Imphal: Manipur has the highest number of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) business registrations in the northeastern region, Chief Minister N Biren Singh has said.
Singh said that according to the 2018-19 Annual Report of the Ministry of MSME, the state registered 12,438 MSME businesses between 2015 and 2019.
The chief minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the northeastern region is set to become the ‘Growth Engine of New India’.
Highlighting that Manipuri people are highly enterprising, Singh said, "The state alone has 12,438 MSME businesses, the highest in the northeast, between 2015 and 2019. Fifty per cent of these businesses are owned by women.” Manipur’s share in national population is 0.2 per cent while the state’s share in MSME businesses is 0.3 per cent, he said.
Singh said that the BJP-led state government has taken up various initiatives for the development of Manipur since its formation in 2017.
“One Family One Livelihood mission was launched to offer financial support to families, enabling them to establish their enterprises and become self-reliant. Under the scheme, one can get a loan up to Rs 10,00,000, which is collateral-free and 30 per cent of it is provided as a grant,” he said at the state-level workshop on UNNATI and RAMP schemes on Thursday.
The CM said that around 2,575 entrepreneurs have benefitted from the Manipur State Credit Guarantee Scheme. Singh said that the government is encouraging the youth to avail these opportunities. He said that seven successful start-ups in Manipur have created employment opportunities for around 300 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The challenges faced by small enterprises include the lack of technical support and awareness, the chief minister said. He also urged banks to disburse sanctioned loan amounts to enterprises promptly and advised borrowers to ensure timely repayment to avoid being prohibited from accessing future loans.
