Cultivating and selling apples in the market is agriculture. Selling apples directly to consumers at a profit is business. However, purchasing apples from wholesalers and transforming them into value-added products such as juice, jam, and pies for sale at a higher margin is entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is not merely about selling a product; it is about identifying opportunities, creating value, taking calculated risks, and transforming ideas into sustainable ventures.
The Entrepreneurship Development Center (EDC), NEHU, Shillong was established in the year 2023 with an aim to encourage local youth to explore entrepreneurial innovation, growth and mindset. The EDC Cell is sponsored by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), GoI supported by the North Eastern Council (NEC), Ministry of DoNER and the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati to serve students, teaching and non-teaching faculty as well as the various indigenous communities to convert ideas into meaningful impact for the society. So far the Cell since its inception has promoted and motivated more than 500+ youths in the region with several budding entrepreneurs gaining attention from different Central and State government agencies and establishing their products in the competitive landscape of the country.
To honor and felicitate these successful entrepreneurs from the Centre, a felicitation programme was held on the 31st August 2026, followed by an awareness program “Entrepreneurship and Start-Up” carried out by Mr. Ajay Kumar Gupta from Tech Soul Pvt. Ltd. Close to 100 participants attended the event.
The ceremony began with lighting of the lamp and National song led by the esteemed Vice Chancellor I/c and Chief Guest Prof. S.K. Barik, Registrar I/c Prof. Lakhon Kma, Prof. D. Kandar, Dean, School of Technology, Mr. Ajay Kumar Gupta, CEO, Techsoul Pvt. Ltd., Prof. Dinesh Bhatia, Project Leader, EDC and Prof. S.S. Ray, Coordinator, EDC, NEHU along with other faculty members, staff and students. The audience was familiarized about the role of Entrepreneurship Development Centre, NEHU, its vision and mission to translate potential budding entrepreneurs into meaningful and sustainable enterprise.
Over the years, the EDC has supported and motivated numerous aspiring as well as already established entrepreneurs. As a part of the program, the Centre congratulated the top performing entrepreneurs who received several grants and funding from different government agencies as well as venture capitalists to set up their enterprise through felicitation and applause from the dignitaries and the audience namely: -
All felicitated entrepreneurs received mementos and shared their journey and experience with the gathering. Their testimonies gave invaluable insight to the challenges, risks, uncertainties and personal sacrifices involved in building a successful enterprise. Entrepreneur pursuit requires strong determination and perseverance to build an impact.
All the dignitaries addressed the august gathering to encourage them to take up entrepreneurial opportunities in alignment with the mission of Viksit Bharat 2047. The program ended with a vote-of-thanks by EDC Coordinator Prof. Sirsendu Shakhar Ray followed by the National Anthem.
This was followed by an interactive awareness program on ‘Entrepreneurs and Start-Up’ wherein Mr. Ajay Kumar Gupta shared his journey and experience with the audience explaining that any business starts with an idea but entrepreneurship starts with a mindset. They highlighted that business may experience unforeseen growth or decline but the courage to see opportunity in the face of challenges, resilience and adaptability are crucial for a sustained venture. Initial ideas may seem small and insignificant but with the right combination of investment, infrastructure, networks, innovation, and determination, an idea can evolve into a sustainable system that supports local communities, generates employment, strengthens local markets, and creates economic opportunities.
Adding further vibrancy to the program, the EDC also invited business owners from all across Shillong to showcase their products and merchandise. These stalls featured a diverse range of products such as food, jewelry, crochet, thrift, wine, home décor and locally manufactured organic juices, jams, food products and honey. This initiative was much appreciated by the students and faculty as it gave them the opportunity to have a taste of local produce. The stalls were put up till late evening so that faculty, staff and students could visit even after academic hours.
2026, North-Eastern Hill University
Designed & developed at Bioinformatics Centre, NEHU
