HT Correspondent
ITANAGAR, July 2: In a significant step towards strengthening the entrepreneurial and digital development landscape of Arunachal Pradesh, Governor Lt General KT Parnaik (Retd) and Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday participated in a high-level virtual workshop with the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Centre, California.
The programme was organised by the State Department of Information Technology in collaboration with the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Centre and held at the Raj Bhavan in Itanagar.
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According to an official statement, the workshop aimed to empower the youth, support start-ups, and foster entrepreneurship across Arunachal Pradesh by connecting local aspirations with global expertise.
The initiative marks a crucial milestone in the State’s mission to drive innovation-led economic growth and to create a resilient and technology-driven development model tailored to its unique needs.
In his address, Governor Parnaik hailed the initiative as a forward-looking and timely intervention, stressing the importance of cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), geospatial intelligence, and satellite-based monitoring in achieving the State’s development goals.
Given Arunachal Pradesh’s geographically challenging terrain and dispersed population, the Governor underlined the need for technology to be integrated seamlessly into governance and implementation mechanisms.
He emphasised that priority sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture must be the focus of digital transformation.
Citing examples, he proposed the creation of AI-powered early warning systems for farmers, telemedicine networks for remote villages, and smart education platforms for rural schools.
The Governor called for the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Centre’s proactive involvement in co-developing these tools in collaboration with the State Government.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu, in his remarks, echoed the Governor’s sentiments and highlighted the growing potential of Arunachal’s youth, who he described as creative, dynamic, and entrepreneurial.
He said that with the right support system and global exposure, the youth can become job creators instead of job seekers.
He stressed that collaborations such as the one with the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Centre align perfectly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India).
The Chief Minister also spoke about the Arunachal Pradesh State Industrial and Investment Policy 2020, which provides an enabling environment for industries, MSMEs, and start-ups.
He urged the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Centre to explore avenues of deeper engagement and long-term cooperation with the State Government, particularly in mentoring young entrepreneurs and helping start-ups gain access to global networks and capital.
Representing the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Centre, CEO and Executive Director Nicola Corzine, Vice President of Strategy & Development Celena Aponte, and Advisory Board Member Prasoon Sharma provided an overview of the Centre’s operations and its potential areas of collaboration with Arunachal Pradesh.
They appreciated the initiative and expressed strong interest in engaging further with the State.
The workshop was attended by several senior officers from the State Government, including Commissioners, Secretaries, and the State’s Chief Secretary, Manish Gupta, all of whom participated in the session online.
The programme concluded with a consensus to build on the momentum generated by the workshop.
Stakeholders agreed to develop structured mechanisms for cooperation, leveraging global technological capabilities and local talent to create a vibrant and future-ready Arunachal Pradesh.
