e-Naga Summit 2022, a programme to promote e-governance culture in Nagaland, was held today at the conference hall of the Directorate of IT&C.
The Summit was organised by the Department of Information Technology & Communication in collaboration with Indo British Business Forum, United Kingdom.
The event was held under the theme ‘Towards promotion of secured digital services and investment opportunities in the State of Nagaland’.
Mmhonlumo Kikon, Advisor, Information Technology & Communication, Science & Technology & NRE, was the special guest.
Addressing on the occasion, Kikon said the theme has been designed to address the specific needs of the state towards promotion of a secured digital services and investment opportunities.
“This is the last e-Naga summit of the 13 legislative assembly. We have had people coming from across the world to Nagaland, sharing not just their ideas and programmes but also participating and engaging with the government of Nagaland to ensure that our objectives in the state for creating not just the e-governance or IT culture but enabling us to take the advantage of the huge opportunities that IT sector brings in.”
Mmhonlumo Kikon, advisor for IT&C and NRE, speaking at the E-Naga Summit 2022 on 14 December. (Credit: DIPR)
He declared the state’s vision is to make Nagaland the next IT hub and said the department has won various accolades, drawing attention to three special achievements.
“In 2022, Nagaland won Indian Express Group and Express Computers, Enterprise Application for innovative best practise in e-governance. In 2021 under National e-governance service value assessment, Nagaland topped in the state portal in the Northeast and Hill States category and in 2019, National e-governance Service Delivery Assessment, Nagaland won in the Northeast and Hill States category”
Kikon further said: “Under e-District project, we have enabled 47 e-services and all the department websites are hosted in state data centre.”
He stated that e-governance has facilitated the access to Nagaland Public Service Commission and Inner Line Permit as well hugely benefiting the people, particularly the interior people of the state.
The advisor further said biometric attendance system has also been implemented in various government offices in the state capital. Commenting on the inauguration of the Nagaland’s 1st and India’s 61st Software Technology Park of India (STPI) by the Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrashekha, he stated that STPI has been designated by Government of India as the central excellence in computer graphic and application.
Inviting the people for collaboration in terms of exposure, participation, product development and manufacturing with the state government, departments and agencies, Kikon said as part of various programmes the state is ready to pursue, enable and empower centralisation and start-ups. “We will follow up and we will follow through,” he said.
“Our collaboration should benefit our citizens and our citizens are also eager to work with all of you in the future so that we create better Nagaland for better India,” he added.
The advisor asserted the government has come forward to accept all great ideas and is very focused and clear about the priority to use its services and all the platforms available to ensure development is implemented successfully.
“It is not just people, we are thinking of small solutions, smart solutions to small problems as well,” he said.
There is no way the communication will stop between the government and bright minds and the present dispensation is willing to accept actionable plans based on the realistic assessment, Kikon stated. He encouraged and urged the people to participate actively without solely depending on the government alone and to take equal responsibility.
“Think that you are the great minds of the state,” Kikon said.
Shri @MmhonlumoKikon, Hon’ble Advisor, IT&C, NRE & S&T addressing the e-Naga Summit as special Guest at the @ditc_nagaland. The summit has resource persons from the @IndoBritish, @WorldBankIndia, @EANagaland @ramietech and @ESDSDataCenter. pic.twitter.com/PQ7byBrism
— MyGov Nagaland (@MyGovNagaland) December 14, 2022
Earlier, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister IT&C and Power, K D Vizo, delivered the welcome and keynote address. Kavita Sharma, CEO Indo British Business Forum United Kingdom, also spoke on the occasion.
Principal Secretary K D Vizo, in his address, said the department of Information Technology & Communication was created in the year 2004 and the e-Naga Summit was organised in 2015 to promote e-governance culture in the state.
He mentioned that initially they tried to create awareness amongst the politicians, the bureaucrats, the entrepreneurs and businesses and were successful but the youths and the college students were more interested as their response was huge and as Nagaland has the most active users of social media, it was ready to take up e-governance and the IT Sector.
He also said IT culture was to bring transparency, accountability and efficiency, and to change the mindset of the people about the work culture and society. He stressed that the biggest challenge was to change the work culture and the people along with the technology change.
CEO of Indo British Business Forum, UK, Kavita Sharma, said Indo British Business Forum is a private firm committed to bringing investments in India and also an opportunity-based firm that looks for opportunities to bring investments in India.
She mentioned that the UK Government and the Indian Government have signed a free trade agreement worth 52 billion pounds, where for the first time, UK fruits will enter India without any duty and vice-versa for the fruits from Nagaland such as kiwi, pineapple and dragon fruits.
Sharma said the firm was interested to invest in the power sector and renewable energy and would consider climate control. She also said basic infrastructure in the state was not available and Nagaland needs investment in roads. She said there were opportunities for young entrepreneurs and the small and medium industries that need to be addressed.
The resources persons were Nitin Agarwal, Director Leverage Capital, IBBF; Neichute Doulo, CEO The Entrepreneurs Associates Nagaland; Arun Sharma, Senior Digital Development Specialist World Bank; Rakesh Kumar Boylla, MD KR Project & Maestro Technologies IBBF; Kishore Shah, CEO for SPOCHUB and ESDS Group Nashik Maharashtra; and Kedo Nagi, Proprietor, M/s Ramietech Solutions, Nagaland.
