Aizawl, Jan 28 (IANS) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Wednesday stressed the need to promote entrepreneurship and startup ventures in the state, saying that the people of Mizoram possess the skills and talent required to undertake industrial and business initiatives.
As the Mizoram Startup Mission under the Planning & Programme Implementation Department, in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), organised a startup-related event, the Chief Minister, on this occasion, formally launched the Mizoram Bana Kaih (Hand Holding Scheme) Venture Capital Fund and the Startup Readiness Level (SRL) of Mizoram.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister stated that for many years, Mizoram has had individuals with strong skills and innovative ideas who ventured into entrepreneurship. However, due to a lack of adequate support and guidance, many such ventures could not scale up, and ideas often failed to translate into reality, he said, adding that entrepreneurs frequently lacked start-up capital, proper mentorship, and clear pathways to build sustainable and successful enterprises.
The Bana Kaih Venture Capital Fund, he said, has been designed to address these long-standing challenges.
The Chief Minister clarified that the fund is neither a grant nor a donation, but an investment based on trust and confidence. It aims to support entrepreneurs with strong growth potential and future prospects, particularly those working on scalable and innovative business models, skill-based and industry-oriented products, and technology-driven enterprises.
While financial support helps businesses grow, he emphasised that institutional trust and structured guidance are equally important.
In this context, the Startup Readiness Level (SRL) of Mizoram plays a crucial role. The SRL is not merely a record-keeping mechanism but a significant tool to showcase the progress, capability, and seriousness of entrepreneurs and startups in Mizoram, he said.
Through SRL, entrepreneurs will receive official recognition, enabling early-stage and small ventures to become more visible to investors, banks, and large firms. Policymakers will be able to design more reliable and effective schemes using accurate data, while large firms can clearly assess startup activities, sectors, and maturity levels. Overall, SRL will help make Mizoram’s startup ecosystem more transparent, credible, and support-worthy.
The Chief Minister remarked that these initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to the youth and its determination to pursue development. He expressed the hope that investors and large firms would no longer see Mizoram as a remote state, but as a region rich with opportunities. He urged young people to view entrepreneurship as a viable and respectable career choice and encouraged all stakeholders to contribute wholeheartedly to ensure that these programmes are impactful, sustainable, and result-oriented.
Mizoram Startup Mission CEO Lalrinzuala said that the Bana Kaih Venture Capital Fund has a target corpus of Rs 100 crore, with the government committing Rs 20 crore, while the remaining amount will be mobilised from other sources.
As a pooled fund, it requires registration with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as a trust, under the name Senhri Investment Fund.
Reputed operating partner companies will also be engaged. While the fund will operate under SEBI regulations applicable across India, its primary objective is to provide legally compliant financial support to Mizoram entrepreneurs for startup initiation and business expansion.
The Mizoram Outstanding Entrepreneurs & Startups Award 2026 was also presented during the event.
–IANS
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