The need for encouraging entrepreneurship among the tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh and their economic empowerment are the issues which are currently quite active. The recent visit of the top bureaucrat of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, has raised some hopes since there are assurances of future measures to address the issues comprehensively.

‘Entrepreneurship’ is a buzzword in an increasingly globalizing world economy and it is the entrepreneurs who convert their innovative ideas into economic opportunities creating wealth and employment, offering products and services and generating taxes for governments as well. That is why it the maxim goes that economic destiny of nations are shaped by entrepreneurs and without their active involvement no nation can prosper, however naturally resource rich it might be. And for Arunachal in particular and Northeast in general, nothing can be more true than this. The state is blessed with an enviable wealth of natural resources like forest, minerals and a solid traditional tribal knowledge about the natural eco-system, medicinal plants, forest eco-system etc. But still, that what is known as all-round development is missing. Besides building infrastructures which no doubt are essential, the new perception that is widely gaining strength is the idea of entrepreneurship. The society is now looking earnestly towards these inspired individuals who would dare to challenge the shabby economic climate with their entrepreneurial zeal and spirit of innovation based on their core strengths they exclusively possess. The time is thus ripe to inspire, nurture and promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in the state.

The state which is fundamentally tribal in demographic terms had about 3.64 lakh persons in the age bracket of 15-29 years as per the last 2011 census and expectedly there will be more additions as we approach the 2021 term. Most of this population chunk is either in education or looking for employment and it would be rational to view this segment as a potential human resource who can be harnessed to productive works. And the path to entrepreneurship will be perhaps the most rational choice. The central government official had said that necessary training of craftsmen of the state will be arranged with the National Institute of Design. This will address a long felt necessity which also points out how the aspects of skill development & entrepreneurship are symbiotically related and cannot be viewed in isolation.

Thus an ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem needs to be developed for the tribal youth force who have all the potential to outshine others from the mainland with their traditional as well as newly acquired skills in so many areas with textiles, tourism, agri-horticulture, fishery, bamboo, animal husbandry, forest produce to name a few.

In the able hands of the tribal youth of the state, perhaps lie the panacea for poverty. And as they are the potential pathfinders and agents of development, all possible support must reach out to them.