Nagaland’s startup ecosystem reached a milestone with the conclusion of a three-day program connecting entrepreneurs, mentors, and High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs), organized by Startup Nagaland, Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Nagaland. The event concluded on 11th August 2025 at Hotel Vivor, Kohima, with the state’s first-ever HNIs Awareness Session.
The program began on 7th and 8th August with the Startup Mentorship & Bootcamp 2025 at the Badze Leshüki Campus, Kohima, enriched by the insights of distinguished speakers - Pangerkumzuk Longkumer (Founder, Nexus Cipher Guard), Worrin Muivah (Founder, Step Academy), Dr. Noyingbeni T Erui (Founder, Erui Designs), Dr. Theyiesinuo Keditsu (Academician & Author), Yashika Khatri (Startup India) Nikita Engheepi (Lawyer & Founder, Namaste Hallyu & Pinkbox Events), Rinzing C. Bhutia (Founder & Director, Agapi Sikkim & Trateng Greens Pvt. Ltd.), Syed Mufti Alam (Access Development Services, IFAD), and Lichan Humtsoe (Founder, Ete Coffee).
These sessions offered practical strategies, sectoral insights, and growth roadmaps for early and growth-stage entrepreneurs. Guidance and facilitation were provided by P. Tokugha Sema (CEO, Startup Nagaland & Director, Industries & Commerce Department), Keneirienuo T. Zatsu (Team Leader, Startup Nagaland & Deputy Director, Industries & Commerce Department), Ikheshe Kahoto (Assistant Director, Industries & Commerce Department), and Yithule Krichena (Consultant, Ernst & Young). The 11th August HNIs Awareness Session, attended by business leaders, political figures, legacy families, and professionals, was the first gathering of its kind in Nagaland, designed to bridge the gap between local wealth and local ideas. It marked the starting point for private sector engagement with startups and was received with an overwhelmingly positive response.
Delivering the keynote, CEO, Startup Nagaland and Director, Industries & Commerce Department, Government of Nagaland, P. Tokugha Sema, warmly welcomed attendees, acknowledging their diverse contributions to Nagaland’s economy and society. He stressed that the session was not about immediate investments, but about opening a window to show what’s possible when local wealth meets local ideas. He elaborated on Nagaland’s hidden economic gap, where startups often depend on personal savings or outside funding leading to a loss of jobs, profits, and decision-making power from the state.
Sema emphasized that local investors bring cultural understanding, community trust, and unique strategic advantages, and can play a decisive role not only through funding but by mentoring, sharing networks, and opening doors to markets. Capital is powerful, but so are connections, mentorship, and guidance. Many startups need doors opened more than they need immediate cash, he said, urging HNIs to see themselves as catalysts for change.
P. Tokugha Sema concluded with a vision for the next decade, one in which Nagaland’s leading companies are home-grown, locally funded, and globally competitive, stating that the future of Nagaland’s economy will be built by those who believe in it first and he believes that group is sitting in this very room.”
The session also included presentations from emerging startups, showcasing innovation and entrepreneurial potential, and closed with a networking session fostering collaboration between investors and founders.
(DIPR)
