RONO HILLS, May 29: Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) conducted a national seminar on ‘Opportunities for Livelihood & Income Enhancement among Rural Masses through Micro & Small Industry Start-Ups Utilizing Natural Resources of Arunachal Pradesh’ at the Smart Theatre, Department of Computer Science & Engineering here on Thursday.
Organized by the DST-Technology Enabling Centre (DST-TEC), RGU in collaboration with IQAC, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, and the Department of Food Technology, the programme aimed to explore sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural communities through entrepreneurship, innovation, and effective utilization of locally available natural resources.
Addressing the gathering, Prof Jaydeba Sahoo, senior-most professor (RGU), highlighted industry-academia linkages. He also shared that Arunachal is the land of opportunities. We need to change our mindset to work hard and grab the opportunities. He also stressed the need for research and development and skill enhancement among students for startups and innovations.
The keynote speaker, Maling Gombu, Chairman Arunachal Pradesh Khadi & Village Industries Board (APKVIB), emphasized the importance of promoting village industries and self-employment opportunities for rural youth. He also highlighted the Monpa handmade paper and other products of Arunachal Pradesh. He also spoke about various govt schemes opportunities for MSMEs.
Dr Rakesh Kumar Jain, Technical Expert at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and former Director of the Central Pulp & Paper Research Institute, highlighted technology-driven industrial development and entrepreneurship models suitable for the North-East region. He added that natural resources, biomass, and bio-waste available in Arunachal Pradesh can be converted from waste to wealth and livelihood.
Dr N T Rikam, Registrar RGU, in his address, highlighted the GI tag of various products of Arunachal Pradesh and scaling handmade products and artefacts to a global level.
Chaired by Prof Utpal Bhattacharjee, Director IQAC (RGU), the seminar witnessed enthusiastic participation from faculty members, research scholars, students, government officials, and industry representatives.
Discussions focused on bamboo and herbal industries, agro-based entrepreneurship, sustainable use of natural resources, skill development, and startup ecosystem support.
The organizers stated that the seminar would help promote entrepreneurship, rural employment, and technology-driven development in Arunachal Pradesh and the North-East region.