In a significant push to position the Northeast Region (NER) of India as a rising hub for gaming and creative technology, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched the “LevelUp Northeast” initiative—an ambitious, year-long programme aimed at equipping youth with future-ready skills and promoting digital innovation.
Nagaland is set to play a key role in this digital transformation journey, with the first leg of Game Development Workshops (Game Dev Workshops) scheduled to take place on July 8 at Kohima Science College and July 9 at Tetso College, Dimapur.
The initiative is structured around two core verticals:
LevelUp: Youth – The Gaming Track, which focuses on workshops, game jams, and mentorship for youth exploring careers in gaming, digital storytelling, and interactive technologies.
LevelUp: MSME – The AI Enablement Track, which is designed to empower Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with AI and digital tools for operational efficiency and growth.
The Gaming Track is being executed in partnership with Game Forge, a platform that bridges academia and the gaming industry to build a robust talent pipeline in India’s fast-growing gaming and esports market.
Speaking at a press conference, Hokhuli Sema, Chairperson of the Nagaland State Council, CII, and CEO of Faith Hospital Dimapur, emphasized the importance of embracing creative technology as a pathway for youth employment and regional identity building. “We are not just training for jobs—we’re building a future rooted in our culture, talents, and stories,” she said.
“This focus sector was not picked at random,” she said. “A lot of research, discussion and groundwork was done to understand the viability of gaming in the Northeast.”
Highlighting the vision behind the initiative, she stated that the LevelUp Game Development Workshop represents a strategic convergence of youth empowerment, creative storytelling, and digital technology.
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“The Northeast, with its strong creative sensibilities, storytelling traditions, and tech-savvy youth, offers untapped potential to participate meaningfully in this industry,” she said adding, “By focusing on gaming, we are opening a gateway for regional talent to connect with global opportunities in art, animation, design, and software development—all of which have broader applications in education, media, and digital services.”
The highlights of the Game Dev Workshops in Nagaland include practical sessions on game development and design; Mentorship from leading industry professionals; Opportunities to showcase talent and explore careers in gaming; Panels on storytelling, world-building, and applying game design to real-world problems; and Promotion of local narratives, folklore, and cultural identity in game development
Industry leaders participating in the workshops include Saurabh Shah, Head of People Operations, KRAFTON India; Manva Hunswadkar, Lead-PR, KRAFTON India; Karan Gaikwad, Lead-India PM, KRAFTON India; Dr Shraddha Damle, Advocate, In-House IP Attorney and Karthick B, Associate Professor, Chitkara Centre for Game Design & Immersive Technologies.
The sessions aim to introduce youth to the expanding global opportunities in the gaming sector, while encouraging them to innovate using Nagaland’s rich storytelling traditions and aesthetic heritage.
A notable element of the initiative is its push for integrating local culture and narratives into game design—offering a unique opportunity for youth to create games that reflect their identity and traditions.
By merging skill development with cultural preservation, LevelUp Northeast is not only equipping youth for the digital economy but also enabling the Northeast to contribute meaningfully to India’s emerging creative technology ecosystem.
