District Administration & DLCW-Mahila Shakti Kendra (BBBP), Phek during the webinarheld on September 10. (Inset) Entrepreneurs Associates, CEO Neichute Doulo.
Webinar on role of community in fostering entrepreneurship held
Our Correspondent
Kohima | September 10
Entrepreneurs Associates (EA) CEO Neichute Doulo today said that the biggest hurdle to economic development is not capital or infrastructure but the attitude of the people.
“The attitude of any given society determines the rate of economic development,” he said while speaking at the webinar topic on “The role of community in fostering entrepreneurship” organized by the District Administration & DLCW-Mahila Shakti Kendra (BBBP), Phek under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
Today with COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, India registered 23% negative growth rate, he said adding that only agriculture sector showed 3% positive growth rate.
Till July 2020, about 2.1 crore people lost salaried jobs in India, Doulo said, who addressed the webinar as guest speaker.
“So, for the economy to spring back, the country needs entrepreneurs and mass entrepreneurship,” he said adding that “Nagaland need to push entrepreneurship more than ever, with or without banks.”
To do this, our society must foster entrepreneurship by appreciating and encouraging entrepreneurship and not just government jobs, he said.
“We must change our perception of ourselves. If non locals can do business in Nagaland, why can't the locals do too? We can't say business is not a cup of tea for Nagas. We can do business. We must have faith and believe in ourselves and become successful entrepreneurs,” he said.
During lockdown, Doulo said government job holder’s income didn't perish. Rather government job holders enjoyed the longest holiday! In fact in Nagaland, perhaps 80% of the government job holders don't really work but enjoy pay, he said adding that this work culture of government servants is making Nagas difficult to survive in private companies and business since our society measures work with the standard of government offices.
“So for Nagas to take up entrepreneurship, we need a paradigm shift, a shift from government job culture to the entrepreneurial culture, a hard working culture like we do in the Naga villages and not the neo urban settings of Nagaland,” he said.
He also stressed on the need to value each other and trust each other. “Many older Naga generations think that Nagas are not trustworthy. So their Managers, drivers, accountants, etc are all non locals. This must change. We must also employ our local youth. We must have faith in our people. This will foster entrepreneurship as our own people will learn the trade of business,” he said.
Stating that Nagaland is not a landlocked state but a land linked state, he said “We can make Nagaland an Inland trade corridor for China, Myanmar and Thailand. But such opportunities will come only if we have entrepreneurs. Without entrepreneurs, land resources and strategic geographical trade advantages have no meaning.”
He also told the webinar that entrepreneurs must take up social development and contribute to society.
“We must eradicate the idea of business being a shop keeper or a boring unglamorous life.” He said adding that business people must give back to society and encourage the youth that there is money and good life in business and not the miseries of a failure.
“If we can show a new image of business, Naga society will foster entrepreneurship,” he added.
The webinar witnessed experience sharing by Tewu Mero- owner of Abode Store, Posiethsü Kajiri- owner of Memory Baker, Toyi Swuro- owner of Craft Gallery, Seve Ringa Vadeo- owner of Pig Garden and Vishü Rita Krocha, founder PenThrill Publication House.
Weto Losou moderated the webinar. Earlier, Zhoi Lohe, SDO (C) Sadar, Phek and Bhavani Sri, (IAS), SDO (C) Phek and Nodal Officer BBBP Phek gave opening and closing remarks respectively.
