DIMAPUR, SEP 3 (NPN): Nagaland entrepreneur L. Chuba Lkr, who recently won the “Best Aromatic Brand Award” at the Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026 in New Delhi, was accorded a warm reception by the Chakpa Union Dimapur upon his arrival at Dimapur Airport on Thursday.
Chuba, proprietor of M/s L.C. Longkumer Agar Processing Unit, was welcomed by members of Chakpa Union following his return from New Delhi, where the startup fest was held at Bharat Mandapam from August 26 to 30 in association with Film Expo India.
Speaking to the media upon his arrival, he expressed gratitude to God and thanked those who supported him in his entrepreneurial journey.
Chuba said his interest in agarwood was inspired by his father, who had started the plantation in the 1960s. Following his father’s passing, he ventured into agarwood processing and oil production.
With years of hands-on experience in cultivation, sourcing, processing and distillation, Chuba said his objective was to secure fair prices for locally produced agarwood, support growers, protect communities from unfair practices and generate employment opportunities.
Dwelling on the product that earned him the recognition, Chuba said he was exposed to agarwood from a young age and continued researching and working in the field over the years. He said he subsequently introduced a new distiller which, according to him, had not been used in India. He added that proper processing of raw materials through the new distillation method resulted in an oil product that was recognised at the startup fest.
He also highlighted the potential of agarwood cultivation in the State, stating that the air, water and soil conditions were important factors in determining quality.
Asked on the potential for educated unemployed youth to venture into entrepreneurship, Chuba stressed the importance of patience, training and commitment.
He cited the example of one of his employee, who has been working with him for more than 10 years and has acquired expertise in various stages of processing, from cutting chips to extracting oil.
He further noted that Nagas need to be patient and work together, expressing hope that more people would come forward to explore entrepreneurship and create employment opportunities.
Asked on offers received from companies seeking to promote agarwood oil and wood and invest in the State, he replied that he had not yet signed any Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with any company, asserting that he wanted to study the proposals carefully before making a decision.
He informed that he had received offers from European countries as well as from within India. He further added that he would consult advisor, TN Mannen and take final decision after further discussions.
On expanding agarwood entrepreneurship to other districts in the State, Chuba said farmers should first understand suitability of soil and other local conditions before investing in the sector.
He also encouraged Nagas to consult one another and work collectively, stating that greater cooperation and knowledge-sharing could help Nagaland succeed in the agarwood industry.