Dimapur: Two entrepreneurs from Nagaland-D. Ledia Awomi and L. Chuba Lkr-won awards in the categories of Best Cultural Performance and Best Aromatic Plant, respectively, at the Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026 in association with Film Expo India, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from August 26 to 30.
Ideabaaz is a startup investment and edutainment platform aimed at providing entrepreneurs and startups an opportunity to pitch innovative ideas directly to venture capitalists, investors, mentors and industry experts, while simultaneously creating a live learning environment for students and aspiring entrepreneurs. The fest featured exhibitions, presentations, networking sessions, awards, workshops, panel discussions and showcases.
D. Ledia Awomi, president of Ethnic Group of Nagaland (EGON), curated an ethnic fashion show showcasing Nagaland’s traditional attire and handlooms. Sharing her association with Ideabaaz, she said her previous work-including collaborations with women organisations, organising fashion events and involvement in local movie productions-brought her in contact with the platform. She expressed hope that Nagaland’s rich culture would be further promoted through future collaborations and acknowledged the support of the Tourism Department, Government of Nagaland.
Entrepreneur L. Chuba Lkr, proprietor of M/s L.C. Longkumer Agar Processing Unit established in 2016, received the Best Aromatic Plant Award. His father began agarwood plantation in the 1960s, and after his passing, Chuba started the processing unit for agarwood oil production. With decades of hands on experience in cultivation, sourcing, processing and distillation, he said his motivation was to secure fair prices for locally produced agarwood, support growers, protect communities from unfair practices and create employment opportunities.
Highlighting Nagaland’s favourable soil, water and climate for producing high quality agar oil, Chuba said the State’s agarwood oil is prized for its resinous texture and distinct sweet smell, which lasts longer compared to others. However, he cautioned that this uniqueness has also led to fake claims of agarwood oil originating from Nagaland.
He revealed that most of his customers are from Middle Eastern countries and shared plans to expand retail presence in Dubai and Bangkok, while also producing a new agar grade oil made entirely from 100% Nagaland agarwood, a project he described as “very close to my heart.” He noted that limited distillation capacity remains a challenge in the State and emphasised the need to expand facilities to leverage production.
Encouraging young entrepreneurs to explore agarwood ventures, Chuba said the enterprise requires comparatively low yearly maintenance costs aside from initial capital investment, but cautioned that it is a tedious process requiring patience to produce quality oil.
