NABARD pegs Nagaland credit potential at Rs. 3,088 crore

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised the State Credit Seminar (SCS) 2026–27 at Hotel de Oriental Grand, Kohima, on Tuesday under the theme “Promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovation.”
The seminar brought together senior officials of the State Government, Reserve Bank of India, bankers, financial institutions, and development agencies to deliberate on credit planning and development priorities for Nagaland. On the occasion, NABARD released the State Focus Paper (SFP) 2026–27, projecting the State’s priority sector credit potential at Rs. 3,088.27 crore for FY 2026–27. The SFP, prepared through a bottom-up approach, serves as a key input for formulation of the Annual Credit Plan (ACP) by banks.
In his opening remarks, P. Bulte, General Manager/OIC, NABARD, highlighted the launch of Potential Linked Credit Plans (PLPs) for all 17 districts of Nagaland and stressed the importance of coordination and timely data sharing among stakeholders. He also pointed to Agristack as a priority for enabling targeted credit delivery to farmers.
H. Lalhlimpuia, SLBC Coordinator, expressed concern over low priority sector lending at 24.81 per cent, below the mandated 40 per cent, and urged banks to improve performance. Sibo Nekhini, General Manager/OIC, RBI, emphasised the need for better data accuracy and youth upskilling to enhance employability.
Imtimenla, Additional Secretary, Finance Department, called for credit planning aligned with Nagaland’s ecological conditions, highlighting terrace farming, plantations, livestock, agro-forestry, and jhum cultivation as focus areas. She also referred to the Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative to expand formal credit coverage.
Orenthung Lotha, Commissioner & Secretary (Cooperation), noted that the Nagaland Integrated Information System would improve data reliability and highlighted progress under PACS computerisation, with 231 PACS already digitised. He reiterated youth skill development as a priority despite Nagaland’s high literacy rate.
The seminar concluded with open-house discussions on sectoral credit performance, infrastructure bottlenecks, KCC and land-related issues, reaffirming collective commitment of the State Government, banks, and NABARD to strengthen grassroots institutions and accelerate inclusive development in Nagaland.