Dimapur, September 2 (MExN): The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), through its MSME Development and Facilitation Office (MSME-DFO), Dimapur, in collaboration with the Department of Industries and Commerce and District Industries Centre (DIC), Dimapur, organised a one-day awareness workshop on branding and marketing under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme in Dimapur on September 2.
The workshop, held at Shilloi Lounge, Hotel Saramati, was aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial capabilities of PM Vishwakarma artisans through practical knowledge and technical inputs on product packaging, labelling and design, export development, artificial intelligence and financial literacy.
More than 80 artisans from across Dimapur district participated in the programme.
The programme began with a welcome address by N Abeno Lotha, Functional Manager, DIC Dimapur, who encouraged the participants to utilise opportunities available under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme for enterprise growth and market expansion.
Mohd Ali Rahman, Director, MSME-DFO, Dimapur, delivered the keynote address and shared the progress of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme and the support available to artisans for selling their products through platforms such as Meesho and Amazon. He encouraged the artisans to use the workshop as an opportunity to showcase their products.
The first technical session on product packaging, labelling and design was conducted by Imliakum, founder of Nagaland Paper and Packaging. He explained different types of packaging, their suitability for various products and the role of packaging in communicating with customers.
A session on export development was conducted by Kiyelu T Yeptho, Functional Manager, DIC Dimapur, who familiarised the artisans with the fundamentals of export readiness.
Paweii Kayina, founder of Moneybar, conducted a hands-on session on financial literacy, covering different approaches to money, financial decision-making and intentional financial management.
Talinaro Longchar, Lead District Manager, SBI Dimapur, interacted with the participants and addressed queries related to credit facilities and loan applications. She also sanctioned loan letters to eight PM Vishwakarma artisans.
The session on business development was delivered by Thepfukedo Mere, Financial Analyst, RAMP Scheme, DIC Dimapur. He spoke on integrated business growth planning, financial management and the importance of networking for enterprise sustainability and expansion.
Rahul Suman and Mithun Kumar Biswas of India Post Office, Dimapur, demonstrated QR code generation to facilitate greater digital market access.
The State Programme Management Unit (SPMU), PM Vishwakarma, subsequently conducted an interactive session on artificial intelligence and e-commerce onboarding, introducing the participants to emerging digital technologies and their potential applications in product promotion, marketing and enterprise development.
