A three-day North Eastern Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Conclave was inaugurated here on Friday by Union Ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh to provide a platform for stakeholders for convergence and collaboration.

The Conclave titled ‘Manthan 2023’ is a confluence designed to channelise the energies of stakeholders to bring together ministries, state governments, academia, industry associations, institutions, policymakers, corporations, and most crucially, beneficiaries to deliberate on Skill and Entrepreneurship in North-East India, Chandrasekhar said on the occasion.

Over the next few days, the event will embody the spirit of collaboration, sharing best practices, and aligning efforts in the domains of skilling and entrepreneurship, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Electronics and Information Technology said.

The conclave will disseminate the vision of MSDE for the North Eastern region on the development of entrepreneurship and skill and strengthen the overall ecosystem, he said.

It will also deliberate upon the benefits of MSDE’s special package and reinforce regional networks, stimulate innovative strategies and roadmap for fostering entrepreneurship and skill development eco-system of the region.

The event will reiterate MSDE’s vision of augmenting skill development and entrepreneurship with a special focus on building the capacity of the youth of the region through a comprehensive package.

It will also focus on the overall entrepreneurship ecosystem, the financial support available, livelihood opportunities offered by different stakeholders, the startup culture in the region and the synergy and cooperation among stakeholders to nurture a robust entrepreneurial environment, Chandrasekhar said.

Singh, the Union minister of state for education and external affairs, said that it was due to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the North East is now a thriving part of India’s growth story.

His vision of ‘Ashtalakshmi’ will transform these eight states into vital contributors to India’s GDP and with initiatives like ‘Transforming Lives, Building futures’, we are building a robust ecosystem, empowering the region’s youth with industry-ready skills, Singh said.

On the first day of the Conclave, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched three residential skill training programmes for electric vehicle service technician, solar panel installation technician, and electrical technician.

Two sessions were also held on ”Skilling for Micro-Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship’ and ”Skills for future-ready and industry-ready workforce”, focussing on strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region.

An exhibition, showcasing over 250 products from 80 exhibitors comprising local artisans, craftsmen and local nano entrepreneurs across eight states of the North Eastern region, was also inaugurated by the ministers.