Young Entrepreneurs Benefited from Chhattisgarh’s New Industrial Policy

Women Entrepreneur Ragini Jaiswal Taking Initiative for Fitness and Nutrition Using Local Products
Sohail Rizvi of Geedam to Establish a Rice Mill with a Capacity of 6 Tons per Hour in Bijapur

Raipur, Sept 2025 : Under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the initiative to extend the state’s industrial development into the remote areas of Bastar region—considered to have the highest potential—has begun to show positive results on the ground. Keeping in view the immense possibilities for industrial development in Bastar, six months ago the Chief Minister interacted with industrialists, businessmen, new entrepreneurs, and youth connected with startups from this area, and undertook constructive efforts.

As a result of these meaningful efforts, during the Chhattisgarh Investor Connect Bastar program organized in Jagdalpur on Thursday, approval letters for investment proposals worth nearly ₹10,000 crore were handed over to investors. Among them were young woman entrepreneur Ragini Jaiswal from Kondagaon district and local entrepreneur Sohail Rizvi from Maoist-affected Bijapur district, both of whom have accepted the challenge of creating self-employment opportunities in these remote regions.

One year ago, young woman entrepreneur Ragini from Kondagaon benefited from the Government’s Pradhan Mantri Micro Food Processing Scheme. She established a fitness and nutrition unit based on local products and is now providing healthy food to pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children. For her unit, Ragini received financial assistance of ₹9.53 lakh under the scheme, which included a 35 percent subsidy.

Meanwhile, young entrepreneur Sohail Rizvi from Geedam in Dantewada district is setting up a modern rice mill in Bijapur. The rice mill will have a capacity of 6 tons per hour, with an estimated cost of ₹6 crore. The project will also receive a subsidy of ₹90 lakh from the government. Once operational, the rice mill is expected to directly and indirectly provide employment to 50–60 people in the region.

Ragini says that being connected to a traditional rural background and her birthplace in Bastar, she has good knowledge of forest produce, organic agricultural products, and medicinal herbs of the area. She is also well aware of the daily needs and food habits of the local people. With an interest in processing, she decided to start a venture focused on nutrition for mothers and children. Today, she is preparing her own products in Kondagaon and moving towards self-reliance through her Healthy Food Corner.

She adds that the support of her 10-member family—including her parents and two brothers—has inspired her to move forward. Now, by connecting herself to self-employment, she feels deeply proud. Ragini says she will continue to dedicate herself to nutrition-related services, which are the most needed in the Bastar region.

Sohail’s father had established a rice mill in Geedam 17 years ago. After completing his studies, Sohail decided to carry forward this family business. He has now put into action his plan to establish this new enterprise in Bijapur.

In addition, Sohail is also running a fly ash bricks business with an investment of ₹3 crore, reflecting his entrepreneurial vision. The establishment of this rice mill will not only strengthen the local economy but also create new employment opportunities in the region.

The efforts of young startup entrepreneurs like Ragini and Sohail Rizvi are among the initial and long-term outcomes of the government’s safe, transparent, and attractive new industrial policy. These initiatives are expected to become milestones in the field of local industry and job creation in the future.