Nagaland MSMEs: Key to Economic Growth

Kohima, May 26 (PTI) Advisor for Industries and Commerce Hekani Jakhalu on Tuesday said Nagaland's long-term economic growth and employment generation depend on strengthening MSMEs and the business community.

He said that properly established micro, small and medium enterprises could resolve 70-80 per cent of the state's economic challenges.

Addressing an interactive session with legislators on the UNNATI 2024 Scheme and PM Vishwakarma, organised by the Department of Industries & Commerce here, Jakhalu said legislators have a crucial responsibility in creating awareness about alternative livelihood opportunities and government schemes among the public.

She said the department has a long-term vision for economic transformation and stressed that every constituency must be informed about the schemes so that genuine beneficiaries can avail the benefits.

Speaking on the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme, a World Bank-assisted central sector programme under the Ministry of MSME, Jakhalu said officials have travelled across Nagaland to create awareness. She said that 750 high-potential MSMEs would be mentored under the initiative and urged legislators to identify deserving entrepreneurs who could emerge as role models in their constituencies.

Highlighting the Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, she noted that Nagaland's food processing sector is witnessing rapid growth and has strong potential to generate employment and entrepreneurship.

Jakhalu also appreciated the efforts of Nagaland State Rural Livelihood Mission in strengthening grassroots systems and lauded the growth of self-help groups across the state. She identified textiles, handloom, handicrafts and food processing as vital sectors for Nagaland's economic development.

Calling for greater support to grassroots weavers, she urged women engaged in handloom activities to submit names of genuine weavers for Individual Weaver's Sheds, stating that proper infrastructure is necessary for skill upgradation, communication and enabling authentic artisans to access government assistance.

She further highlighted PM Vishwakarma as a transformative initiative aimed at empowering traditional artisans and craftspeople through skill development, financial assistance and market support to build self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.


Earlier, Secretary Industries & Commerce Kumar Ramnikant, in his welcome address, said the schemes reflect a shared vision of self-reliance through entrepreneurship and skill development.

He informed that 55 units in Nagaland are currently under the UNNATI scheme and said it has emerged as a catalyst for entrepreneurship across the Northeast. He noted that the initiative can help scale up traditional crafts, create market linkages and promote rural tourism through micro-level tourism activities.

Ramnikant further informed that six traditional trades have been identified for training programmes in Nagaland and that as of May 25, 2026, 1,939 artisans had been trained under PM Vishwakarma.

He said these schemes bridge heritage and the modern economy by transitioning traditional practices into the formal, digital and global marketplace, and urged legislators to support effective implementation in their constituencies.

Director of Industries & Commerce P Tokugha Sema said awareness on UNNATI has already been disseminated across all districts and appealed to legislators to identify capable entrepreneurs who could drive local economic growth.

Delivering the closing remarks, Additional Director Er. Lipongse Thongtsar said the department is actively reaching villages across constituencies, focusing on access to finance, technology support and grievance resolution, while also prioritising textile sector promotion to uplift the rural economy.

He said the objective of the programme was to familiarise legislators with the schemes and ensure information reaches rightful beneficiaries. Altogether, 12 legislators attended the session.

During the presentations, officials highlighted that the UNNATI 2024 scheme seeks to strengthen the industrial ecosystem across the Northeast by offering incentives for manufacturing, services and micro industries, including capital investment support, capital interest subvention and sector-linked incentives.

The PM Vishwakarma team informed that active trades in Nagaland include basket weaving, tailoring, carpentry, masonry, barbering, and doll and toy making. As of March 31, 2026, 1,884 artisans had been trained and assessed, while Rs 3.91 crore in loans and 773 toolkits had been disbursed under the scheme.

The PMFME presentation also highlighted the scheme's role in supporting micro food processing enterprises through financial assistance, branding, training, packaging, technical guidance and market linkage support under the One District One Product (ODOP) framework to boost entrepreneurship and sustainable economic growth in Nagaland.