Students, faculty and resource persons during the Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme organised by MSME Development & Facilitation Office, Dimapur in Patkai Christian College on August 12.
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DIMAPUR, AUGUST 15 (MExN): The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Development and Facilitation Office, Dimapur, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, Patkai Christian College, organised a one-day Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP) at Patkai Christian College on August 12.
Held under the theme ‘From Kitchen to Brand: The Journey of Building a Successful Food Enterprise,’ the programme sought to encourage students to view entrepreneurship as a career option while providing practical insights into starting, managing and growing an enterprise.
The programme brought together entrepreneurs, banking professionals, government officials and industry representatives who interacted with students on business operations, finance, government schemes and the challenges of sustaining an enterprise.
The programme was chaired by Abenro K. Ngullie, B.Com V Semester. In her remarks, she highlighted the need to create greater awareness of entrepreneurship among young people, noting that entrepreneurship can serve not only as a means of self-employment but also as a way of generating employment and contributing to economic development.
Opening the programme, Dr Eniro Murry, Associate Professor and Dean of Arts & Commerce, Patkai Christian College, described the initiative as an opportunity for students to gain exposure to real-life business situations.
He encouraged students to actively engage with the resource persons, stating that interaction with entrepreneurs, financial professionals and government officials could provide practical perspectives that classroom learning alone may not offer.
Medoneizo Putsure, Founder and CEO of Bambusa Express and JOME Foods Pvt. Ltd., spoke about the challenges involved in establishing and expanding a business. Drawing from his experience, he said entrepreneurs must understand different aspects of business operations and be prepared to adapt as their enterprises grow.
Putsure said entrepreneurship is a continuous process of learning, adaptation and evolution, requiring business owners to remain open to new ideas and learn from both successes and failures.
Responding to a student's question on earning money through business, Putsure said the primary focus for an aspiring entrepreneur should not be profit alone. "The starting point should be learning how to establish, operate and sustain a business effectively," he said.
Robert Tungoe, Manager, State Bank of India, Dimapur, spoke on government and banking schemes available to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. He highlighted the importance of financial planning and institutional support in establishing and expanding businesses and urged prospective entrepreneurs to familiarise themselves with available financial avenues.
Puloto K. V. Sema, Inspector of Industries, District Industries Centre, Dimapur, explained the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) and Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).
He explained that PMFME supports the formalisation, upgradation and strengthening of micro food-processing enterprises, while PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at promoting micro-enterprises and generating employment in the non-farm sector. Kapil Rai, Assistant Director, MSME Development and Facilitation Office, Dimapur, outlined various schemes and initiatives available to start-ups, existing entrepreneurs and small businesses. He encouraged students to make use of government support mechanisms and institutional assistance to strengthen their enterprises.
Rai also highlighted the Chief Minister's Micro Finance Initiative (CMMFI) during the interactive session, explaining its relevance in facilitating access to financial resources for entrepreneurs.
The programme included a question-and-answer session in which students sought clarification on business operations, finance, government schemes and the challenges of establishing sustainable enterprises.
The interaction provided students with first-hand perspectives from entrepreneurs, banking professionals and officials involved in enterprise development.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Zakir Alam, Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce, Patkai Christian College, who expressed gratitude to the resource persons, MSME officials, college administration, faculty members and students.
The programme served as a platform to connect academic learning with practical business experience and encouraged students to identify opportunities and consider entrepreneurship as a pathway towards self-reliance, employment generation and economic development.
