Nagaland joins ‘DigiSAPNE’ to boost startups in Northeast

Startup Acceleration Programme for Northeast (DigiSAPNE) was officially launched for the state of Nagaland, by CEO, AIC SMU Technology Business Incubation Foundation (AIC-SMUTBI), Dr.Chingtham Tejbanta Singh. The initiative aims to accelerate growth of promising start-ups across the region, with a special focus on encouraging participation from Nagaland.
Addressing a section of the media at Espace on Monday, Dr.Tejbanta Singh highlighted the significance of DigiSAPNE, stating that the initiative was aimed at accelerating growth of promising start-ups across the region, with a special focus on encouraging participation from Nagaland.
Dr. Singh said the programme was hosted at Atal Incubation Centre at Sikkim Manipal University, one of the first Atal Incubation Centres in the Northeast, and informed that AIC-SMUTBI has partnered with various ministries to implement DigiSAPNE, designed for start-ups that have already begun operations and demonstrated some traction in their business.
He said that DigiSAPNE seeks to bridge gaps by providing structured support to help start-ups scale sustainably, whilst adding that the ongoing programme marks the second cohort, following the successful completion of the first cohort held at the same venue last year.
Recalling the achievements of the previous cohort, Dr. Singh said 12 startups from across all North Eastern states were selected, with at least one start-up from each state.
He added that one start-up from Nagaland received a grant of Rs. 10 lakh, whilst noting that all start-ups from the first cohort collectively raised close to Rs. 7 crore in external funding, generated approximately Rs. 10 crore in revenue, and created nearly 200 jobs within a year.
He further informed that the current cohort size would again be limited to 12 startups, with at least one selected from each NorthEastern state, though more than one start-up from a state may be chosen. He expressed hope that Nagaland and Northeast would increasingly become part of this growth story.
Meanwhile, a short seminar was also held, during which functional manager, Department of Industries and Commerce, Lucy Ngouri, spoke on Startup India, a flagship Government of India initiative launched in 2016, noting that the programme aims to transform India into a nation of job creators through innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
Dwelling on Startup Nagaland, she said that Startup Nagalandwas launched in 2019, with the Directorate of Industries and Commerce as the nodal agency, and that Nagaland has been recognized as an “aspiring state” in 2019, 2021 and 2022, and as a leader in Category B on National Startup Day, January 16.
Ngouri stated that Nagaland currently has five recognized incubators, including the first incubation centre with a PwD centre.
She added that Startup Nagaland has signed two MoUs, with 366 start-ups registered in the state, which has generated over 1200 jobs and approximately Rs. 50 crore in revenue.
She thereby urged aspiring entrepreneurs to take calculated risks, believe in themselves, and assured that the department is ready to guide and promote genuine entrepreneurs.
Also addressing the gathering, Centre Manager, SCK, IDAN Dimapur, Vekulu Demo, spoke on the Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative (CMMFI).
She said that the state government scheme was meant exclusively for indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland, offering a 30% subsidy, with entrepreneurs required to repay only 10% of the loan amount.
Demo informed that nearly 100 individuals have benefited from the scheme through their office so far, and assured that guidance is provided free of cost, with loan approvals typically taking about a month. She also encouraged interested entrepreneurs to visit the IDAN office for further information.