Mr Piyush Goyal, the Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Government of India, visited the Atal Incubation Centre, SMU Technology Business Incubation Foundation (AIC-SMUTBI) at Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT), Majhitar today.
The Hon’ble Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Power and Transport Department- Mr M N Sherpa, MLA Soreng- Mr Aditya Golay and Mr Karma R. Bonpo (IAS) -Secretary,Commerce and Industries Department.
The programme commenced with the visit of Hon’ble Minister to the Incubator Facility with product showcases by the Startups led by Dr Tez Chingtham- CEO,AIC-SMUTBI, highlighting the innovative and unique products being developed by the local entrepreneurs.
Subsequently, Dr (Lt.Gen) Rajan Singh Grewal- Vice Chancellor, SMU in his welcome address applauded the Hon’ble Minister in his previous role as the Minister of Railways (2017-21) which was a historic milestone of zero passenger deaths in the past fiscal year. He also mentioned his efforts towards promoting startups in the country and creating job opportunities for the youth.
Mr Karma R. Bonpo (IAS)- Secretary, Commerce and Industry expressed his gratitude for the Hon’ble Minister’s visit to the state of Sikkim. He highlighted that the startup ecosystem in Sikkim is a keen interest of the minister and thanked him for supporting the entire northeast incubator. He added that they will work hand in hand in the growth of the institution.
The Hon’ble Minister participated in an interaction session with the Startup Founders from the North East Region coming from different sectors and as well as students of the incubation centre. The session was focused on addressing the queries and concerns of the participants and providing them with guidance and support to help them grow their businesses.
Speaking on the occasion,the Hon’ble Minister stressed on the importance of promoting local industries and products to make India self-reliant and achieve the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He also emphasized on maintaining high quality production in India, as business and economy gets impacted, quality will play a key role and help companies deliver products and services that exceed expectations and help the company expand its market.
He as well emphasized the importance of innovators, startup founders, and students in shaping the future of India. He encouraged them to continue to innovate and contribute to the development of the nation.Furthermore, he urged the participants to focus on their unique selling points (USPs) and strive to be self-sufficient. He added that being self-sufficient is crucial for the development of the nation and can only be achieved by promoting local entrepreneurship and manufacturing.
The Hon’ble Minister shared the success story of the LED program, where six lakh bulbs were sold in India every day. This program has not only helped in reducing energy consumption but also created job opportunities for the people. He also called attention to the importance of mentorship programs which aim to provide mentorship to startups and entrepreneurs across the NorthEast State.
Eventually, the Hon’ble Minister appreciated the efforts of the AIC-SMUTBI in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among young students and startups. He emphasized the need for more such incubation centers to be set up across the North East State to foster innovation and create job opportunities.
Dr Tez Chingtham- CEO,AIC-SMUTBI in his concluding speech explained that The Atal Incubation Centre, SMU Technology Business Incubation Foundation (AIC-SMUTBI) is first of its kind in the state which was established in 2019 under the aegis of the Atal Innovation Mission, a flagship initiative of the Government of India. He added that the incubation centre has been set up to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the North-Eastern region of the country and provides incubation support to startups working in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, energy and education, among others. He also thanked the concerned department for the cooperation.
The program was also attended by Mr Karma Sonam Bhutia- Director, Commerce & Industries Department , ADC Pakyong- Ms Anupa Tamling, SDM Rangpo- Ms Sujata Subba along with Officials from Government Department, dignitaries and Faculties along with students from SMU and SMIT.
