The Entrepreneurship Development Centre was established as a collaboration between the State Government and the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati through funding support from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, as a part of the Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project. The primary objective of this center is to develop the Entrepreneurship ecosystem within the State Government through various means, such as policy framework, Governance structure, Research for Sector Profiling, Program and Curriculum Development, Awareness Generation, Mentorship Development Programs, and Entrepreneurship Development Programs.

The inaugural session of the first Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) took place in the Entrepreneurship Development Center at Government ITI campus Kohima on the 5th of April 2023, and it was graced by the presence of Kovi Meyase, NCS, Additional Secretary and Ex-Officio Director, Employment, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Department as the Guest of Honor. The welcome address was delivered by Utpal Bayan, in charge IT Department and EDC, Kohima from IIE Guwahati, who briefed the attendees about IIE Guwahati and the objective of the EDP program.

In his inaugural speech, Meyase pointed out that unemployment among the youth is a significant cause of concern and urged the trainees to consider entrepreneurship, which is a practical solution to mitigate it. He congratulated all the 25 trainees of the Entrepreneurship Development Program for their participation in the program and encouraged them to inspire countless unemployed youths through their success. Meyase also emphasized that the State government is putting a strong emphasis on promoting entrepreneurship through schemes such as the CM Micro Finance Scheme and Start-up Nagaland, and urged the youth to consider becoming "job providers" instead of solely relying on government employment opportunities.

(DIPR)