Shillong, April 06: Ms. Roshni Kharshiing, the founder of Rush (Roots from the Untouched Sacred Hills), a natural food and beverage brand rooted in the seasonal richness of Meghalaya was selected as one of the 50 best Entrepreneurs under the Project: “Establish, Develop and Manage Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs) and Incubation Centres (ICs) in North Eastern Region’s Educational Institutions”, sponsored by the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong and implemented by IIE, Guwahati.
She was shortlisted for Rs. 5 lakhs start-up grant after several rounds of evaluation since 2024. Close to 953 entries were received during the incubation challenge which started in 2024 and she has made it to the Top 50 best Entrepreneurs with an overall 2nd position among top 50 entrepreneurs selected, the results of which were declared last week.
What began as an idea during an entrepreneurship program conducted by Entrepreneurship Development Centre, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong has now grown into a brand ready for market launch.
As per Roshni, the journey of Rush began on 14th August 2024, when she attended the Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp organized by NEHU, Shillong.
During her entrepreneurial journey she was guided and mentores by resource persons from academia and industry and inspired by Prof. Dinesh Bhatia, Head, EDC, NEHU, Shillong, wherein she refined her business plan and learned the foundations of entrepreneurship. Rush products include natural fruit juices and sodas, chilli and cashew dip
Her first milestone was selection for the week-long Entrepreneurship Development Bootcamp by NEHU, Shillong. She narrates that this is where Rush was truly born, as she learned to build prototypes and prepare her idea for real-world execution but the journey was not easy as out of the 953 business ideas from the entire North East region, RUSH got selected for the top 30 business ideas from the East Khasi Hills district, and thereafter in the top 5 business ideas from thedistrict and was marked as one of the top 150 business ideas over all from the NORTH EASTERN REGION having a number of budding entrepreneurs.
She got incubated and did her pitching at IC JNC Boko, Assam to finally be one among the top 50 business plans being selected for a Rs. 5 lakhs start-up grant. RUSH is now all set to set foot in the market. Overall 5 entrepreneurs from EDC, NEHU were selected among the top 150 business ideas, however, Roshni was the only one to be able to secure the start-up grant.
She was also invited in 2025 to present her products at the BRICS event organized by IIT, Guwahati wherein she gained valuable feedback on product refinement, labelling, and packaging. She was also selected to showcase my products at the Tribal Business Conclave in Delhi, gaining national visibility and confidence. She also acted as trainer from a programme organized by the Directorate of Horticulture, Jaintia Hills for the farmers’ of the region.
She extends heartfelt gratitude to the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC), NEHU,Shillong, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, NEC-IC JNC Boko, Assam and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Govt. of India for guiding and supporting her throughout the entrepreneurial journey.
She mentions that her journey is proof that ideas become reality through persistence, learning, and the right support system. She hopes Rush inspires many more young entrepreneurs to follow their dreams.
RUSH vision is to build a secure future of not just dream but also inspire and promote the local farmers of Meghalaya and build a stable livelihood in different areas of Meghalaya. She believe that this generations youth has the power to change and build the economic power of the state if they have the will and perseverance to do so.
