Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the AI & Future Skills Centre of Excellence at the Nagaland Tool Room & Training Centre (NTTC), Dimapur, during her official tour to the state on 15 November 2025.
After a brief welcome, Sitharaman toured NTTC’s Centre of Excellence 4.0, the Agro-Based Rural Technology unit, and other facilities showcasing the institute’s expanding role in advanced manufacturing, innovation-led skill development, and youth training. The formal program was chaired by Ramnikant, IAS, Secretary of Industries & Commerce, with Advisor Hekani Jakhalu delivering the welcome address.
In her speech, Sitharaman acknowledged the presence of the Deputy Chief Minister, advisors, Y. Patton, guests, sponsors, the media, and trainees. She recalled that around 2019–20 there had been “a genuine concern that CSR support was not reaching Nagaland,” a concern strongly voiced even by the Chief Minister.
The 2022 CSR Conclave organized in Nagaland, she said, became a turning point by bringing companies including those without a presence in the state to consider meaningful CSR engagement.
She said CSR inflow into Nagaland has since increased and become more purpose-driven. She cited ongoing CSR-supported programs at NIELIT Kohima and NTTC Dimapur. At NIELIT, the Tata Group is training youth in semiconductor-related technologies with experts serving as master trainers. She shared that only weeks earlier she had requested Dr. B.V.R. Mohan Reddy to bring his foundation’s high-quality skilling programs to Nagaland. “He readily agreed,” she said, proving that distance from corporate hubs is no constraint “when the intention is right.”
Sitharaman said she was satisfied that training centres in the state are now offering courses in AI-linked production methods, 3D printing, advanced coding, modernized handloom adaptation, and other emerging technologies. These sectors, she said, are reshaping global manufacturing and are vital to ensuring young people are not left behind. She praised trainees, including those who travelled from Mon, and commended the State Government for enabling long-term CSR partnerships. The creativity of Naga youth, reflected in textiles and craftsmanship, would only grow stronger with access to modern tools, she added. She expressed confidence that these opportunities would empower youth, strengthen Nagaland’s progress, and contribute to a technologically advanced, self-reliant Bharat.
SIDBI Deputy Managing Director Sudatta Mandal said the new centre would equip Nagaland’s youth with AI-driven learning and hands-on vocational skills. Established with support from SCINT, the centre will initially offer two specialised trades – Handloom & Handicraft and Software Coding & Robotics – training 100 to 150 youths annually in each.
Mandal said handloom and handicrafts remain central to Nagaland’s economy, and the centre’s two dedicated classrooms will provide AI-supported design training and fabric innovation skills to enhance productivity and market value. He said SIDBI continues to support local industry associations through its DIA program, with over 105 associations onboarded and 27,000 MSMEs benefiting. The partnerships will help connect AI-trained youth with local industries and address manpower gaps in Nagaland and the Northeast. He said he was confident that industry–academia collaboration would help reduce educated unemployment and reaffirmed SIDBI’s support for entrepreneurship under the vision of Atmanirbharta.
CYIENT Founder Chairman and Chairman of the Boards of Governors of IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, NIT Warangal, and NIT Surathkal, B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, highlighted India’s strong economic outlook, noting GDP growth above 7%, controlled inflation, and investments in infrastructure and future technologies such as semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, and R&D. He said India’s decision to conserve resources when other nations overspent has enabled current investments.
Reddy said the Cyient Foundation’s CSR work focuses on using technology for social good, including digital and AI programs across 38 schools. He urged students to keep pace with rapid technological change, stressing that continuous learning is essential for building a Viksit and Atmanirbhar Bharat. He thanked the partners, the State Government, and the Finance Minister for their support.
Program highlights included handing over of a sanction letter to the Director of Industries & Commerce and CEO of NTTC, and the exchange of MoUs between SIDBI and three major industry bodies – the Business Association of Nagas, Women Entrepreneurs Network Nagaland, and the Nagaland Hotels & Restaurant Association aimed at strengthening collaboration, funding access, and industrial growth in the state. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by P Tokugha Sema, Director of Industries & Commerce and CEO, NTTC.
