Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 68/17

NORTH EAST INVESTORS SUMMIT

The 1st North East Investors’ Summit organized jointly by the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of DoNER, Government of India, in collaboration with Industry associations FICCI was inaugurated today by the Union Textiles Minister, Smti Smriti Zubin Irani at the State Convention Centre, Shillong. The Summit was also attended by Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma, Union Minister of State Independent Charge DoNER and Chairman NEC, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State, Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister for Industries, Government of Assam, Shri Tamiyo Taga, Minister for Textiles, Government of Assam, Shri Ranjit Dutta, Minister for Industries, Government of Mizoram, Shri H. Rohluna, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Dr. Arvind Panagariya representative from all the eight North Eastern States and investors across the country. The Summit was organized exclusively for the North Eastern Region focusing on manufacturing in textiles and allied sectors and also to showcase the Region as a global destination for investment and explore the possibility of convergence of efforts of various central Ministries and North Eastern States to attract investment in the region. Union Textiles Minister, Smti Smriti Irani in her inaugural address said that the North Eastern Region has huge potential for investments, particularly in the field of textiles industry due to its strong traditional skill base and a variety of unique designs and eco friendly products. Under the North Eastern Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERPTS), the Ministry is implementing various projects for handlooms, handicrafts, sericulture, apparel and garmenting and technical textiles in the eight States of North Eastern Region, in line with the “Act East” policy of the Government of India. The Union Minister also informed that the Ministry has recently launched the “Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre” where professional queries of weavers will be answered by the experts in the field and a mobile app, 'E-Dhaga' developed for the benefit of handloom weavers will address the concerns of individual weavers relating to the availability of raw material, delays in supplies and ensuring stocks in depots. The mobile app will be a boon for handloom weavers to transact business anytime, anywhere and they can send their indents and payments online through this app.

Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr. Mukul Sangma in his address said that the two day Summit provides an opportunity to showcase the talents of the weavers, to inculcate upon themselves the job avenues which ultimately becomes self sustainable, adding that the Summit will create opportunities for the cultivators and the weavers to fend for themselves and enable them a bright and future livelihood. With regards to the potentiality of textiles industry in the State is concerned, we have already explored and identified certain areas, one of which is Ramie cultivation. Ramie is one of the initiatives that can be developed to attract investors and bring the State on the frontline. Textiles industry is inter-connected with all sorts of activities and people, and it will actually benefit the people at the grassroot level, he added. Earlier, the Union Textiles Minister, Smti Smriti Zubin Irani along with the Chief Minster, Dr. Mukul Sangma and Union MoS for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Exhibition at State Convention Centre. The inaugural programme was followed by Technical Session on topics namely “Showcasing Opportunities in Textiles by Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of DoNER”, Entrepreneurship Development & Startups” and “Enhancing the Reach of North East Textiles through Design & Marketing”.