For all those, who believe start-ups cannot grow in the hinterlands of states like Jharkhand because there are neither air-conditioned rooms to operate from nor crores of rupees to start with at first place, Monday morning turned out to be a pleasant surprise, which forced them to think the other way round. At least half a dozen of start-ups came together at a platform in a felicitation programme for them organised by a private online portal to share the stories of how they have been working in naxal infested lands of latehar, Gumla and Palamu districts including others of Jharkhand, and changing the life and lifestyles of the poor.
Encouraging young and potential entrepreneurs in the programme here today, Governor Droupadi Murmu said, “A tea stall or vegetable vendor is as much a start-up as big companies like Google or Apple. The differentiation is one’s imagination, the power of dreams. As you know, all these huge companies began from country-side garages.” She said that it was pleasant to have young people entrepreneurs in the programme, most of whom left their handsome job to become job givers and to work for the well-being of the society.
She said that government is doing its best to help grow start-ups in the state. She pledged her full support for such young entrepreneurs, who she said are not job-seekers, but job-givers of the future. Felicitating young and potential entrepreneurs working in the state, she praised their enthusiasm, passion and motivation for coming up with new and innovative ideas to generate employment al local level and to add an extra source of income (which, in some cases, has turned main source of income) for poor and deprived of in the state.
Most of the young start-up promoters present in the programme including pitstop street, abcdkart, Jharkhand IT Solutions Pvt. ltd, Unique Collection, HFHC, Bholeshankar Cargo and Milestone Brand Promotions among others were apparently fascinated with ‘Start-Up India’ programme started and being incubated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One of the young entrepreneurs said that ‘Start Up Jharkhand’ initiative from the state is an excellent move, under which Rs. 50 crores have been earmarked for encouragement of start-ups from different sectors.
Circle Head of the Punjab National Bank PK Pradhan said that banks have been providing funds to young entrepreneurs since long, but now the entire process has been simplified with Start-Up India programme. He also pledged his full support on behalf of the bank he represented to young entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, noted Ophthalmologist of the State Dr. Bharti Kashyap was also felicitated for encouraging startups especially training young students for optometry and her works in Rural Jharkhand. She was credited with starting Vision For Young Rural Jharkhand. The organization has organised eye-check up camps for more than 15 lakh school children in naxal infested districts like Saranda, latehar, Palamu, Garhwa, Khunti and Ranchi, and has distributed more than 3,000 glasses to them for free. She has been organising ‘Run Fir Vision’, a start-up for eye donation awareness, since 2005.