Mizoram Chief Minister on Wednesday launched Venture Capital Fund and the Startup Readiness Level (SRL) under the state’s flagship programme ‘Bana Kaih’ on the occasion of National Startup Day – Mizoram Edition to boost startups and entrepreneurship challenges in the state, officials said. The event was attended by state Higher and Technical Education Minister Vanlalthlana, Commerce and Industries Minister F. Rodingliana, and Labour, Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (LESDE) Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar. Speaking at the launch, Lalduhoma said the initiatives reflect the state government’s commitment towards the progress of youth and its determination to pursue development. He said that many entrepreneurship and innovative ventures by individuals in the state could not scale up previously and their ideas often failed to be materialised due to lack of support and guidance, according to officials.
He said for many years the state has been blessed with several individuals with strong skills and innovative ideas, who ventured into entrepreneurship. However, such entrepreneurs frequently lacked start-up capital, proper mentorship, and clear pathways to build sustainable and successful enterprises, he said. According to the Chief Minister, the newly launched Bana Kaih Venture Capital Fund has been designed to address these long-standing challenges. The programme 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. He said that the Startup Readiness Level (SRL) of Mizoram SRL will play a crucial role in building institutional trust and structured guidance.
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, the Chief Minister said. 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, Lalduhoma said. He expressed hope that investors and large firms would no longer see Mizoram as a remote state, but as a region rich with opportunities. The Chief Minister also 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. According to Mizoram Startup Mission Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lalrinzuala, 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.
