Nagaland entrepreneurs D Ledia Awomi and L Chuba Lkr won Best Cultural Performance and Best Aromatic Plant awards at Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026 in New Delhi.
DIMAPUR — Two entrepreneurs from Nagaland, D Ledia Awomi and L Chuba Lkr, won awards in the categories of Best Cultural Performance and Best Aromatic Plant, respectively, at the Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026, held in association with Film Expo India at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from August 26 to the 30th.
Ideabaaz is a startup investment and edutainment platform that provides entrepreneurs and startups opportunities to pitch their ideas directly to venture capitalists, investors, mentors and industry experts, a DIPR report stated.
The five-day fest featured exhibitions, presentations, networking sessions, awards, workshops, panel discussions and showcases.
Ledia Awomi, president of Ethnic Group of Nagaland (EGON), curated an ethnic fashion show at the event, showcasing the traditional attire and handlooms of Nagaland.
Speaking about her association with Ideabaaz, Awomi said her previous work with women’s organisations, fashion events and local movie productions had brought her in contact with the platform.
She expressed hope that the rich cultural heritage of Nagaland would be further promoted through future collaborations with Ideabaaz.
She also acknowledged the support extended by the Nagaland Tourism department.
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Meanwhile, entrepreneur L Chuba Lkr received the Best Aromatic Plant Award. He is the proprietor of M/s L.C. Longkumer Agar Processing Unit, established in 2016.
According to Lkr, his father began agarwood plantation in the early 1960s.
Following his father’s death, he established the processing unit to produce agarwood oil. He has since gained decades of hands-on experience in the cultivation, sourcing, processing and distillation of agarwood.
Lkr said one of his key motivations for starting the enterprise was to ensure fair prices for locally produced agarwood, support growers and plantation workers, protect communities from unfair practices and create employment opportunities.
He said Nagaland’s favourable soil, water and climatic conditions are conducive to producing high-quality agarwood oil, which he described as a prized commodity in the market. According to him, agarwood oil produced in Nagaland is more resinous and has a distinct sweet fragrance that lasts longer compared to oil from other sources.
However, he noted that the distinct characteristics of Nagaland agarwood oil have also led to false claims about the origin of agarwood oil being marketed as a product from the State.
Lkr said most of his customers are from Middle Eastern countries and that he plans to expand the enterprise’s retail presence in international markets, including Dubai and Bangkok.
He also plans to develop a new grade of agarwood oil made entirely from 100% Nagaland agarwood, describing the project as “very close to my heart.”
He identified limited distillation capacity as one of the major challenges facing the sector in Nagaland, stating that expanding distillation facilities would be critical to fully leverage the State’s agarwood potential.
Encouraging young entrepreneurs to venture into the sector, Lkr said agarwood processing does not require extensive expertise and involves comparatively lower annual maintenance costs after the initial capital investment. However, he cautioned that the process is tedious and requires patience to produce good-quality agarwood oil.