Jitendra Singh bats for start-ups in northeast

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Assuring all support from Nehru Yuva Kendra and other youth centres, newly-appointed sports minister Jitendra Singh, who also holds the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) portfolio, said on Thursday both the ministries will work in tandem for creating a venture capital fund to encourage start-up companies in the North East.  

Addressing a meeting on the completion of two years of the current National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Thursday, Singh said the government will offer incentives to young start-ups and entrepreneurs in the north eastern region, which has huge unexplored potential for organic products.   "While the ministry of DoNER will provide Venture Capital Fund for start-ups venturing in Northeast, the department of youth affairs will provide added support through its establishments like Nehru Yuva Kendra and other youth centres," Jitendra Singh said in a ministry release.   "The department of youth affairs has assumed special significance in today’s 2016 India because more than 60 per cent of country’s population is below the age of 35 years. The start-up India mission will be led by the youth of the country who will finally usher India into a world power in the next few years," he added.   Sports secretary Rajiv Gupta and other senior officers of the ministry attended the meeting.