Shillong, October 17 : The St. Anthony’s College Centre forEntrepreneurship, Innovation and Incubation (SACCEII) supported by PRIME Meghalaya organized the “ProBites Launch & Future Founders Felicitation”; a milestone event to acknowledge student entrepreneurship signifying creative student-led enterprises. The event brought together policymakers, educators, and young change makers in a shared commitment to drive grassroots innovation in Meghalaya.
Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister acknowledged the efforts of young innovators and emphasized the government’s vision of nurturing entrepreneurship as a driver of inclusive growth.In his address he said, “When we came to the government in 2018, I was very clear in my mind that the one thing that I want to push forward for the youth, is going to be entrepreneurship, and that is when we started the PRIME Meghalaya program.” He stated that programs like these are crucial if the state needs to move forward, as this is one of the most important pillars. “The youth and entrepreneurship programs are one of the most important pillars for us,” he remarked.
Conrad K Sangma also expressed his enthusiasm on seeing the kind of entrepreneurial ecosystem that is coming up, “You are allowing the youth to engage, take risks, and do the things that they believe in, that which is right. We just need to be able to guide them, provide that platform and encourage them. You don’t have to do much. Just be there with them and see how they move” he said. He congratulated the young entrepreneurs urging many more to come up with new ventures while also encouraging them to build up the ecosystem with the government and PRIME Meghalaya’s support to make entrepreneurship thrive in Meghalaya and the Northeast region as a whole.
This event is a direct outcome of the strategic efforts between SACCEII, and PRIME Meghalaya. The SACCEII has been recognized as the top-performing entrepreneurship cell in Meghalaya having incubated various student ventures, while PRIME, the state government’s flagship project, provides market-driven startups and entrepreneurs with support through incubation, mentoring, access to capital and market linkages. The support of PRIME to SACCEII has created a bridge bringing the academic sector and the enterprise support area closer together. Through this partnership, students gain access to critical resource including business mentoring, incubation programs, and exposure to broader markets, enabling their ventures to grow beyond campus.
Saloni Verma, IAS, Executive Director, PRIME Meghalaya, lauded the event for symbolizing the spirit of a new Meghalaya, which is one of “innovation, resilience, and enterprise.” She highlighted that St. Anthony’s College is one of 24 colleges supported by PRIME Meghalaya under its academia sector initiative. Verma credited the Chief Minister’s vision for conceptualizing PRIME to ensure that entrepreneurship is the preferred career choice for the youth of the state. She informed the gathering that PRIME has incubated around 300 startups, distributed ₹38 crores in funding to entrepreneurs, and sanctioned ₹146 crores to thousands of CM-ELEVATE beneficiaries. Looking ahead, she announced plans to establish PRIME Hubs in all 56 blocks of the state. Concluding her address, she said, “Let us support all the first-generation entrepreneurs, people who may not have generational wealth, but have dreams and aspirations,” while urging everyone to help build Meghalaya where innovation is a way of life.
The program featured the launch of “ProBites,” a health-driven food venture comprising of snacks and foods focused on promoting gut wellness through delicious and accessible products incubated under SACCEII. A short video presentation showcased the story of SACCEII in creating an innovative ecosystem in the campus,followed by a special cultural performance by the college Drama Club. A key highlight of the program was the felicitation of student entrepreneurs to recognize their initiative, creativity, and resilience in building scalable ideas while balancing their academic lives.
Fr. Arcadius Puwein, Principal, St. Anthony’s College lauded the Chief Minister’s visionary leadership and initiatives. He stated that programmes like CM Elevate and PRIME Meghalaya “have transformed the potential of our youth into authentic entrepreneurial ventures.” He also fondly recalled that the Chief Minister’s late father, P. A. Sangma, who was a distinguished alumnus of the college. He affirmed the college’s commitment to the state’s mission of building Meghalaya into a true entrepreneurship hub.
The event concluded with a motivational message for the student inventors by SACCEII Coordinator, Dr. Rajani K Chhetri who delivered the vote of thanks and stressed the need for ongoing cooperation between the academia and government sectors. The support of PRIME Meghalaya and institutional platforms such as SACCEII is enabling Meghalaya’s youth develop into a generation of entrepreneurs who are able, confident, and driven by the need to build the community.
