North East power conclave: Nagaland seeks private investment to tackle power deficit

Highlighting the urgent need for investment and collaboration to overcome its persistent energy deficit, Nagaland Power minister K.G. Kenye called upon industry stakeholders to turn their attention to Nagaland during the inaugural session of the two-day North East Power Conclave 2025, which began Tuesday in Guwahati, a PTI report stated.
“Nagaland is a state with a huge energy deficit and growing demand. We have faced a resource crunch due to political situations, and private players and big industrialists have stayed away because of the dynamics surrounding the state. Things are, however, changing and the environment is now conducive, and private partnerships are beginning to come in,” Kenye said, positioning Nagaland as a viable destination for energy sector investment.
The conclave, organised by the Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA), seeks to foster regional collaboration, promote sustainable power generation, and enhance transmission and last-mile connectivity across the North East.
IEEMA president Sunil Singhvi highlighted the region’s critical role in the national renewable energy roadmap.
“Actually, the Northeast is the gateway for the energy transition—it’s not only the gateway to Southeast Asia.
The region has huge potential, with approximately 58,000 megawatts of hydro capacity, which is critical for meeting our renewable energy targets and has an investment potential of about Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 crore over the next 10 years, whether it is in hydro generation or grid expansion,” Sunil Singhvi said.
Despite its geographical challenges, the industry can deploy modern technologies here, local industries can be trained, and ‘we can work together with regulators, the government, and local manpower to skill them and transition the entire system onto a new technology platform’, he added.
The conclave also featured a buyer-seller meet on the sidelines giving participating companies an opportunity to forge profitable business partnerships to drive growth.
With a strong focus on green energy, modern transmission systems, and cross-state cooperation, the event has brought together over 500 delegates including officials, industry experts and policymakers from across the region.