- A two-day packaging, branding, and marketing workshop for MSMEs began on August 28 at Sangtemla Hall, Mokokchung
- Over 90 entrepreneurs and budding businesspersons are participating, predominantly women
- The departmental workshop is being jointly organized by the Department of Industries and Commerce
Over 90 business persons and budding entrepreneurs, the majority of them women, are undergoing a two-day workshop on packaging, branding, and marketing for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The event started on August 28 at Sangtemla Hall, Mokokchung Town.
Convened by the Department of Industries and Commerce in collaboration with the Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation Limited (NIDC), the training is organized under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme, a World Bank-funded program of the Government of India.
The participants have been drawn from Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Longleng, and Tuensang districts, and 62 percent of these are women. Organizers described the high rate of female participation as "heartening and encouraging," adding that the scheme is meant to support local entrepreneurs in becoming more competitive, both in domestic and international markets.
The team of resources consists of experts from different domains: Aslam Ahmed and Jaydip Lahkar of Sigma Design India; Ranjit Baruah, Aromica Tea Founder; and P. Dhanabir Sharma, CEO at Northeast Unexplored (NEUx). Their lectures range from brand strategy, digital marketing, and sustainable packaging to entrepreneurship, mentorship, and interactive sessions.
Guest of honor B. Asangla, General Manager, District Industries Centre, Mokokchung, called the effort timely assistance to the state's entrepreneurs. She pointed out that even though numerous entrepreneurs in Nagaland know the importance of branding and packaging, they lack the technicalities to implement it.
"As government officials and specialists, we are enablers," she said, calling on trainers to make things simple and present concrete insights. Quoting a saying she used to hear, she went on: "If the value of a product is not explained to customers, it is like winking in the dark—you know it yourself, but others cannot see it."
Welcoming participants to maximize the use of the opportunity, Asangla referred to entrepreneurs as "the backbone of the local economy" and invited them to utilize the workshop as a launching pad to acquire strategies that can mold their business for the future.
The program lasts up until August 29 and offers discussion topics ranging from brand basics to packaging design, materials, sales and distribution, customer retention, digital assets, content marketing, and growth strategy.
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