Nagaland eyes Northeast gaming hub as Google signs education MoU, with Rio highlighting e-sports, AI and digital career opportunities.
KOHIMA — Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday said Nagaland is aiming to build a robust e-sports ecosystem and establish itself as a leading gaming hub in the Northeast, while a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Google to strengthen school education through technology.
The MoU, signed during the launch of the two-day Tech X Gaming Expo (TXG) 2026 at NBCC Convention Centre in Kohima, involves an investment of more than INR 100 million. Rio described the agreement as an important milestone in strengthening learning methodologies and outcomes through technology and international collaboration.
He expressed confidence that the collaboration would help prepare students for future-ready and 21st-century skills.
The expo also coincided with the Kohima round of F1Sim Racing India Open 2026, marking the first time the national talent-search initiative has come to the Northeast.
Addressing the gathering, Rio said gaming and e-sports should not be viewed merely as recreational activities but as gateways to emerging careers and opportunities. “Our young people should not have to leave Nagaland simply because the opportunities they seek do not exist here,” he said.
The chief minister said Nagaland had already demonstrated its interest in gaming and e-sports through initiatives such as the Hornbill E-Sports Championship and participation in the Khelo India Youth Games.
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“Our objective is not merely to produce gamers,” Rio said, adding that the state must create opportunities across the wider ecosystem, including game developers, designers, broadcasters, commentators, streamers, event managers, data analysts and technology professionals.
He said the Department of Information Technology and Communication was creating the digital infrastructure required to support this transformation.
The STPI centre in Kohima and the upcoming Nagaland Innovation Hub for Startups at Chümoukedima, supported by the Ministry of DoNER, were also important steps towards strengthening entrepreneurship, incubation and innovation, he said.
Rio further said the state was looking ahead to a proposed Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence that could support AI-based start-ups, prototypes, employment and training, with applications in governance, agriculture, healthcare, tourism and sustainability.
He stressed that education must form the foundation of these efforts, as the workplace of the future would require creativity, adaptability, digital literacy, problem-solving and continuous learning.
Rio said that the government could build infrastructure and create opportunities, but young people would have to seize them through discipline, hard work, continuous learning and innovation.
“Traditional career paths are being complemented by exciting new opportunities in artificial intelligence, software development, data analytics, game design, e-sports, digital content, robotics, geospatial technology and even race engineering,” he said.
The chief minister called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to skilling young people for the changing world of work.
The two-day expo features e-sports tournaments, gaming events, the F1Sim Racing India Open 2026 Kohima Round in collaboration with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited, mini gaming tournaments, a cosplay championship, digital art and AI creative video challenges, a 48-hour game jam, workshops, panel discussions, technology and gaming exhibitions, live performances and food and exhibitor
experiences.