Is Nagaland University Hosting Incubation Centres in N-E Under a Central Government Initiative?

Kohima, July 21 (NationPress) Nagaland University, the sole Central university in the state, has been selected to serve as one of the four incubation centres in the northeastern region as part of a significant initiative by the Central government, according to officials on Monday.

Officials from the university mentioned that the top 50 performing beneficiaries will be awarded startup seed funding of up to Rs 5 lakh.

This selection is part of the project titled 'Establish, Develop, and Manage Entrepreneurship Development Centres and Incubation Centres in the Educational Institutes of the North Eastern Region.'

As per the official statement, this initiative is backed by the Shillong-based North Eastern Council (NEC), which is a regional planning body, and is being executed by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), located in Guwahati.

The NEC acts as the nodal agency for the economic and social advancement of the northeastern region, which comprises eight states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. Meanwhile, the IIE operates under the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Nagaland University's Kohima campus has officially been designated as one of the four incubation centres in the northeastern region, as confirmed by the official, who added that a total of 44 beneficiaries will be nurtured in the initial cohort of incubatees.

This group of 44 includes 16 from Arunachal Pradesh, 6 from Assam, 4 from Manipur, and the remaining 18 from Nagaland.

The onboarding process for the incubatees is scheduled for July 2025.

Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Jagadish K. Patnaik expressed that the university, being the only Central university in the state, is honored to host one of the four incubation centres under this prestigious Central government initiative.

"This opportunity reinforces the university's dedication to academic excellence and contributes to nation-building through innovation, research, and inclusive development. We anticipate collaborating with stakeholders from academia, industry, and government to ensure the success of this endeavor," he stated.

Expounding on the activities that will be undertaken as part of this initiative, Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi, Coordinator of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre and Incubation Centre at the university, noted, "Mentorship will be offered by industry experts and established entrepreneurs to the incubatees. Workshops, ideathons, boot camps, and hackathons are planned for the upcoming six months."

Bordoloi, also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at Nagaland University, commented, "This initiative is a pioneering effort in the northeastern region, identifying potential entrepreneurs from the most remote parts of the country. Furthermore, awareness campaigns have been conducted in various institutions and villages to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among the youth of the state."

The selection process for the incubatees was finalized for the Financial Year 2024-25 through the establishment of 30 entrepreneurship development cells under the project.

A total of 145 beneficiaries were chosen by experts appointed by the nodal agency across the northeastern region, with 44 beneficiaries allocated to the Nagaland University Incubation Centre.