Guwahati, Dec 14: Turning personal challenges into a mission to uplift others, Ferdinand Lyngdoh — a hearing-impaired entrepreneur from Laitumkhrah and founder of the inclusive enterprise Ekanbha — has been awarded the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2025 under the Shresth Divyangjan category. He received the honour from the President of India at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on Wednesday.
Lyngdoh, part of PRIME Meghalaya’s Cohort-5 and a PhD research scholar in Linguistics at NEHU, was recognised for building one of the state’s most impactful disability-inclusive enterprises. His journey began after seeing friends with disabilities struggle to find stable employment. Determined to change that reality, he launched Ekanbha using his limited savings and a portion of his PhD stipend, after being unable to secure support under the Prime scheme.
What began as a modest home-based effort has evolved into a growing livelihood platform. Ekanbha currently employs seven persons with disabilities and offers free sewing training to others with the aim of expanding full-time opportunities.
The enterprise produces a diverse range of handcrafted products — including jute lifestyle bags, hand-painted cotton totes, embroidered jute bags, Khasi traditional conference bags, leather sling bags, kitchen apron sets, document files, and eco-friendly jute bottle bags — all made by artisans with disabilities. These items are marketed through custom orders and temporary stalls at events across Shillong, particularly in Laitumkhrah.
Even as Ekanbha expands, challenges persist. Communication barriers are mitigated with the support of Lyngdoh’s wife, who helps handle customer interactions and collaborations. High rental costs have so far prevented the opening of a permanent store, prompting Lyngdoh to seek government assistance.
He has appealed to the state to allot shop space in the newly opened shopping mall and urged authorities to reserve market stalls for persons with disabilities — a practice followed in several other states. Such steps, he said, would significantly strengthen self-reliance and employment generation within the community.
Encouraging young people to think beyond traditional career paths, Lyngdoh said, “We should not just wait for jobs — we should create them.”
A PRIME Meghalaya official praised his achievement, saying, “Ferdinand’s journey embodies resilience, innovation, and the power of inclusive entrepreneurship. His work continues to uplift communities and inspire future changemakers across Meghalaya and beyond.” PRIME Meghalaya, the official added, remains committed to building a more inclusive and empowering future for persons with disabilities.
“We supported the State resource centre for disability affairs under Social Welfare department to set up the E-Cell and provide kickstart grant to the Pwd entrepreneurs” the official said.
With national recognition now amplifying his work, Lyngdoh hopes Ekanbha will continue to grow as a model of inclusive entrepreneurship — one that blends craft, culture, sustainability and empowerment, while proving that disability is no barrier to driving meaningful change.
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