Chief Minister Rio Launches RAMP Initiative In Nagaland To Strengthen MSME Growth

Kohima, Aug 28 (KNN) Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio inaugurated the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme, a World Bank-supported central sector initiative of the Government of India, at the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat in Kohima, on Tuesday.

The launch ceremony was attended by all legislators of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

The RAMP scheme aims to address critical areas essential for strengthening the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in the state.

Chief Minister Rio emphasised the government's ongoing efforts to empower youth and entrepreneurs, citing initiatives such as the ‘Year of Youth Empowerment’ and ‘Year of Entrepreneurs’ that have provided training and upskilling opportunities.

Rio highlighted recent progress through programs like IDAN, incubation centres, and Start-up Nagaland.

He also mentioned the Chief Minister's Micro Finance Initiative (CMMFI), which has reportedly benefited around 800 people by providing financial support to businesses.

Despite these efforts, the Chief Minister acknowledged persistent challenges in addressing unemployment among educated youth.

He stressed the need to shift focus towards nurturing economic growth for businesses to generate jobs and reduce reliance on government employment.

Rio called for the formalisation of businesses in the unorganised sector to enable them to access various schemes and grants.

He emphasised the importance of scaling up micro enterprises to small enterprises, and small enterprises to medium-sized businesses, with a focus on expanding production and manufacturing to meet both domestic and international market demands.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that with support from schemes like RAMP, PM-Vishwakarma, and UNNATI, Nagaland's MSMEs can contribute meaningfully to the country's economy by integrating into national and global market value chains.

The launch event also featured remarks from Hekani Jakhalu, Advisor for Industries & Commerce, and a presentation on RAMP objectives by Shanavas C, Secretary of Industries & Commerce.

As Nagaland moves forward with this initiative, the government aims to foster a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and prioritise the state's economic development, leveraging the current opposition-less government to work collaboratively towards these goals.

(KNN Bureau)