The Nagaland government is developing a Live Entertainment Economy framework aimed at transforming the state's entertainment sector into a structured driver of economic growth, employment generation, and tourism promotion, an official said on Tuesday, 16 September 2025. A key planning meeting was convened at the Directorate of Information and Public Relations in Kohima, marking the formal launch of the framework's development process.

What the Framework Seeks to Achieve

Information and Public Relations Secretary Orenthung Lotha, who chaired the meeting, underscored the need to view the live entertainment sector not merely as a cultural outlet but as a commercially viable industry. He stressed that large-scale events must be structured to generate sustainable economic returns for local stakeholders and measurable contributions to the state's revenue base.

Lotha pointed to Nagaland's considerable strengths — its rich cultural heritage, musical talent, a creative community, and an energetic youth population — as the natural foundation for building a robust live entertainment ecosystem. He also called for strong inter-departmental coordination, noting that hosting major national and international events would demand collective effort across multiple government departments.

LiveNow's Role and Initial Findings

LiveNow, a consultancy with more than a decade of experience in the live entertainment sector, has been appointed to develop the framework. LiveNow Director Atsunglir Jamir presented the company's initial study, research findings, and observations on the existing landscape and potential of Nagaland's entertainment sector.

Jamir highlighted the sector's capacity to open new livelihood avenues for local artists, performers, event professionals, technicians, production crews, and associated service providers. He identified skill development, entrepreneurship, and tourism promotion as key pillars through which the sector could meaningfully contribute to the state economy.

Information and Public Relations Director Dzuvinuo Theunuo expressed appreciation for LiveNow's involvement and welcomed the structured approach to building the framework.

Infrastructure Gaps and Immediate Priorities

Jamir stressed the urgent need to strengthen and upgrade existing infrastructure and facilities so Nagaland can host events of national and international standards. Improved infrastructure, he argued, would enhance the state's capacity to attract marquee events and position it as a destination for entertainment, cultural, and experiential tourism.

Among the short-term objectives identified by the LiveNow team are: positioning Nagaland as an entertainment hub in Northeast India, attracting major national and international events, and developing 'Nagaland Live' as a distinctive brand representing the state's live entertainment ecosystem.

Next Steps

The meeting concluded with a review of preliminary findings and recommendations from the inception study. Stakeholders agreed that further consultations with relevant departments and line ministries are needed before a comprehensive, actionable framework is finalised. This comes amid a broader push by several northeastern states to leverage cultural identity as an economic asset, though a structured entertainment economy policy of this kind is relatively uncommon in the region. The eventual framework's success will depend significantly on how quickly infrastructure upgrades and inter-departmental coordination mechanisms are put in place.