Tokugha Achumi speaking at the inaugural event at SkyGarden,
Chümoukedima, on Thursday. (EM Images)
DIMAPUR — Collaboration between government,
organisations and entrepreneurs was the key theme at the inauguration of the
Tana Bana District Handloom Expo (DHE) at SkyGarden, Chümoukedima, on Thursday.
The expo, funded by the Development Commissioner
(Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, is a joint effort between the state
Directorate of Industries and Commerce and the Women Entrepreneurs Network
Nagaland (WENN).
Inaugurating the four-day event, Tokugha Achumi, Director of
Industries and Commerce, elaborated on the department’s decision to make WENN a
partner for the expo. He said that the department witnessed WENN’s ability to
effectively utilise resources after the WENN Bazaar event in October last year.
“We saw how so many women entrepreneurs, under the WENN
banner, collaborated in creating such a successful event, so the department
decided to give the organisation a hand in organising another event in the form
of the district expo,” he said.
Achumi also noted the marked increase of start-ups in
Nagaland—a fact highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent Mann
Ki Baat message—and said that when such acknowledgement is coming from such a
level, “we should do something.”
However, “It should not be only the state government doing
something, it should be a collaboration...and this, in the long run, will be
very beneficial to our upcoming and present entrepreneurs,” he asserted.
He went on to state that funding provided by the central
government should be utilised very effectively and judiciously, and
partnerships, such as the one with WENN, are important for realising this.
“We now realise that with the active participation of
entrepreneurs and the collaboration of different entities, at the end, we can
succeed and bring the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the state to a new level,”
Achumi observed.
He encouraged the participants to view the DHE as a learning
and networking opportunity, as they gain exposure and experience in showcasing
their products.
Weaver entrepreneur Vekuvolu Dozo, founder of Viko Ethnic,
shared her personal journey, elaborating on how collaborations with the
Industries department and exposure through WENN were instrumental in her growth
from a struggling weaver to an award-winning entrepreneur who now provides
employment to others.
