Imphal: Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh launched the DIGI-SAPNE 2.0 at the Imperial Hall, Classic Grande, Imphal, today. The programme was organised by the Planning Department, Government of Manipur.
DIGI-SAPNE (Startup Acceleration Program for North East) is an initiative of AIC-SMUTBI supported by the Ministry of Electronics and IT to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the North East. The programme supports selected startups with mentorship, market access, funding opportunities, and financial assistance of up to Rs. 80 lakh. It aims to help startups scale their ideas, generate employment, and compete at national and global levels while contributing to inclusive regional growth.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister stated that the nation has witnessed a remarkable transformation – from a job-seeking nation to a job-creating nation over the pass decades and Digi-SAPNE 2.0 carries this national vision to the grassroots level in Manipur. He informed with satisfaction that Start-up Manipur had been recognized as a leader in developing a strong Startup ecosystem under the 5th Edition of the States’ Startup Ecosystem Ranking. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our officials, institutions, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, he added.
Yumnam Khemchand maintained that the Government of Manipur remains fully committed to strengthening the Startup ecosystem and DIGI-SAPNE 2.0 is designed to support concepts of students and aspiring entrepreneurs into scalable enterprises by providing all necessary support. Stating that innovation is born from experimentation, perseverance, and continuous learning, he urged the youths not to be afraid and think boldly and act confidently.
He appreciated the Startup Manipur for making the State a top performer among the Northeast states in the startup ecosystem. He expressed that many entrepreneurs had been providing jobs to many youths. He further elaborated on the crucial roles that could be taken by the Startups in bringing a united and progressive Manipur.
Delivering his speech, Chief Secretary, Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel stated that the strength of the innovation ecosystem does not merely lie in policy announcement but in timely and effective implementation. While policies define the vision, initiatives like DIGI-SAPNE 2.0 translates vision into tangible grassroot impact, he continued.
The Chief Secretary maintained that Manipur had made steady and variable progress, strengthening the startup ecosystem over the past few years. He informed that under the Manipur Credit Guarantee Scheme, a credit support of Rs. 106.87 crore had been provided to more than 1,400 entrepreneurs and that under the Chief Minister’s Entrepreneurship Support Scheme (CMESS) – One Family One Livelihood Scheme, bank loans amounting to Rs. 3.4 crore and subsidy of Rs. 1.02 crore had been provided to 60 entrepreneurs. Almost 2000 beneficiaries and 1500 candidates had successfully completed the mandatory Entrepreneurship Development Programme, he added.
He appreciated the Chief Minister for his initiatives towards peace and progressive Manipur, stating that it is time for young entrepreneurs to innovate and give feedback on what more schemes could be introduced by the Government.
As a part of the programme, the Chief Minister distributed Certificates of Recognition to various Startups namely Kiita Dumbang Mountain Winds Pvt. Ltd., Labdig Innovations and Systems Pvt. Ltd, Stemcorp Dynamics, Addble Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Mwire Labs, Uplauz India Pvt Ltd., UraCab Private Ltd., Ebb & Flow Online studio, Sajilo Events, HN TECHNOVATIONS LLP, Greenbiotech EcoSolutions Pvt. Ltd. and Medilane HealthTech and Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd.
The Chief Minister also launched INSIGHT smart glasses by Akumen AI, which is a startup from Manipur.
Vice-Chancellor, Manipur Technical University, Prof. W. Chandbabu Singh; Vice-Chancellor, Sikkim Manipal University, Prof. Gopalakrishna Prabhu; Joint Secretary, Department of Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade, Government of India, Sanjiv Singh; Director, NITI Aayog, Government of India, Prateek Deshmukh; senior officials and entrepreneurs from across the NE states also attended the programme among others.
