Hekani Jakhalu commits to improving Nagaland's startup ranki
Hekani Jakhalu commits to improving Nagaland's startup ranking
Advisor for Industries and Commerce, Hekani Jakhalu, stated that she will take responsibility and is determined to improve Nagaland's ranking in 'Aspiring Leader' startup ranking in India
Hekani Jakhalu (centre), along with Sumeet Jarangal (second
from right) and other officials, during the inaugural programme of the workshop
in Kohima on Monday. (EM Images)
KOHIMA — As Nagaland remains stuck in the
'Aspiring Leader' startup ranking in India for the last three years, the
Advisor for Industries and Commerce, Hekani Jakhalu, stated that she will take
responsibility and is determined to improve the ranking in 2026.
The state's startup ranking is categorised into the
following: Emerging Startup Ecosystem, Aspiring Leader, Leader, Top Performers,
and Best Performer.
She was speaking during the inaugural programme of the SRF
5.0 States' Startup Ranking two-day knowledge exchange workshop, Nagaland
Edition, hosted by the Government of Nagaland in collaboration with the
Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, India, on Monday at Hotel Vivor, Kohima.
When it comes to Nagaland, she opined that business and
entrepreneurship are new concepts. She recalled that Nagaland had to implement
many innovative programmes to encourage young people to view entrepreneurship
not as a second choice but as a primary alternative.
During the two-day workshop, she advised the entrepreneurs
not only to seek friendships but also to focus on collaborations and
networking, which are crucial for entrepreneurs.
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She stated that the Northeast is still far behind the
mainland due to past circumstances and various issues, but expressed that this
could be the time for the NE states to come together, share best practices, and
see how they can learn from and strengthen each other.
In his keynote address, Sumeet Jarangal, Director of DPIIT,
shared the journey of Startup India and provided an update that, when it
started in 2016, there were 420 startups registered. By 2024, the number had
risen to 1.6 lakh startups.
He also highlighted the various schemes available for
startups, such as the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, Credit Guarantee Schemes,
and others. He requested the state government to collaborate with the banks
responsible for working with these schemes in the Northeast states.
The director also stressed the benefits of various schemes,
stating that they are designed for startups, but they will not reach the
beneficiaries unless everyone works together.
Reny Wilfred, Joint Secretary of the Finance department and
IDAN, also briefly shared the concerns of the states in availing various
schemes and discussed the framework of the startup.
Keneirienuo T Zatsu, team leader of Startup Nagaland and
Deputy Director of Industries and Commerce, Nagaland, sharing the journey of
Nagaland's startup ecosystem, said that today Nagaland has five incubators:
YouthNet Incubation Centre, Nagaland Tool-Room and Training Centre, Educentre
School of Business, National Institute of Electronics and IT, and Nagabots.
She updated that Startup Nagaland has over 330 registered
startups and 80 DPIIT-recognised startups across the state. These startups have
generated around INR 58 crore in annual revenue and created over 1,000 jobs in
the past year.
Further, she announced the agreement in principle between
SIDBI, NEDFi, and the state government to jointly establish the Nagaland
Venture Fund, citing that this fund will serve as a crucial financial
instrument to provide early-stage capital to promising startups in the state,
addressing one of the greatest challenges faced by entrepreneurs – access to
funding.
The Indian startup story was presented by members of Startup
India.
