HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, June 3: The Nagaland government, along with the DoNER ministry, hosted the two-day State Round Table of the North East Global Investors Summit 2023 at Chumoukedima police complex to discuss specific areas in Nagaland in which investors are willing to invest and are ready to explore. Some prospective sectors covered include solar energy, marketing agro-produce, particularly millets, skill development in aviation, etc.
After the conclusion of the summit today, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio said the Nagaland State Roundtable Meet is an opportunity to explore the trade and investment potential of Nagaland.
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“Grateful to @MDoNER_India for giving me the platform to host. Your presence shows concern towards the growth and development story of Nagaland and the Northeast region,” Rio tweeted.
During the brief meetings after their arrival, the investors at Zone Niathu were introduced to various government departments to explore ways for collaboration and partnership. The investors met with the line departments in this connection.
A closed-door meeting was held last evening between the central government and state government officials to discuss further key focus areas for investment.
Chairing the meeting, Nagaland chief secretary J Alam highlighted major projects that are ongoing or in the pipeline in the state. He also highlighted 18 identified potential areas, with food processing and agro-produce, sericulture production, mineral-based industries, tourism, handloom and handicraft, floriculture, and bamboo-based industries being some of them.
It was learned the meeting deliberated on several challenges and constraints in the state, some of which are unique to the state, such as the state’s land holding system, the need for the development of border areas, and the power deficit, among other infrastructural, human resource, and credit-related issues.
At the meeting, several agencies and government representatives underlined the need to provide credit for entrepreneurs and the creation of Northeast-specific schemes, credit facilities, guidelines, and policies that will suit the needs of the region.
Some of the recommended areas highlighted by the participants at the closed-door meeting were the feasibility and potential of exploring the extraction of pineapple fibre, plug-and-play facilities, the setting up of hotels, agro-based processing centres, storage facilities, etc.
Lok Ranjan, secretary, DoNER, exhorted Nagaland to proactively explore investment opportunities and provide an ecosystem and service that are conducive to investment.
“There is an ever-growing aspiration among our people, especially the youth, and these aspirations must be catered to by the state government and efforts made to meet these needs,” Ranjan said. He challenged the state to develop a culture of healthy competition to keep pace with other states.
