The Department of Industries and Commerce held the Entrepreneur Award 2025 in Kohima to honour eight entrepreneurs.
DIMAPUR — The Department of Industries and Commerce organised the Entrepreneur Award 2025 ceremony at its conference hall in Kohima on Wednesday to recognise and honour entrepreneurs for their outstanding achievements and contributions to entrepreneurship development in the state.
According to a DIPR report, the department felicitated eight entrepreneurs who were selected by the State Selection Committee after evaluating applications received from across the state.
Speaking at the ceremony, Director of Industries and Commerce P Tokugha Sema acknowledged Advisor for Industries and Commerce Hekani Jakhalu for guiding the department's initiatives.
Congratulating the awardees, he described them as genuine entrepreneurs whose achievements were the result of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. He said entrepreneurship is a long and challenging journey that requires passion and commitment, noting that success cannot be achieved or sustained without these qualities.
Tokugha further stated that building an enterprise takes years of effort and sacrifice and highlighted that those who remain committed to their goals and work with sincerity are more likely to achieve success. He added that commitment is one of the most important factors in attaining long-term growth and success.
Also read: Nagaland charts agriculture-led roadmap for Viksit Bharat@2047
Advisor Jakhalu congratulated the awardees and commended them for their contribution to Nagaland's economy through job creation and enterprise development. She said the state 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.
She informed that 750 MSMEs have been identified for a six-month mentoring programme aimed at helping them scale up and become leading representatives of Nagaland's entrepreneurial sector, particularly under the Naturally Nagaland initiative, which focuses on promoting Made-in-Nagaland products.
Jakhalu urged entrepreneurs to avoid the "founder's trap", where business owners become overly dependent on handling every aspect of operations themselves, making it difficult to step away for training or learning opportunities. Underlining that continuous learning is essential for growth, she encouraged entrepreneurs to build systems, delegate responsibilities, and invest in networking, stating that strong business ecosystems help enterprises grow.
She also acknowledged the support of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for initiatives aimed at strengthening MSMEs and local businesses and said entrepreneurs would play a vital role in shaping the future economic development of the state.
The awardees recognised for their outstanding contributions in various sectors were Pisala Sangtam, founder of Forever Handmade 21, Kiphire; S Khumo, proprietor of Art and 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 town.
Delivering the closing remarks, Joint Director K Francis Hekavi said that the programme marked the beginning of a larger journey and not the final destination. He urged the entrepreneurs to keep the entrepreneurial spark alive, support local businesses, and become torchbearers for economic growth and enterprise development in the state.