Meghalaya has significantly increased its investment in entrepreneurship and rural empowerment, with over ₹1,700 crore allocated to entrepreneurs through various government schemes, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday.

Support for self-help groups (SHGs) has also surged, rising from around ₹30 crore before 2018 to more than ₹1,000 crore at present, highlighting the state government’s focus on strengthening grassroots enterprises.

The Chief Minister made these remarks during the launch of RURALPRENEUR ’25, a two-day event organised by PRIME Rural in collaboration with the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) at the State Central Library in Shillong.

Sangma reflected on the state’s entrepreneurial journey, which began in 2018 with the Chief Minister’s Entrepreneurship Prize that provided ₹1 lakh monthly to emerging entrepreneurs. Since then, Meghalaya has developed platforms to celebrate rural innovation and promote sustainable business models across the state.