IN: Manipur Infotech eNabled Development Project

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The proposed Project will address the gaps in the foundations of the digital economy of Manipur and invest in individuals and businesses to enable new sources of economic growth in the state.Component 1: Digital Industry, Skills, and JobsThe Project will finance activities to promote Manipur as an investment destination for digital industries. It will also support digital entrepreneurs and start-ups to create new engines of economic growth and jobs, including through development and implementation of entrepreneurship and innovation services, building on ongoing efforts of the GoM with the private sector. And the Project will support improved access to advanced digital skills and to digital employment opportunities for individuals while positioning the state as a hub for digital skills development in the NER. Component 2: Broadband Connectivity, Access, and UseActivities include supporting regulatory measures and a clearance system to implement the right-of-way policy and broadband cost reduction at the state level. The Project will finance investments that complement ongoing GoI initiatives, focusing on leapfrogging Manipur to next generation 5G technologies. Specifically, the Project will support Manipur becoming a testbed for this emerging suite of technologies and applications. The Project will also support digital literacy training, including basic digital skills, online business development, cybersecurity awareness, and online safety for the youth, women, and people living in villages/or hill districts. The Project will also finance small goods and services to provide select groups of beneficiaries of digital literacy programs with broadband services and devices. In line with the overall objectives of the Project, beneficiaries will be households with schoolchildren, women-headed households, and households that include persons with disabilities.Component 3: Foundations of Digital GovernmentThe Project will support the upgrade and capacity enhancement of the state data center (DC) and cloud services for the public sector. It will also finance a range of activities to cascade national policies and programs related to cybersecurity (CS) and data regulation to the state level across ministries, departments, and agencies. This Component will support improvements in the broader data regulation and trust ecosystem. And it will finance consultancies to re-design and deploy specific digital G2B services, including to develop an (online) one-stop-shop for investment into the digital industries, to develop a state-level skills registry for employees and job seekers in the IT and related industries, and to support establishment of digital startups. Component 4: Project Management and Coordination