A two-day training for women’s Self-Help Groups in Mokokchung focused on enterprise financing, value chain development, and digital marketing strategies.
Share
MOKOKCHUNG — The District Mission Management Unit (DMMU) of the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) under the Department of Rural Development successfully concluded a two-day Block Performance Review and Non-Farm Orientation Training at Hotel Whispering Winds in Mokokchung on Wednesday.
The programme brought together financial experts and development specialists to equip women’s self-help groups (SHGs) with practical knowledge on enterprise financing and modern business strategies.
On the opening day, participants received detailed guidance on funding opportunities.
Wothungbemo Kikon, Assistant Manager at SBI Main Branch in Mokokchung, explained various credit facilities available for SHG-led enterprises. Poji, District Development Manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Mokokchung, outlined key NABARD schemes designed to support women’s SHGs.
Renbenthung Kikon, Inspector of Industries at the District Industries Centre (DIC), briefed the gathering on flagship initiatives, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME), and Chief Minister's Micro Finance Initiative (CMMFI).
The second day focused on value-chain development and digital empowerment. Atsungba Sangtam, Technical Expert (Monitoring and Evaluation) for the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) Scheme under MSME and co-founder/COO of Placetree.in, delivered an in-depth session on enhancing SHG product value chains while introducing current trends in digital marketing and social media promotion.
Maotoshi, Assistant District Programme Manager, NSRLM Mokokchung, presented district-level statistics in his keynote address. He informed that 8,995 women in Mokokchung have formed 1,293 SHGs, which are organised under 105 village-level organisations (VLOs) and nine RD cluster-level federations.
Notably, the Changtongya RD Cluster-Level Federation has been formally registered under the Nagaland State Cooperative Societies Act 2017. He informed that these SHGs have collectively mobilised more than INR 20 crore from the Community Investment Fund.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines, Wothungbemo Kikon disclosed that since March 2026, SBI Mokokchung has opened more than 160 SHG accounts. Of these, 106 remain dormant while the rest are active.
He commended the groups for their excellent repayment track record and assured them that the bank is ready to extend larger loans and more flexible repayment terms to promising ventures. Kikon urged SHGs to shift from mere savings to credit-linked micro-entrepreneurship by holding regular meetings, maintaining proper records, and reducing informal moneylending.
Poji emphasised the critical contribution of rural women to the state’s economic progress through agriculture, improved nutrition, food security, and higher household incomes. He highlighted NABARD’s capacity-building programmes such as the Micro Entrepreneur Development Programme and Livelihood Entrepreneur Development Programme, along with market-linkage efforts like Rural Mart and Food Mart.
Atsungba Sangtam described the training as a comprehensive initiative aimed at strengthening SHGs through improved product quality, adherence to standards, and identification of profitable markets.
In the digital marketing segment, he demonstrated practical techniques for promoting products on social media platforms, enabling SHGs to build brand identity and reach customers far beyond local markets.
More than 100 representatives from the nine RD cluster-level federations participated in the training. On-site registration drives for FSSAI, UDYAM, and CMMFI under the DIC RAMP scheme were also conducted, and participants received IEC materials and informational bulletins.