Buyers-suppliers meet connects 22 Nagaland MSMEs with national firms at Hornbill Festival

KOHIMA — The Nagaland Buyers and Suppliers Meet 2025, organised under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) project of the Ministry of MSME, brought together 24 buyers from across the country and 22 MSMEs from Nagaland at Kisama on Thursday.

Advisor for Industries and Commerce, Hekani Jakhalu, said that the platform was intended to act as a catalyst for long-term transformation by helping local enterprises build sustainable relationships with national-level buyers.

She added that the Hornbill Festival provides a unique convergence of heritage, enterprise and aspiration, and that the meet seeks to translate cultural identity and creativity into tangible livelihood opportunities.

Through the initiative, she said, the government aims to strengthen MSME competitiveness, facilitate access to high-value markets, develop long-term procurement and supply relationships, and position Nagaland’s products within national and global value chains.

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She expressed hope that the event would lead to confirmed orders, distributor onboarding and potential export linkages, but stressed that “true achievement lies in the relationships nurtured, the ideas exchanged and the possibilities unlocked.”

Industries and Commerce Secretary, Kumar Ramnikant, described the meet as a strategic intervention under the RAMP project, translating policy into partnership and potential into prosperity.

He said that the state is working to strengthen product development, quality certification, packaging and logistics so that local enterprises become market-competitive.

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Nagaland’s strength, he said, lies in its cultural richness and entrepreneurial talent, particularly among weavers and artisans. But sustainable progress requires strong market linkages, and the government is working to build that bridge.

He added that the meet serves as an opportunity for MSMEs to understand national market demands, with several buyers expressing willingness to take Nagaland’s products to global markets.

Director of Industries and Commerce, P Tokugha Sema, said that the visiting buyers represented firms with established procurement networks, including Eyaas, Brahmaputra Fables, Rural Delight, Universe Export and others engaged in home furnishings, handicrafts, artisanal foods and multi-sector trade.

Areas of buyer interest include handloom, handicrafts, home décor, artisanal foods, herbal teas and processed or dehydrated food items.

The 22 participating entrepreneurs and MSMEs comprised artisans, small manufacturers, food processors, farmer-led units and micro-enterprises.

Sema said that the platform offers a valuable opportunity for direct product assessment, discussions on supply terms and alignment with market expectations on quality, pricing, volume and value addition.