Manipur Textiles, Commerce & Industry Minister Nemcha Kipgen on Friday called for the need to realise that food processing, handloom and handicrafts is an industry which the state and NER as a whole can heavily rely on to boost its economy. Development of these industries means generation of jobs and better livelihood for the people of the region, Minister Nemcha said.
The minister graced the inaugural session of the International MSME Conference in NER-2022 held at Hotel Classic Grande, Imphal as chief guest on Friday.
While addressing the gatherings, Industry Minister Nemcha Kipgen expressed that such a conference gives an opportunity for the state to showcase its distinct industries, and cultural heritage in the forms of handloom and textiles, handicrafts and unique food products.
The local entrepreneurs of Manipur will get the opportunity to adopt the best practices from other parts of the world and adapt it for the materials and resources available here, she asserted.
The minister further highlighted the example of the state’s richness in terms of bio resources by citing that there are 55 species of bamboo that grows in Manipur which can be utilised in various forms such as food, textile, composites and handicrafts. She continued that Manipur is also rich in its biodiversity, producing many aromatic and medicinal plants, all of which are organic and can serve as a new destination for pharmaceutical industries.
Unlike many parts of the Northeast, Manipur is fortunate to have a potential to be the gateway to ASEAN and with the improvement in infrastructure will serve as an important import- export hub for the Northeast region, she added.
The conference was organised by the Federation of Industry & Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) with the support of MSME Development Institute Imphal, Government of India and Department of Commerce & Industries, Government of Manipur.
