Nagaland University has been selected to host one of four incubation centres in the Northeast under a Central government initiative. Sponsored by the North Eastern Council and implemented by IIE Guwahati, the project aims to foster entrepreneurship among youth by offering seed funding, mentorship, and startup incubation support.
Nagaland University, the only Central university in the state, has been chosen to host one of four startup incubation centres across the Northeastern region under a Central government initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among youth. The initiative, titled “Establish, Develop, and Manage Entrepreneurship Development Centres and Incubation Centres in the 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.
According to university officials, Nagaland University’s Kohima campus has been designated to incubate 44 selected beneficiaries in the first phase of the initiative, which is set to commence onboarding in July 2025. Among the 44 incubatees, 16 are from Arunachal Pradesh, six from Assam, four from Manipur, and 18 from Nagaland.
Officials also confirmed that the 50 highest-performing incubatees across all centres will receive startup seed funding of up to ₹5 lakh each. These funds aim to assist in transforming innovative ideas into viable business models while ensuring financial support during the early stages of entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the selection, Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Jagadish K. Patnaik expressed pride in the university’s achievement. “Being chosen to host one of the four incubation centres under a prestigious Central government scheme reaffirms our commitment to academic excellence, research, and inclusive development. We envision a collaborative ecosystem involving academia, industry, and government to make this initiative a success,” he said.
The NEC, which acts as the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the Northeastern region, consists of eight states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. Meanwhile, the IIE, operating under the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, is the designated implementing agency responsible for facilitating the incubation process.
Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi, Coordinator of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre and Incubation Centre at Nagaland University and Assistant Professor in the Department of Management, elaborated on the forthcoming plans. “We are designing a robust six-month roadmap that includes mentorship from industry leaders, workshops, ideathons, bootcamps, and hackathons to equip the incubatees with essential skills,” he said.
He further emphasized that this is the first-of-its-kind project in the Northeast where potential entrepreneurs have been identified from remote corners of the region. “The initiative doesn’t just stop at selecting incubatees. We’ve conducted widespread awareness drives in various educational institutions and villages to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among young people,” Bordoloi added.
The selection of the incubatees was finalized in the financial year 2024–25 through a rigorous process involving 30 entrepreneurship development cells set up across the Northeast under the same project. Out of 145 candidates shortlisted by experts appointed by the nodal agency, 44 have been assigned to the Nagaland University Incubation Centre.
The project is expected to bring transformational change to the entrepreneurial landscape of the Northeast, a region often overlooked due to logistical and infrastructural constraints. By channeling the creative energy of young minds and equipping them with financial and intellectual support, the Central government aims to foster a new generation of startups rooted in regional strengths and global ambitions.
Local entrepreneurs and educational stakeholders have welcomed the initiative, viewing it as a long-awaited opportunity to bridge the gap between innovation and implementation. With startup culture gradually gaining momentum in the Northeast, the establishment of these incubation centres is anticipated to significantly boost self-employment and regional economic growth.
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As Nagaland University steps into this pivotal role, all eyes are on how effectively the initiative is implemented and scaled. If successful, the model could be replicated in other underrepresented regions of the country, creating a more inclusive startup ecosystem across India.
