Nagaland University has been selected to host one of the four Incubation Centres being established in the North Eastern region under a Central Government initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. The initiative 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.”
Funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, and implemented by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, the project aims to support emerging entrepreneurs across the eight Northeastern states. Nagaland University’s Kohima campus has been chosen as one of the four incubation hubs.
A total of 44 beneficiaries have been selected for incubation at Nagaland University in the first batch. These include 16 from Arunachal Pradesh, 6 from Assam, 4 from Manipur, and 18 from Nagaland. Each of the 50 top-performing beneficiaries under the project will receive a startup seed grant of up to Rs 5 lakh. Onboarding of incubatees is scheduled for July 2025.
Vice-Chancellor of Nagaland University, Prof. Jagadish K Patnaik, expressed pride over the university’s selection, stating that it reflects the institution’s commitment to nation-building through innovation and inclusive development.
Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi, Coordinator of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre and Incubation Centre at the university, outlined the activities planned under the initiative, including mentorship by industry leaders, and events like workshops, ideathons, bootcamps, and hackathons. He noted that the programme is the first of its kind in the region, designed to identify and nurture potential entrepreneurs, even from remote areas.
As part of its role, Nagaland University will handle trainee profiling, mobilise resources for incubation support, contribute to regional entrepreneurship research, and introduce entrepreneurship as an academic subject.
The selection of incubatees was carried out during FY 2024-25 through a stringent process involving 30 EDCs. Candidates underwent awareness and training programmes, submitted detailed project reports (DPRs), and presented their business plans before a panel of industry and ministry experts.
