Rio pitches Nagaland as investor-ready at Rising Northeast Summit

Nagaland chief minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio participated in a series of high-level meetings with representatives from corporate companies, foreign delegations, and private investors during the Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025 held in New Delhi.
Promoting Nagaland as a business-ready destination, Rio highlighted the state’s commitment to ease of doing business, with streamlined single-window clearances to facilitate investment processes. He described Nagaland as an investor-friendly state with a strong talent pool, backed by one of the highest literacy rates in the country.
“We invite corporate partners and investors to join us in our shared mission of nation-building,” Rio stated in a post on X, positioning Nagaland as a potential hub for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Rio showcases NE’s textile potential: Addressing the technical session at the Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025 on the theme “Threads of Heritage: Textiles, Handlooms & Handicrafts in Focus”, Rio underscored the North East Region’s (NER) immense potential in textiles and handicrafts while calling for a united push to transform traditional crafts into global opportunities.
In a post on social media X, Rio described the summit as more than a business meet, terming it “a celebration of a living legacy, weaving tradition and opportunity, and a tribute to the region’s culture and potential.”
Highlighting the diversity of the region, Rio said the NER is “a tapestry of stories, woven with the threads of over 200 tribes and 192 languages.” He noted that the crafts of the region are not only artistic expressions but also symbols of “resilience, creativity, hope, and empowerment”— with over 70% of artisans being women.
While the region contributes over three-fourths of the country’s handicraft output, Rio pointed out that it accounts for less than 1% of national handicraft exports, reflecting a significant untapped opportunity.
Focusing on Nagaland, the chief minister said the state is working to ensure quality control for yarn, colour, and handloom production to meet international standards. He added that the state government is collaborating with tribal hohos and women’s organisations to standardise designs, preserve authenticity, and ensure fair pricing—aimed at making Naga handlooms market-ready and increasing weavers’ income.
Rio acknowledged the central government’s support through its “Act East” policy and the Ministry of Textiles (@TexMinIndia), which he said is instrumental in transforming the textile ecosystem of the region via various schemes. He noted that the handloom and handicrafts sector employs nearly 25 lakh artisans in the NER, making it the second-largest economic activity after agriculture.
Terming the region as a “goldmine for investors”, Rio highlighted advantages such as a skilled workforce, 100% FDI in textiles, and government subsidies and tax reimbursements. He also stressed that the growth of the handloom sector contributes significantly to employment generation and poverty reduction.
“Together, let us thread the needles of progress and stitch a brighter, bolder future for the region,” Rio concluded.