Nagaland’s startup ecosystem has reached a new milestone with the conclusion of a three-day program that brought together entrepreneurs, mentors, and High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs). The initiative, organised by Startup Nagaland under the Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Nagaland, ended on 11th August 2025 at Hotel Vivor, Kohima, featuring the state’s first-ever HNIs Awareness Session.
The program began on 7th and 8th August with the Startup Mentorship and Bootcamp 2025 at the Badze Leshüki Campus, Kohima. The event was enriched by the insights of distinguished speakers including Pangerkumzuk Longkumer (Founder, Nexus Cipher Guard), Worrin Muivah (Founder, Step Academy), Dr. Noyingbeni T Erui (Founder, Erui Designs), Dr. Theyiesinuo Keditsu (Academician and Author), Yashika Khatri (Startup India), Nikita Engheepi (Lawyer and Founder, Namaste Hallyu and Pinkbox Events), Rinzing C. Bhutia (Founder and Director, Agapi Sikkim and Trateng Greens Pvt. Ltd.), Syed Mufti Alam (Access Development Services, IFAD), and Lichan Humtsoe (Founder, Ete Coffee).
These sessions provided practical strategies, sector-specific insights, and growth roadmaps for both early and growth-stage entrepreneurs. Guidance and facilitation were offered by P. Tokugha Sema (CEO, Startup Nagaland and Director, Industries and Commerce Department), Keneirienuo T. Zatsu (Team Leader, Startup Nagaland and Deputy Director, Industries and Commerce Department), Ikheshe Kahoto (Assistant Director, Industries and Commerce Department), and Yithule Krichena (Consultant, Ernst and Young).
The HNIs Awareness Session on 11th August brought together business leaders, political figures, legacy families, and professionals. Designed to bridge the gap between local wealth and local ideas, it marked the beginning of private sector engagement with startups in Nagaland and received an overwhelmingly positive response.
Delivering the keynote address, P. Tokugha Sema welcomed attendees and acknowledged their contributions to Nagaland’s economy and society. He explained that the session was not about immediate investments but about showing “what’s possible when local wealth meets local ideas.” He highlighted the economic gap where startups rely on personal savings or outside funding, resulting in lost jobs, profits, and decision-making power for the state.
Sema urged local investors to act as catalysts for change, stressing that “capital is powerful, but so are connections, mentorship, and guidance.” He envisioned a decade where Nagaland’s leading companies are home-grown, locally funded, and globally competitive.
The session ended with startup presentations and a networking segment fostering collaboration between investors and founders.
(DIPR)
