For promoting industrial development in the State, Byrnihat has been declared an Industrial Area. There are two mini industrial estates, one at Shillong and the other at Mendipathar. At Williamnagar, Nongstoin, Jowai and Tura, mini industrial estates are being set up.

Entrepreneurship training programmes are conducted to encourage local youths to set up their own trades under self-employment generating programme.

Amongst the forest-based industries in the State, Meghalaya Plywood Factory is one of the biggest Plywood factories in Eastern India.

Meghalaya Phyto-Chemicals Ltd. produces essential oils like Citronella Oil and aromatic chemicals while Meghalaya Essential Oils and Chemicals Ltd. Produces Cinnamon Leaf Oil.

Associated Beverage Co. located at Byrnihat produces popular drinks like "Gold Spot" and "Limca".

MIDC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mine Engineering of Yugoslavia and Goetze (India) Ltd. covering identification of suitable processing unit in Meghalaya for storing, processing and preservation of locally available fruits and vegetables like oranges, pineapples, etc. There are two small-scale fruit preservations units run departmentally, located at Shillong and Dainadubi.

Among the other agro-based industries, The Meghalaya Jute Manufacturing Company produces jute goods.

Meghalaya Steel & Concrete Products (P) Ltd. produces steel structures, PSC Power Transmission poles and fabrication works. Shillong Surgical Cotton Industries located at Byrnihat produces absorbent Cotton Wool, etc. For assembling Watches with finished products from Hindustan Machine Tools Ltd., a unit has been functioning in Shillong.

The temperate climate of the State is conducive for setting up precision instrumentation and electronics industries. There is a Tantalum Capacitor Project with collaboration of Firadex (France) at the Industrial Area at Barapani in East Khasi Hills.

In the small sector there are a number of small industries viz. bakeries, breweries, saw mills, metal works, rice and flour mills, furniture making, iron and steel fabrication, candle making. In addition there are cottage industries like weaving, cotton ginning, spice making, bamboo and cane works, tailoring and knitting. There are about 200 registered small Scale Industrial Units in the State. This number is gradually on the rise, providing employment opportunities, particularly to the educated, unemployed youths in the State.

In North East India, Meghalaya has the largest hydro-electricity potential, second only to Arunachal Pradesh. According to information available from the North Eastern Council Sources, The North East Region possesses a hydro-electricity potential of about 30,000 MW which is almost one-third of the total potential of the country. Out of this, Meghalaya has a potential of nearly 1,200 MW.

The proposed Garo Hills Thermal Project at Nangwalbibra is expected to generate an additional 30 MW of power. In the Jaintia Hills District sector of the Assam-Meghalaya border, the Kupli Hydro-Electric Project with a capacity of 150 MW has been commissioned by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited.

The generation transmission, transformation and distribution of electricity is entrusted to the Meghalaya State Electricity Board which was constituted under the Electricity Supply Act, 1948. At present there are five hydel power stations and one mini hydel with a total installed capacity of 186.71 MW as shown below.

INSTALLED CAPACITY OF POWER PROJECTS (MW)

Source: MeSEB