The month of July bore witness to more than 23,000 aspirants applying for 154 Forest Guard posts in Nagaland. Nearly 15,000 physically turned up to run, sweat, and compete against all odds for a job whose vacancy list couldn’t even absorb 1% of the hopefuls. Rather than a display of passion for forestry but a display of symptom- a symptom of generational mindsets (and dare we say desperation), despite a rise in educated youth, we are still shackled to the idea that government jobs are the only legitimate gateway to stability.
Such dependency is not unique to Nagaland, but its intensity here is deafening. We talk of youth empowerment, skill development, entrepreneurship but the default setting remains unchanged. Civil service or nothing. Meanwhile, an entire ecosystem of creativity, culture, and grassroots enterprise lies underfed and undervalued.
When we look towards the East, countries such as South Korea have turned K-pop into a billion-dollar soft power tool; Japan exports not just cars but also anime and matcha.
Even smaller economies like Estonia and Finland have positioned design, animation, and gaming at the heart of national growth. It’s because they understood that identity when packaged with originality is not just something you protect, it can be translated into something you promote to the rest of the world.
There is no denying that Nagaland has huge reserves of raw capital. From intricate hand-woven textiles and bamboo crafts to indie music, culinary innovation, and digital storytelling, the state is brimming with creative assets. However, it is in-cohesive, scattered, informal, under-recognized and under-valued. Talent here often stays local not by choice but by default, never scaling into livelihood or enterprise.
Nagaland need not emulate large-scale industrial states. It can chart a path of its own rooted in identity, resourcefulness, and creative spirit. And fortunately, the change is on the horizon. The Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) has begun to craft a new narrative one where creativity and innovation are not fringe ideals, but central to Nagaland’s development strategy. Under its Creative Economy initiative, supported by the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), IDAN is building structural support for creative sectors. This includes fostering value chains, opening market access, improving digital infrastructure, and exploring export potential for both cultural goods and niche agricultural products. The initiative emphasizes endogenous development, a development that stems from within, shaped by the people, culture, and environment of the region. IDAN’s strategic interventions directs to a model of growth that is inclusive, community-led, and rooted in dignity.
This vision, however, cannot be realized by institutions alone. A new economy needs a new shift one that rewards originality, celebrates cultural capital, and invests in ideas. And for Nagaland, this shift is the need of the hour. It demands a broader cultural shift that spans generations.
The older generation must be willing to let go of outdated hierarchies of work and recognize the dignity in alternative careers. Simultaneously, the younger generation must put in the hours, master their craft, and stop waiting for breakthrough that comes without preparation. For creativity to succeed, it must be treated not only as an expression but as an enterprise.
The question is no longer whether the creative economy can thrive in Nagaland. It is whether we are ready to build the systems, policies, and attitudes that will allow it to lead the way. The creative economy may not have the answer to every question but it is perhaps our most promising compass.
And yes, if we are willing to lean into our strengths, let go of the old ways that have been holding us back and embrace new changes, build with both courage and direction, then the creative economy just might be Nagaland’s strongest foundation yet towards a fulfilling future.
- Entrepreneur School of Business, Dimapur.