Dimapur, August 21 (MExN): The first north east knowledge expo held in Dimapur from August 19 to 21 has ended in disappointment. Launched with great enthusiasm by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the government of Nagaland, the expo saw poor turnout of the general public as well as invitees. Aspiring entrepreneurs and educated unemployed youths were visibly missing. The effort of CII to help build a sustainable environment for the growth of industry in Nagaland was disheartening; given the fact the government has been harping about the ‘year of entrepreneurs.’
Thungbemo Murry, Chairman, CII Nagaland and proprietor of Bridgestone radials said the general response was poor. While the organisers felt the expo was the right platform and eye-opener for students, most schools failed to respond to their invitation. There was also a general misconception about the expo itself. Murry said most people viewed it as an exclusive expo; probably due to use of the word ‘knowledge.’ “The concept was to provide basic knowledge about entrepreneurship…guide them in their respective areas of interest,” Murry said. Some people visited the expo out of curiosity; few were serious and sincere during their visits, he added.
The expo was also conceptualized with the objective to conduct practical lessons in different professions. “Like the musicians we roped in, skilled handicraft workers…we wanted to have them practically teach people their skills,” Murry said. But that didn’t materialise. The organisers also cited time constrain for holding the expo and unfavourable weather conditions.
On the other hand, some participants expressed discontentment over the manner of organisation of the expo. Some came hoping the expo would include participants from other north east states. While some others felt the organisers should have hired an event management company to organise the expo.
The knowledge expo certainly not being the first event to go unnoticed by the general public in Nagaland, has nonetheless, pioneered in providing the right graph towards successful entrepreneurship among Nagas. CII is hopeful it has been able to help a few of these who turned up. The expo included seminars on entrepreneurship, business skills, marketing, employment opportunities, etc. CII hopes to identify the right kind of entrepreneurs in Nagaland, train them and facilitate their cases to the government given the opportunity.
CII is India’s premier a non-government, not-for-profit business association. CII works closely with government on policy issues, enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and expanding business opportunities for industry through a range of specialised services and global linkages. It also provides a platform for sectoral consensus building and networking. CII undertakes research, interacts with key government officials and disseminates information through publications, seminars and events.
