The Nagaland Digital Entrepreneurship and Startup Fest was held at NIELIT Kohima on 8 December 2025. The event was jointly organised by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology Kohima and the Department of Information Technology and Communication. Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, S. Krishnan, IAS, attended the inaugural session as the Special Guest.
Speaking about his first visit to the state, Krishnan said he witnessed the Hornbill Festival, visited the World War II Museum at Kisama and paid homage at the Kohima War Cemetery. He reflected on the historic importance of Kohima and the opportunities that Nagaland presents in the digital era.
Krishnan stated that the digital economy is expanding at twice the pace of the overall economy. Citing a study by MeitY, he said India’s digital economy accounted for about 6 to 7 percent of the overall economy before 2010, doubled by 2014 and is expected to reach around 20 percent by 2023. He highlighted the talent of Naga youth and said their creativity and proficiency in English give them a strong advantage. He emphasised the role of institutions like NIELIT in developing these capabilities and noted that 20 of the 55 NIELIT centres in India are located in the Northeast.
On cyber security, Krishnan said India cannot depend on foreign technologies in this critical field. He described the Cyber Security Lab at NIELIT Kohima as state of the art and among the best in the country, contributing significantly to cyber policing. He also acknowledged the strong impression made by NIELIT Kohima and NIELIT Mokokchung at a recent AI event in New Delhi.
Krishnan stressed that startups are important for job creation and expressed hope that greater collaboration would emerge from the region. He appreciated the functioning of STPI Kohima and suggested exploring the possibility of establishing a separate Software Park due to space limitations. An interactive session followed where participants raised several queries.
During the programme, Krishnan launched the Digital Learning and Simulation Hub, the Digital Delivery of Statutory Services initiative and the Pulse App, an AI powered news platform. He also released the Conference Report of NCCDFI 2025.
The programme included the presentation of the Nagaland Digital Startup Awards 2025. Ahibi won the Best Seed Stage Startup award. Kikonik Tech received the Most Innovative Early Stage Product award for Pikonik. JoldiPabo won the Outstanding Bootstrapped Success award, while 87T Entertainment secured the Innovative Startup Non Tech category.
Commissioner and Secretary P and AR and Power, Mohammed Ali Shihab, IAS, appreciated Krishnan for his visit. The welcome address was delivered by Director of NIELIT Kohima, L. Lanuwabang, while the vote of thanks was offered by Director of IT and Communication, Sabou Yashu. The event concluded with a technical session, mentor talks and a panel discussion on Nagaland’s digital opportunities.
