Over INR 1,700 cr invested in entrepreneurs, SHG support tops INR 1,000 cr: Meghalaya CM

SHILLONG —  Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said the state government has invested more than INR 1,700 crore in entrepreneurs through various programmes while support for self-help groups has risen from INR 30 crore before 2018 to over INR 1,000 crore now.

Launching RURALPRENEUR '25, a two-day event organised by PRIME Rural and the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) at the State Central Library here, Sangma said the initiative aims to celebrate rural enterprises and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

He recalled that the state's entrepreneurial journey began in 2018 with the Chief Minister's Entrepreneurship Prize of INR 1 lakh each month to encourage budding entrepreneurs.

"From that modest beginning, we slowly started to think about how to provide deeper support. The most important aspect is to create a culture of entrepreneurship — of taking risks, of seeing opportunities in problems, and of not depending solely on government jobs," he said.

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Sangma spoke candidly about his own struggles as a young entrepreneur in the 1990s when business support systems were almost non-existent in Meghalaya.

"Even a word of encouragement would have meant so much, but it wasn't there. These experiences shaped the policies I design today," he said.

He urged entrepreneurs to persevere despite challenges.

"Many entrepreneurs fail not because their ideas are bad, but because they stop trying. If you believe in your idea, keep going. We will stand with you," he said, adding that institutions and government departments should also support local businesses by buying their products.

The CM also praised partnerships with organisations like the SELCO Foundation, which has helped solarise rural health centres.

Day one of the event featured MoU signings, release of the PRIME Rural B-B Catalogue, cheque distribution to MBMA-SELCO beneficiaries, and cultural programmes.

The second day will include networking workshops, UDYAM onboarding, business registration sessions and a closing ceremony.