Nurturing Dreams Through Entrepreneurship–The Nagaland Approach

Entrepreneurship did not have many takers some years back, but now, things seem to be changing for the better in the State

- Bhairavi Jani

Nestled amongst Himalayan mountains, Nagaland is one of the smallest states in India. The Naga people are proud of their heritage, and are of independent nature. Education reached the State with Baptist Christian Missionaries and many Nagas have succeeded in spheres of government service, armed forces and music. However, even in the early 2000s, it was rare to see entrepreneurship aspirations in the State. The social conditioning was that it was unbecoming to run a business if one could get a job. But off-late, there is a sea change in this view.

Thousands of young entrepreneurs, including a significant women-representation, stand testimony to this fact. Entrepreneurship, business ventures and start-ups are now considered not just economic opportunity, but also a way forward to establish social harmony and peace, given the State’s long battle with insurgency and outward immigration. In the decade to come, it would be vital to build upon already existing initiatives and some early wins, and not lose the momentum. The State is still at an early stage of building an entrepreneurship ecosystem to support meaningful sustenance and livelihood creation and promote growth of Nagaland’s economy. Much like other northeastern states, entrepreneurship faced some reluctance to be pursued in the state of Nagaland. But it is now teeming with growth in apparel, sericulture, tourism, food, agri- and allied sectors.

Nagaland was placed under the ‘Aspirers’ category in the Ease of Doing Business Index, ranking it 28th amongst the 36 participatory states. This ranking indicates the willingness of states to reform and attract investments.