Shillong, Dec. 19: IIM Shillong today awarded certificates to its first batch of 26 budding entrepreneurs of the Northeast who had undergone a six-month course on developing managerial skills.

The function was organised by IIM Shillong’s Centre for Development of the North Eastern Region at the institute’s auditorium.

The six-month certificate course, which was inaugurated in July by DoNER minister Paban Singh Gatowar, has been organised by the IIM in collaboration with DoNER.

The course was introduced to develop the management skills of existing and future entrepreneurs of the region so that they could contribute to the overall development of the region in line with the North East Region Vision 2020 document prepared by the North Eastern Council.

The course drew participation from almost all the northeastern states. Its curriculum included fieldwork and interaction with many leading entrepreneurs of the Northeast, besides regular interactions with the institute’s faculty.

The function was presided over by S. Sridhar, former chairman and managing director of the Central Bank of India and National Housing Bank.

He said entrepreneurs needed to be techno-savvy and innovative in all their ventures. He urged them to work hard and not to compromise on ethics. He also appreciated the efforts of IIM Shillong, under the able leadership of its director A.K. Dutta, for organising such courses, saying the region lagged behind in entrepreneurial initiatives compared to some developed states of the country.

Congratulating the successful candidates, Dutta said to become a good entrepreneur one should first be a good human being. He urged the participants to remain steadfast in their commitment to make a difference to the region and carry out the message to others as ambassadors of the institute.

Earlier, course director Keya Sengupta gave an overview and expressed confidence that the six-month training would enable the budding entrepreneurs to become successful.

She also announced the commencement of the second edition of the course in February 2012 and added that the aspirants could get full details from the institute’s website.