Dimapur: Nagaland Adviser for Industries & Commerce Hekani Jakhalu on Wednesday said 750 MSMEs have been identified for a six-month mentoring programme to help them scale up and become leading representatives of Nagaland’s entrepreneurial sector, particularly under the Naturally Nagaland initiative, which promotes Made-in-Nagaland products.
Jakhalu was addressing the Entrepreneur Award 2025 ceremony at the Conference Hall of the Industries & Commerce Department in Kohima.
Nine entrepreneurs from the state were honoured during the programme for their outstanding contributions across various sectors.
She said the recognition was intended not only to honour their achievements but also to encourage them to expand their businesses at the state, national, and global levels.
Highlighting the department’s efforts under the RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) programme, Jakhalu said extensive outreach activities, including village-level workshops, have been conducted to promote entrepreneurship across the state.
Jakhalu urged entrepreneurs to avoid the “founder’s trap”, in which business owners become overly dependent on managing every aspect of their operations, making it difficult to step away for training or learning opportunities.
Emphasising that continuous learning is essential for growth, she urged entrepreneurs to build systems, delegate responsibilities, and invest in networking, saying that strong business ecosystems help enterprises grow.
The awardees were Pisala Sangtam, founder of Forever Handmade 21, Kiphire; S. Khumo, proprietor of Art & Craft Unit, Noklak; Liyingbeni Odyuo, founder of Liying Clothing, Dimapur; Vitoli Achumi, proprietor of Aasuto Enterprise, Dimapur; Imtisunup Longchar, founder of Ilandlo Services, Dimapur; Ajung Yaden and Atem Longkumer, founders of TRIBOLT, Dimapur; Supongtola Aier, proprietor of Zonee Food Products, Dimapur; and Alem Konyak, founder of Beads Jewellery, Mon.