Arunachal Pradesh

The state of Arunachal became a full-fledged state on February 20, 1987. Till 1972, it was known as the North- East Frontier Agency (NEFA). It gained the Union Territory status on January 20, 1972 and was renamed as Arunachal Pradesh. The State shares its borders the states of Assam and Nagaland. It has an area of 83,743 square km and has a population of 13.83 lakh (2011 Census).

The major sector in Arunachal Pradesh is agriculture, with a large portion of the workforce (over 60%) engaged in activities like farming, horticulture, and livestock rearing, making the state primarily agrarian in nature; other significant sectors include hydropower generation, tourism, and the production of art and crafts, with a smaller portion of the workforce involved in these areas.

Arunachal Pradesh signed the Letter of Undertaking (LoU) with the Ministry of MSME, Government of India on 14th February 2023. It submitted its Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) - prepared by SPIU - Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship and on 29th of October 2024 it was conveyed by the ministry that it has been approved with projects worth Rs. 57.59 Cr across 12 major sectors.

The key projects approved are as follows:

• MSME Connect – Mobilization, Formalization, and Integration Support for the Key Ecosystem Enabler
• Breaking the Paper Ceiling – Professional Services for MSMEs
• Sunshine Sector – Services for Food and Hospitality
• Support to Key Production Sectors – Livestock Feed, Bio Fibre, Heritage Grains, APIs, Plant Extracts – Circularity and Export Focus
• Make in Arunachal Pradesh SHG to SME – Upliftment, Certification, Capacity Building, Competitiveness
• Technology for Information Outreach, Markets, and Monitoring
• Mandi to Market – Channel Development and Access for SMEs
• Focus on Skill-Based Trades – Handloom, Handicrafts, and Allied Crafts
• Safeguarding New Initiatives, Pilots, and Sentinel Shipments