Rono Hills, Apr 23: Emphasising the importance of rural entrepreneurship in strengthening the state’s economy, Agriculture minister Gabriel D Wangsu on Wednesday inaugurated the Rural Business Incubation Centre (RuBIC) at the Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) here.
Speaking at the inauguration, Wangsu described the RuBIC as a “beacon of opportunity and innovation” for rural communities and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to making rural enterprise development a cornerstone of Arunachal Pradesh’s growth strategy.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by RGU acting vice-chancellor Prof S K Nayak, NABARD GM Damodar Mishra, RGU registrar Dr N T Rikam and other dignitaries from government, academia, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Representing NABARD, Mishra highlighted the role of incubation in transforming ideas into scalable businesses, noting that the RuBIC complements NABARD’s other initiatives such as skill development, market linkages, and promotion of Geographical Indications (GI). He added that NABARD’s Chief General Manager from the Head Office is scheduled to visit the centre during strategic meetings on April 24.
Prof Nayak spoke on RGU’s evolution into a hub for rural livelihood development, while other university officials underlined the role of RuBIC in promoting innovation in agriculture, horticulture, and allied sectors.
Dr Arindam Barman, Nodal Officer and Programme Coordinator of RuBIC, described the centre as “a dream turned into reality,” aimed at nurturing grassroots talent and building a vibrant rural startup ecosystem. He said the initiative will contribute significantly to the vision of an “AtmaNirbhar Arunachal.”
The RuBIC is envisioned as a catalyst for rural innovation by providing entrepreneurs—especially youth and women—with access to infrastructure, mentorship, funding avenues, and capacity-building programmes.
The programme concluded with a tour of the incubation centre, which features co-working spaces, training halls, and demonstration units for agri-horti and eco-friendly products.
