The Department of Industries and Commerce in Nagaland has finished two large training programmes for small businesses.
The work was done under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme.
MSME stands for micro, small and medium enterprise.
The first programme trained existing businesses. It held 192 workshops across all 17 districts of the state.
More than 21,000 MSMEs were covered.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
The second programme was aimed at young people. It was called the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP).
It was meant for educated unemployed youth who want to start their own work.
Key points
- 192 workshops were held across all 17 districts, covering more than 21,000 MSMEs.
- 11,445 women MSMEs were trained under the programme.
- 12 EDP workshops benefited over 483 participants.
- In a follow-up survey, 66.6% of valid responses reported higher income from self-employment. These are self-reported by participants.
What did the business training cover?
The capacity-building programme had 57 awareness workshops. It also had 135 specialised workshops.
These focused on money management and legal compliance.
Other topics included business management, digital and social media marketing, and customer engagement.
Innovation, social responsibility and communication skills were also covered.
The programme also reached 236 MSMEs owned or represented by persons with disabilities.
Overall, 584 persons with disabilities took part across categories.
Did the training help businesses earn more?
The department carried out a follow-up assessment. It received 4,466 valid responses from participants.
Of these, 66.6% said their income from self-employment had increased.
Another 9.7% said they had expanded their existing businesses. The findings come from participants themselves.
They show progress, but they are not an independent audit.
What did the youth programme teach, and what is still needed?
The EDP workshops were held in Dimapur, Chümoukedima, Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Tuensang and Mon.
Participants learned about market research, business planning and bookkeeping.
They also practised budgeting and preparing basic business plans.
The assessment said participants need more practical exposure.
They also need steady mentoring, better access to finance and support after training.
The department said finishing both programmes was a milestone under RAMP Nagaland.
