To encourage entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, the Meghalaya government signed 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with top technical and scientific universities.

The State Convention Centre in Shillong hosted the Summit for Rural Empowerment, where the Memorandums of Understanding were signed.

Through the facilitation of technology transfer, product innovation, and access to national markets, these strategic partnerships—under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)—seek to revolutionize the development of rural enterprises.

Six more Memorandums of Understanding are in the works, according to officials, and they could further boost the state's rural economy.

Converting local resources into valuable, environmentally friendly products is the main goal of the initiatives.

Notable innovations in development include the extraction of essential oils from medicinal plants, the development of nutraceuticals and value-added foods from millets, sweet potatoes, and tapioca, the conversion of pineapple and banana waste into bio-fertilizers and packaging material, and the processing of flowers into herbal dyes and gulal.

Also Read: Interesting Reactions of Tech Leaders in the Light of AI Appreciation Day

Meghalaya's rural revival depends on flagship programs like the State Organic Farming Mission, which covers 52,000 hectares with an expansion goal of 1 lakh hectares by 2028, and the CM Farm Plus scheme, which Agriculture Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh described as "a transformative vision now bearing fruit."

 

The minister also emphasized that over 50,000 people are impacted by the 169 Vikas Divyangta Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) that have been approved. Each VDVK provides Rs.15 lakh in funds for procurement, training, and packaging support to approximately 15 self-help groups, 60 percent of which are tribal.

“Meghalaya is blending traditional wisdom with scientific innovation to build a rural economy that is green, inclusive and resilient,” said Lyngdoh.

Also Read: Steps to Enhance Your Organization's Cyber Resilience

She pointed out that branding campaigns like Meghalaya Collectives are bringing local goods to a national and worldwide audience.

By linking VDVKs with national-level organizations, the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) will assist in converting them into sustainable rural businesses, according to Dr. Vijay Kumar D of the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA). He pointed out that the agreements are an extension of the state's PRIME program (2018), with PMJVM now coordinating the work of producer groups, cooperatives, FOCUS, and MSRLS.

He also recalled how Meghalaya was hailed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as an example of a self-assured, independent India.

Speaking at the gathering, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma claimed that the summit represented the government's influence on rural communities, farmers, and women's collectives. He revealed that the government is supporting 20,000 producer groups and two lakh farmers, and that in just seven years, approximately 55,000 self-help organizations with over five lakh women have been established.

Sangma highlighted the CM Farm Plus program as a game-changer in addressing issues like delayed seed access. He also brought up the CM Assure program, which stabilized prices for important commodities like arecanut and broomstick by spending Rs.50 crore in just eight months.