PRIME Meghalaya today hosted the ‘Onboarding & Graduation Program’ to honour Top 75 startups who were selected through the Chief Minister’s E-Champion Challenge 5.0, marking the start of their incubation journey.
The event under the theme ‘Launching Dreams, Celebrating Growth’ also celebrated the graduation of Cohort 4, recognising their commitment and achievements.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma emphasised on the commitment of the government to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation through various initiatives for the growth of the state. “We are creating jobs and opportunities, but I need you, the entrepreneurs, to now bring all of this together and create value and unlock opportunities,” he said.
On the larger goal of PRIME in the government’s commitment to entrepreneurship, he also urged the team to set up a financial wing for venture capital and link potential investors for the entrepreneurs. He congratulated the entrepreneurs to keep pushing for great things and inspire many more people.
Initiated by the Government of Meghalaya in 2019, the Chief Minister’s E-Championship Challenge is one of the flagship programs aimed at identifying, nurturing and supporting the promising entrepreneurs in the state.
Till date more than 6000 entrepreneurs have benefitted from the PRIME program, more than 200 entrepreneurs incubated and more than 100 PRIME Rural Fellows (PRF) who are being supported.
A panel discussion on ‘Empowering Entrepreneurship in the Northeast: Stories of Innovation & Impact’ was moderated by Pankaj Baruah, IIMCIP, amplifying the emergence of the Northeast region as a dynamic hub of entrepreneurial activity. The discussion highlighted the stories of startups and entrepreneurs of the region who in spite of facing challenges in demographics, market access, and so on,have utilized local resources, and sustainable practices to create both economic and social impact.
The event also witnessed the launch of the Acceleration Program, Product Catalogue Book, Annual Report and PRIME Entrepreneurs Spotlight and experiential sharing by Eri Weave of PRIME Cohort 2 and Boba Bae of Cohort 4.
