Shillong, Oct 2: Commissioner & Secretary, Commerce and Industries, Cyril V. Darlong Diengdoh on Thursday said the Integrated Check Post at Dawki is set for major expansion amid rising export demand, and stressed that Meghalaya must move beyond limestone to push its high-value micro enterprise products into global markets.
Speaking at a seminar on Export Promotion, Packaging & Documentation at All Saints Hall, IGP Shillong, organized by Branch MSME-DFO Shillong and the state Commerce & Industries Department, Diengdoh said the state’s GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric is a prime example of export potential.
“We have the GI tag, Lakadong turmeric is very famous with the highest curcumin content, but our exporters face challenges because every market has specific quality and documentation requirements,” he said.
Diengdoh said the workshop was aimed at bridging the awareness gap and called upon entrepreneurs to use the platform fully.
“Demand from the resource persons, from our GMs, from the government. We are here to facilitate,” he said.
He said 90-95% of Meghalaya’s industries are micro units with investments as low as Rs 10-20 lakh, yet they produce global-standard goods.
“That is our strength. Volume is low but quality is very high, so export demand is high,” he observed.
Highlighting new trade infrastructure, Diengdoh said, “I was interacting with the Chairman of Land Port Authority of India. At Dawki they built beautiful ICPs thinking demand would be very little. Today they want to acquire almost 30 acres more because there is so much demand.”
He said while limestone has traditionally dominated exports through Dawki, the focus must shift to MSME products, adding that more ICPs are being planned along the Indo-Bangla border, including in Garo Hills.
The Commissioner also flagged the Common Facilities Centre scheme for clusters and India Post’s Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra as key enablers for small exporters.
Stressing continuous engagement, he said, “We need to strengthen District Export Promotion Committees and work like One District One Product. Regulations, markets and demand keep changing, so it cannot be a one-time exercise.”
Diengdoh said the ministry’s schemes and the recent India-EU agreement offer huge opportunities in high-value markets for Meghalaya’s entrepreneurs if they are prepared.
