Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio invites corporate India to explore investment opportunities in infrastructure, tourism, manufacturing and the creative economy
DIMAPUR — Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday invited corporate India to explore investment opportunities in Nagaland, urging businesses to look beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) and consider partnerships in infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing, tourism and the creative economy.
Delivering the keynote address at the 13th edition of the One Purpose India Forum (OPIF) 2026 in New Delhi, Rio identified private-sector participation and philanthropic support as important to addressing the state’s development challenges.
According to a DIPR update, he pitched Nagaland and the wider Northeast as an emerging gateway to Southeast Asia, citing the region’s strategic location, connectivity potential and cultural links with neighbouring Asian societies. He also pointed to the Trans-Asian Highway as an important link between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
Rio said the state had considerable scope for growth in tourism, natural resources, entrepreneurship, sports and the creative economy. He highlighted Nagaki, envisaged as a future global city in the foothills of Nagaland, as another area of potential development.
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The chief minister identified education, skill development, healthcare, sports, women-led enterprises, sustainable livelihoods, environmental conservation, water security and climate-resilient agriculture as sectors offering scope for collaboration. He said local enterprises could benefit from access to modern technology, professional expertise and wider markets, while traditional knowledge and cultural heritage could be preserved.
Highlighting the role of the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland, Rio said the state government was working to connect its development priorities with corporates, investors and philanthropic institutions that could contribute resources and expertise.
He stressed that governments alone could not meet every development need and called for partnerships based on clear priorities, transparent processes and accountability. The effectiveness of such initiatives, he said, should be measured by their impact on people’s lives rather than the resources mobilised or the number of projects undertaken.
Rio cited the achievements of filmmaker Theja Rio, para-athlete Hokato Hotozhe Sema and the Nagaland Madrigal Singers as examples of the state’s potential despite the challenges it faced. He also referred to the legacy of Dr. Talimeren Ao, who captained India’s football team at the 1948 London Olympics.
Read more: Hokato Sema wins Asian Para Games bronze
“If our people can achieve so much despite tremendous hurdles, imagine how much more they can contribute with the right support, encouragement and opportunities, especially through the goodwill and partnership of corporate India,” he said.
The chief minister also referred to the state government’s collaboration with the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom for the repatriation of Naga ancestral human remains held abroad. The remains are expected to arrive in India later in November.
Rio invited corporate and philanthropic organisations to visit Nagaland and identify projects suited to local needs. He assured prospective partners of the state government’s cooperation, saying development partnerships should create opportunities for communities while contributing to the broader goal of building a developed India.
The three-day forum, organised by CSRBOX, is being held from October 26 to 28. It brings together policymakers, corporate leaders, philanthropists and development practitioners to discuss CSR, environmental, social and governance issues, sustainability and innovation.