations for skills. The Ministry aims to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower to build new skills and innovation not only for existing jobs but also for jobs that are to be created, a press release said.

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