Nagaland University to Host Northeast Incubator, Rs.5 Lakh Grants for Top 50

In a major push to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in India’s Northeast, Nagaland University has been selected as one of four key Incubation Centres under a prestigious Central Government initiative aimed at empowering early-stage startups. The programme will offer seed funding of up to ₹5 lakh to the top 50 performers across the region.

This initiative—“Establish, Develop, and Manage Entrepreneurship Development Centres and Incubation Centres in Educational Institutes of the North Eastern Region”—is being sponsored by the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, and implemented by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Empowering Entrepreneurs from the Grassroots

As the only Central University in the state, Nagaland University’s Kohima campus will serve as the anchor for this region-wide initiative. In its first batch, the university will incubate 44 entrepreneurs, including:

• 16 from Arunachal Pradesh
• 6 from Assam
• 4 from Manipur
• 18 from Nagaland

The onboarding of incubatees is scheduled for July 2025.

Speaking on the milestone, Prof. Jagadish K Patnaik, Vice-Chancellor of Nagaland University, said:“This opportunity reaffirms our commitment to academic excellence and nation-building through innovation, research, and inclusive development. We’re honoured to play a key role in shaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Northeast.”

A Comprehensive Support System for Startups

The programme will include a full spectrum of startup-building activities such as workshops, ideathons, bootcamps, and hackathons. Expert-led mentorship sessions by industry leaders and seasoned entrepreneurs will guide participants through the journey of transforming ideas into viable businesses.

“This is a first-of-its-kind initiative identifying potential entrepreneurs from the remotest corners of the region,” said Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi, Coordinator of the Incubation Centre at Nagaland University. “We’re also nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset among local youth through awareness camps across educational institutions and villages.”

University’s Role Beyond Incubation

Nagaland University’s responsibilities as an Incubation Centre go far beyond startup hosting. Its key functions include:

• Maintaining a detailed record of all student and youth participants
• Organising soft interventions like training, logistics, and policy convergence
• Building a knowledge repository through surveys, research, and ecosystem data
• Embedding entrepreneurship education into the academic curriculum

The incubates were meticulously selected through a multi-phase evaluation involving 30 Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs) established under the project in FY 2024–25. The process included training programmes, project report preparation, business plan presentations, and evaluations by ministry and industry experts.

A Regional Ecosystem for National Growth

This initiative marks a significant step in bridging the innovation gap in Northeast India—a region often underserved in terms of entrepreneurial infrastructure. By identifying and nurturing talent from rural and remote communities, the project aims to build a sustainable, inclusive, and locally-driven startup ecosystem.

With over 145 entrepreneurs selected across the Northeast, this programme reinforces the Centre’s commitment to equitable development, and Nagaland University is poised to emerge as a critical catalyst in this transformation.

About Nagaland University

Established under the Nagaland University Act of 1989, Nagaland University is the 13th Central University of India. It operates from three campuses: Lumami (HQ), Kohima, and Medziphema, and currently affiliates 76 colleges across the state. With 43 departments offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes, the university serves as a vital academic and research hub for the state.