Nagaland University set to host incubation centres in the northeast under a Central Govt Initiative

The Hindu

6 days ago

Nagaland University, the only Central University in the State, has been chosen to host one of the four incubation centres in the North Eastern region under a Central Government Initiative. The 50 highest-performing beneficiaries will receive a startup seed money grant of up to ₹5 lakh.
The university was chosen under the project 'Establish, Develop, and Manage Entrepreneurship Development Centres and Incubation Centres in the Educational Institutes of the North Eastern Region'. This project is being sponsored by the North Eastern Council, Shillong, and implemented by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati.
The North Eastern Council is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region, which consists of the eight States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The IIE is an organisation under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India.
Nagaland University's Kohima campus has been designated as one of the four Incubation Centres in the North Eastern region. A total of 44 beneficiaries will be incubated in the first batch of incubatees. The 44 beneficiaries include 16 from Arunachal Pradesh, six from Assam, four from Manipur, with the remaining from Nagaland State. Onboarding of the incubatees will be done in July 2025.
Elaborating on the activities that will be taken up under this initiative, Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi, Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Development Centre and Incubation Centre, Nagaland University, said, 'Industry experts and established entrepreneurs will provide mentorship to the incubates. Workshops, Ideathons, Bootcamps, and Hackathons are contemplated for the forthcoming six months.'
Speaking about the potential impact envisaged, Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi, who is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management, Nagaland University, said, 'The initiative is first-of-its-kind in the North Eastern region wherein potential entrepreneurs have been identified from the remotest corner of the country. Furthermore, an effort has been made to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and intent among the youthful population of the State through the conduct of numerous awareness camps in various institutions and villages.'
The selection of the incubates was finalised in FY 2024-25 through the 30 EDCs established under the project. The selection method adhered to a stringent process of identifying prospective entrepreneurs and startups, followed by comprehensive training delivered through Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes and Entrepreneurship Development Programmes, the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), the presentation of business plans via the DPRs, and the assessment of the DPRs by industry and ministry experts.
A total of 145 beneficiaries were selected by the experts appointed by the nodal agency across the North Eastern region, with 44 beneficiaries assigned to the Nagaland University Incubation Centre. Among the recipients, 16 are from Arunachal Pradesh, 6 from Assam, 4 from Manipur, and the rest 18 are from Nagaland. The on-boarding of the incubates will occur in July 2025.