Over 25,000 ex-Maoists now our shareholders: Lloyds MD | Nagpur News
Nagpur: More than 25,000 former Naxal cadres are now associated with Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd as shareholders, said company MD Balasubramanian Prabhakaran, describing the initiative as an effort to bring the once rebels into the mainstream as equal stakeholders rather than merely employees.Speaking at a startup conclave at VNIT, Nagpur, Prabhakaran said former Naxals have been integrated across various functions, including marketing, logistics, supply chain management, production and manufacturing.Addressing the gathering, he said, “Naxalism is history now. Over 25,000 former Naxals are now our shareholders.” Lloyds Metals focused on creating an ecosystem where they could participate in economic activity and hold equity, he said. Prabhakaran said tribal women who were formerly associated with the left wing Extremism (LWE) are being trained to drive logistics trucks and can earn between Rs50,000 and Rs60,000 a month. Skills are being imparted to both men and women, enabling them to take up trades and eventually start businesses of their own.He also highlighted initiatives aimed at improving educational opportunities for tribal children, saying some students had been sent to Australia to pursue studies in artificial intelligence.Calling upon entrepreneurs to look beyond traditional urban centres, Prabhakaran urged startups to consider Gadchiroli as a destination for innovation and investment. “Come to Gadchiroli and help me develop the district,” he told young entrepreneurs, stressing that the district has enormous potential in mining, manufacturing, agriculture and allied sectors. He added that more than Rs1 lakh crore worth of investments has already been pitched for Gadchiroli.Prabhakaran said entrepreneurs should focus on solving societal problems and then build scalable business models around them. Recalling his own early struggles, he said 35 years ago, 15 investors rejected his idea, prompting him to focus on addressing social problems through scalable solutions.He described Nagpur as a city with strong incubation opportunities and said India remains among top destinations for manufacturing. “Manufacturing and agro industries are everlasting,” he said, calling for entrepreneurs to become enablers of economic growth.He also highlighted Vidarbha’s mineral and industrial potential, describing Gadchiroli as a major iron ore hub and noting efforts to develop defence-grade steel. He said German and Korean investors are also showing interest in investing in Vidarbha.Prabhakaran urged startups to develop businesses that contribute to nation-building, saying Gadchiroli could emerge as a model for inclusive economic development by combining investment, skill development and entrepreneurship.During the event, Atul Moghe, Vidarbha prant karyavah of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said most of the startups presented aim to solve various civic issues that fall under the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA).MLC Sanjay Bhende said while there is a perception that today’s youth are losing direction, the reality is quite the opposite. The younger generation is steadily moving upwards through ambition, innovation as well as determination, he said.AIIMS executive director Prashant Joshi said innovative ideas and research could play a crucial role in developing a ‘Viksit Nagpur’.Joshi encouraged young innovators and researchers to actively collaborate with educational institutions such as AIIMS-Nagpur.IIM-Nagpur director Bhimraya Metri said India, being one of the world’s youngest and most populous nations, has a unique advantage in the form of its large and dynamic youth population.
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