Kohima: For overall development of human capital and to provide fast-track, statutory support and network of appropriate funding agencies, the Nagaland government is all set to cover 12 institutes across Kohima and Dimapur.
The government is funding the cash prizes amounting to Rs. 8.80 lakh that will be given to students with the most innovative ideas categorically.
An initiative of the Department of Commerce & Industries in collaboration with Invest India and Ministry of Industries & Commerce, the Startup India Nagaland Yatra Van was flagged off on Monday by Temjen Toy, chief secretary, Nagaland at Secretariat Plaza. The yatra van will stop at various educational institutions for first four days after which boot camps will be held in Dimapur and Kohima respectively for two days following which the Acceleration and Programme Mentorship will be organized.
Addressing the media, Toy regretted that although Startup India was initiated in 2016, Nagaland had just made its move. He further said that the main aim of this initiation in the state was to create awareness among college students.
Emphasizing on the need for Startup’s, he lamented that the state’s “salaried economy” concept of government jobs needs to be challenged where the young minds would work towards setting up their own enterprises.
He further added that with the over-dependence on government jobs, the state is turning its back on the state economy. To change the existing mindset, the Startup India Nagaland is targeted to the college/university students wherein students with innovative Startup ideas will be selected for acceleration program, mentoring and will be incubated.
Toy further said that this initiative was a “stepping stone to achieve much more” and firmly believes that it will “bear immediate result.
The categories of the prizes are: Hero of the State (Rs. 1,00,000); Innovative Ideas for Agriculture, and Technology (Rs. 60,000; Rs 40,000 and Rs 20,000 each in both categories); Top women Entrepreneur (Rs 60,000; Rs 40,000 and Rs 20,000 for the top three); TA/DA for 150 participants (Rs. 2,000 each).
The Startup India is an initiative of the Government of India intending to build a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and start-ups in the country that will drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities.
