Dr. Jitendra Singh invites women entrepreneurs to Northeast The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh has invited women entrepreneurs from across the country to invest in the North-East Region and take a lead in developing the region as an industrial hub not only for India but also for the countries across the eastern borders. Launching the Swayam initiative of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) women wing in Guwahati today, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the unique advantage of any women initiative is that it has a wider social and public impact, also because a woman holds stake for at least three generations, that is, the generation of her parents and in-laws, the generation of her husband and brothers, and the generation of her children. Appreciating the Swayam initiative by FICCI women, he said, it has already been launched in Delhi and other places, resulting in successful engagement of women from all sections, in big and small self-employed vocations and observed that the arrival of Swayam in Guwahati will open a new chapter in the growth of Northeast and at the same time also open new vistas of opportunity, not only for women alone but for the entire population of the eight North Eastern States. In the last few months, Dr Jitendra Singh said, a number of new initiatives have been undertaken by the Government of India to promote business, industry and consequential job avenues in the region. In this regard, he referred to the Organic Farming Mission, which is being pursued in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and will not only generate business but would also reinforce the identity of the region through its original products. Similarly, he said, expansion of healthcare entrepreneurship in the region is also being worked out in a big way through private-public participation and it is a pleasant coincidence that even in the health sector, some of the leading women entrepreneurs have come forward to set up establishments in Northeast. Dr Jitendra Singh said, in the contemporary society with the world becoming smaller and unipolar, time has come to seek not mere employment but long-term employability and for this, FICCI womens Swayam initiative holds the promise to go a long way. In addition, when we talk of Act East policy to do business with the countries across the eastern borders, it is imperative to generate original growth products proximal to the eastern borders within Northeast so that they get takers across the borders, he added. Ms. Joyshree Das Verma from FICCI, Ms. Srparna B Baruah, Coordinator Swayam and Mr. Gautam Bhattacharjee, Northeast Regional Head, SBI also spoke on the occasion.
