The Innovation NE Week- a three day event from May 26 to 28 May began today at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Kohima.
The Innovation NE Week, Tech Age & Digital Transformation which is a flagship event hosted by NIELIT under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India is a platform which will bring together senior government leadership, startup founders, industry leaders, investors, educators, and young innovators to catalyze the innovation and digital transformation journey of the North East region.
Addressing the event virtually, Special Guest S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, GoI said that the Innovation week is extremely significant and has great relevance to the mission of both the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and to what all is happening with regard to the developments in the Northeast of the country. Taking pleasure in NIELIT, GoN and agencies including Startup Nagaland and the Department of Industries, S Krishnan highlighted that Nagaland is progressing in a number of areas where innovation and startups are taking place. He also mentioned that Nagaland has considerable potential and distinct advantages of having a population which is comfortable in English.
Speaking on the Ministry’s focus on bringing technology to the NE, Krishnan informed that there are almost 55 NIELIT centers across India out of which 20 are in the Northeast with Kohima being one of the most active centers. The special guest expressed hope that the three-day session will enable many more opportunities and taken advantage of where the youth of the state can benefit from. He also informed on that the program for capacity building in NE which is being implemented by NIELIT where close to 1.79 lakh youth have been trained.
“The idea of innovation is always there in the human history,” said Dr. G . Hukugha Sema, IRS , Commissioner & Secretary, IT&C GoN who expressed optimism that the Innovation NE, TECH-AGE and Digital Transformation will promote, enhance growth and sustainable development and also create a better ecosystem for innovators and startups. The speaker also noted that the event will promote the cutting age for government officials on how to facilitate and collaborate with the innovators and startups as well as the cyber security and cyber safety issues.
He thanked the special guest S Krishnan, IAS for his support towards NE, for bringing in a contingent of accomplished personalities from across the country and also for choosing Kohima as the host. “The landmark event here in Kohima signifies that NE youths have immense potential in these sectors and to harness these potentials, all the stakeholders have gathered to deliberate and to analyse while discussing their way forward,” said Sema.
Realizing the potential of AI, the speaker updated, GoN has launched India AI mission 2024 and have allocated a budget of 10,300 crore for AI capacity building, for building ecosystem, resources and for empowering students startups innovators with AI and other technological infrastructure. In this regard, Sema urged Nagaland and the NE states to take advantage of the Mission. Through innovation Week and with the support of MeitY and the corporate sectors, he shared the hoped that Nagaland will be a changed developed State.
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Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi, Vice Chancellor & Director General, NIELIT, in his address, said that the three-day event is an important platform for knowledge sharing, startup showcasing, and ecosystem building. Highlighting MeitY’s commitment to the Northeast in fostering inclusive growth in the digital domain across, Tripathi mentioned that for the Northeastern States, MeitY has taken deliberate steps to ensure that the region is not left behind in the digital revolution. “Be it through infrastructure development, entrepreneurship support, or digital skilling, the vision is to bridge regional disparities and unlock the full innovation potential of this culturally rich and strategically important region,” he added.
Tripathi further highlighted that the Innovation-NE Week provides a comprehensive platform where Startups connect with industry leaders and investors, Government officials explore real-world AI and cybersecurity applications, and students participate in workshops, ideation challenges, and Pitchathons. “This holistic format is a model for future engagements where policy, innovation, and talent converge,” said the DG who extended congratulations to all organizers, partners, and participants while hoping for new collaborations, impactful ideas, and accelerate the digital transformation journey of the Northeast.
During the event, MoU between NIELIT and various academia like Vignan TBI , SPJIMR , Mumbai and ACIC IIT ( ISM) Dhanbad was signed.
To build a thriving entrepreneurial culture in the NE , NIELIT Kohima recently launched the Northeast Startup Catalyst Program, a structured startup spilling and acceleration initiative designed to empower early stage ventures with business acumen , mentorship, funding readiness and national ecosystem exposure. As a result, 25 plus startups have already been created and incubated through this initiative, with many solving grassroots problems with scalable, tech-enabled solutions. With participation from leading incubators and experts across India, the program reflects NIELIT’s commitment to not only digital skilling but also innovation-led development. The North East Startup Catalyst Program, spearheaded by NIELIT Kohima under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), Government of India, has been a milestone initiative to empower emerging entrepreneurs from the Northeast region.
The program will feature various events such as: Demo Day, where 25 startups from all eight North Eastern states will graduate and present innovations across sectors such as AgriTech, HealthTech, Cybersecurity, Green Energy, and Cloud solutions; a high-level Government Al & Cybersecurity Track to equip senior officials with insights on emerging tech applications in governance; Startup Showcase and Joint Pitch Arena, where cohort founders will pitch to a jury comprising government, industry, and ecosystem leaders; Student Pitchathon, celebrating the spirit of youth-led innovation.
The week will also include curated panel discussions, pitch training workshops, exhibition walk-throughs, networking sessions, and MoU dialogues to unlock regional collaboration and new business frontiers.
