Women entrepreneurship is being promoted in a big way in Northeast and while the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) came forward to provide Viability Fund to new Start-Ups, it has at the same time undertaken several initiatives to encourage and supplement the efforts of Women Self Help Groups.
This was stated by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh when a delegation of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry – Ladies Organisation (FICCI-FLO), led by its national President Jahnabi Phookan, called on him to discuss avenues for women in the North Eastern Region.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, entrepreneurship and dignity of labour are an inherent trait of the women in the North Eastern region. This fact got recently reiterated during the early weeks of COVID pandemic, when there was a clamour for face masks from every part of the country. But, in the North Eastern Region, the face masks were available not only in sufficient quantity but also in a wide range of designs and colours, primarily because the responsibility of ensuring this had been immediately taken up by the women folk.
Appreciating the suggestion made by FICCI delegation for involvement of women stakeholders in the tourism sector, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, North Eastern region has taken a lead in institutionalizing home tourism in a big way and women had an important role in this. He said, in the last seven years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with improvement in connectivity and means of transport by road as well as air and rail, tourism has gained a special momentum.
Dr. Jitendra Singh called upon FICCI leaders to encourage more and more women to take up Bamboo related activities. He said, with Import Duty on bamboo products having been raised and home-grown bamboo having been exempted from Indian Forest Act, Bamboo from Northeast is destined to play a vital role in the post-COVID economy of India and women entrepreneurs as well as Self Help Groups have the opportunity to engage in production of wide variety of bamboo articles, particularly Agarbattis and baskets which are used in almost every Indian household.