SATURDAY, AUGUST 02, 2025
Basking in Modi’s praise, Nagaland government and entrepreneurs strengthen tie
Published on Jan 23, 2025
By Veroli Zhimo
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Tokugha Achumi speaking at the inaugural event at SkyGarden, Chümoukedima, on Thursday. (EM Images)
- DIMAPUR — Collaboration between government, organisations and entrepreneurs was the key theme at the inauguration of the Tana Bana District Handloom Expo (DHE) at SkyGarden, Chümoukedima, on Thursday.
- The expo, funded by the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, is a joint effort between the state Directorate of Industries and Commerce and the Women Entrepreneurs Network Nagaland (WENN).
- Inaugurating the four-day event, Tokugha Achumi, Director of Industries and Commerce, elaborated on the department’s decision to make WENN a partner for the expo. He said that the department witnessed WENN’s ability to effectively utilise resources after the WENN Bazaar event in October last year.
- “We saw how so many women entrepreneurs, under the WENN banner, collaborated in creating such a successful event, so the department decided to give the organisation a hand in organising another event in the form of the district expo,” he said.
- Achumi also noted the marked increase of start-ups in Nagaland—a fact highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent Mann Ki Baat message—and said that when such acknowledgement is coming from such a level, “we should do something.”
- However, “It should not be only the state government doing something, it should be a collaboration...and this, in the long run, will be very beneficial to our upcoming and present entrepreneurs,” he asserted.
- He went on to state that funding provided by the central government should be utilised very effectively and judiciously, and partnerships, such as the one with WENN, are important for realising this.
- “We now realise that with the active participation of entrepreneurs and the collaboration of different entities, at the end, we can succeed and bring the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the state to a new level,” Achumi observed.
- He encouraged the participants to view the DHE as a learning and networking opportunity, as they gain exposure and experience in showcasing their products.
- Weaver entrepreneur Vekuvolu Dozo, founder of Viko Ethnic, shared her personal journey, elaborating on how collaborations with the Industries department and exposure through WENN were instrumental in her growth from a struggling weaver to an award-winning entrepreneur who now provides employment to others.
Nagaland Districts
