DIMAPUR — The roundtable with Hornbill Festival partner countries and states held at Bamboo Hall, Kisama, on Monday, witnessed the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoUs).
The first MoU was inked between the department of Higher Education, government of Nagaland, and Salesforce.com India Pvt. Ltd, and the second between the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) and Omsheel Foods, a DIPR report stated.
Chairman of IDAN and Advisor to the chief minister, Abu Metha, the chairperson of the event, in his address, said that the roundtable is a platform to forge partnerships, ties, and network with each other.
Metha urged the visiting dignitaries to look beyond the traditional and cultural aspects and delve into the economic prospects and opportunities that Nagaland has to offer.
He also acknowledged the government of Sikkim for being supportive towards the Hornbill Festival and for participating with a large delegation.
Advisor for Agriculture, Mhathung Yanthan, spoke about the similarities of using natural resources and the traditional medicinal practices between Sikkim and Nagaland.
The advisor called for collaboration in coffee and millet plantations since growing of both coffee and millet is gaining importance over the years in Nagaland due to their superior quality.
He also emphasised the importance of marketing networks and building infrastructure for post products.
Advisor for Industries and Commerce, Hekani Jakhalu, said that the Hornbill Festival is just a gist of what Nagaland can offer to the world.
Jakhalu said the strength of the state lies in the young and talented people whose creativity and hard work are no less than others.
Taking advantage of this, the state is looking forward to various collaborations and partnerships from investors outside the state, which would be a win-win situation for both the stakeholders, she added.
Ambassador of Peru to India, Javier Manuel Paulinich Velarde, spoke on the importance of a people-to-people connection between the Republic of Peru and the Nagas due to their shared similarities in culture and traditions.
He also called upon Peru and the Nagas to continue to celebrate the wisdom of the indigenous people, and expressed hope for partnership and collaboration in areas of common interests.
Joint Secretary of IDAN, Reny Wilfred, gave a presentation on areas where the state can build collaborations and partnerships with the visiting countries and state partners.
He delved into areas where Nagaland has the opportunity for collaboration, such as the agri and allied sector, sports, tourism, human resource development, etc. He also mentioned that Nagaland is a tri-junction and a gateway to South East Asia.
Invest India lauded the state government for promoting the Hornbill Festival as ‘a festival of business conference, partnership and collaboration rather than mere festivity.’
A representative from Invest India shared that their main mandate is to support business expansion, particularly in the area of investment.
He appreciated and mentioned that the government of Nagaland is the first state in the whole of Northeast to have the Investment & Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) for investment and development of the state.
He also emphasised the possibility of collaboration with Nagaland and the whole of Northeast, especially in tour operators/packages and establishment of industrial parks in the region.
Secretary of DIPR Sikkim, Annapurna Alley, highlighted the similarities, advantages and disadvantages that the two states face due to similarities in many aspects, such as the pattern of its terrain and the scope of the tourism sector.
She lauded the government of Nagaland as the state is forging ahead in the use of bamboo resources.
She also invited the government of Nagaland to Sikkim during its 50th Statehood Day, scheduled to be celebrated on May 16, 2025.