Officials along with the participants during the Capacity Building Training Programme for Swavalamban Connect Kendras (SCK) manpower on February 13.
Kohima, February 13 (MExN): The Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) conducted a five-day certificate-based Capacity Building Training Programme for Swavalamban Connect Kendras (SCK) manpower from February 9 to 13.
The programme was attended by SCK officials from all 16 districts of Nagaland, along with representatives from the Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative (CMMFI) Cell under the Finance Department and the Accounts Cell of IDAN. The training covered key thematic areas, including Income Tax Return (ITR), Goods and Services Tax (GST), Entrepreneurship Development Programme – Training of Trainers (EDP–ToT), Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation, and Management Information System (MIS).
The programme commenced with a welcome address by I Changsang, NCS, Under Secretary, IDAN. He highlighted the relevance of the Swavalamban Connect Kendras as a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nagaland. He said the SCKs function as grassroots-level facilitation centres providing aspiring and budding entrepreneurs access to guidance, capacity building, credit linkages and handholding support.
He underscored that through structured mentoring, convergence with banks and departments, and continuous skill enhancement, SCKs are playing a pivotal role in transforming job seekers into job creators. He encouraged SCK officials to remain committed to enterprise promotion, noting that their efforts contribute directly to local economic development, self-reliance and sustainable livelihood generation across districts.
Abeinuo Jasmine Ashao, NCS, Under Secretary, Finance Department, delivered the inaugural address, emphasising the importance of financial literacy, regulatory compliance and institutional strengthening in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship in the state. She encouraged participants to actively engage in the sessions and translate their learning into effective field-level implementation.
Sessions on ITR and GST were conducted by Harish Agarwal, Chartered Accountant, Agarwal & Associates. The sessions focused on tax compliance, filing procedures, statutory requirements and practical challenges faced by entrepreneurs and small businesses. With increasing formalisation of enterprises, knowledge of taxation and regulatory frameworks is critical to ensuring transparency, financial discipline and ease of doing business.
A session on ITR and GST in the Nagaland context was also delivered by Vizoto Alfred Rolnu, Inspector, Income Tax Department, Dimapur, providing localised insights and practical guidance.
The EDP–ToT module was conducted by the Entrepreneur School of Business (ESB), equipping participants with pedagogical and mentoring skills to effectively conduct Entrepreneurship Development Programmes across districts. By strengthening their capacity as trainers, SCK officials will be better positioned to nurture aspiring entrepreneurs, guide them in business planning and promote sustainable enterprise creation.
The DPR component provided hands-on training in preparing bankable project reports, including financial projections, viability analysis and credit linkage documentation. The sessions were conducted by the AMCC branch, Kohima, of the State Bank of India (SBI). The practical exposure is expected to improve the quality of project proposals submitted to financial institutions, thereby enhancing access to credit for local entrepreneurs.
The MIS training focused on systematic data management, reporting and performance tracking. A robust MIS framework, officials said, will enable improved monitoring of enterprise creation, outreach activities and overall impact assessment under the SCK initiative.
