On 11th July 2025, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MoCA) inaugurated the ‘North-East (NE) Conclave 2025’ at the campus of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong in Meghalaya.
- During the event, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid the foundation stone for Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs(IICA’s) first campus in the NE region.
Key People:
The event was attended by the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K. Sangma, Smt. Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, Secretary, MoCA; Donald Phillips Wahlang, Chief Secretary(CS), Government of Meghalaya; Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General(DG) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IICA and other eminent dignitaries .
About North-East (NE) Conclave 2025:
i.The two-day flagship event, organized by the IICA under the MoCA, was held under the theme “From Ideation to Incorporation,” with the objective of strengthening the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem across the NE region.
- It explores the region’s entrepreneurial potential and aligns national priorities with local aspirations through knowledge, policy, and partnerships.
ii.The conclave included a startup exhibition, showcasing 39 startups, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), financial institutions and incubators from across the NE.
iii.The conclave focused on women-led startups, regional Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and new ventures from all eight North-East states.
iv.The two-day conclave brought together stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and the startup ecosystem to discuss key issues such as regulatory compliance, access to finance, branding, digital platforms, and logistics.
v.IIM Shillong served as the Knowledge Partner for the event, while the Programme Partners included the Government of Meghalaya’s Promotion and Incubation of Market-Driven Enterprises (PRIME) initiative, State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), North Eastern Council (NEC), Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), National Stock Exchange (NSE), Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), and several professional institutes.
IICA’s first NE Campus:
i.During the event Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid the foundation stone for the 1st regional campus of the IICA at Umsawli, Shillong.
ii.This campus will serve as a regional hub for capacity building, research, incubation, and policy innovation specially designed to address the unique aspirations and opportunities of the NE.
MoUs signed:
i.To enhance regional cooperation, the IICA signed 7 strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with key institutions, includingMeghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI), National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam.
ii.These partnerships will provide capacity building, compliance training, incubation, and regional knowledge exchange.
About Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs(IICA):
Director General(DG) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Gyaneshwar Kumar
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
Established – 2008
