Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio, flanked by Deputy CMs TR Zeliang and Y Patton, during the handover of 15 Letters of Interest and CSR commitments to IDAN at Nagaland Connect 2026, a CSR conclave organised by IDAN at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on June 23. (DIPR Photo)
CSR Conclave secures over Rs 30 crore commitments
KOHIMA/NEW DELHI, JUNE 24 (MExN): The Nagaland Connect 2026 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conclave, organised by the Investment & Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN), has secured commitments worth over Rs 30 crore, with Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio urging India's corporate sector to view Nagaland as "a destination for opportunity" rather than a recipient of aid.
According to the State DIPR, a total of 15 Letters of Interest and CSR commitments worth over Rs 30 crore were handed over to IDAN in the presence of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Ministers TR Zeliang and Y Patton, and other members of the State government during the conclave held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on June 23.
The commitments were secured during a roundtable organised by IDAN and CSRBox that brought together more than 40 companies and culminated in the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding, Letters of Intent and Statements of Commitment in the presence of the Chief Minister and other senior State leaders.
In his keynote address at the IDAN organised conclave, themed "Forging Partnerships, Creating Impact," CM Rio described CSR as "an instrument of equity" rather than merely a compliance requirement and called on corporates to look beyond conventional investment destinations.
"Nagaland today is not merely a destination for assistance, it is a destination for opportunity," he said, highlighting the State's young population, strategic location under India's Act East Policy, and initiatives such as the Nagaki Incubation City.
He said the government had established a single-window mechanism through IDAN to facilitate and monitor CSR partnerships and invited companies to "invest in people and possibilities."
The Chief Minister identified education, healthcare, livelihoods, sports, environmental sustainability, women's empowerment and youth development as priority sectors for CSR engagement.
Addressing the conclave, IDAN Chairman and Advisor to the Chief Minister, Abu Metha, called on the corporate sector to direct greater CSR investments towards frontier regions such as Nagaland, noting that the State receives disproportionately lower CSR funding compared to more developed states.
Describing Nagaland as "fertile ground for innovative partnerships," Metha said India's vision of becoming a developed nation could not be realised without investing in and empowering its frontier regions.
Meanwhile, a context-setting session by CSRBox highlighted emerging trends and opportunities for impactful CSR partnerships before the formal exchange of commitments and collaborative agreements.
The roundtable focused on six priority sectors aligned with Nagaland's development agenda: health, nutrition, WASH and sanitation; education, livelihoods and skilling; rural development; sports and youth development; environment, biodiversity and climate resilience; and gender equality, inclusion and digital access.
Digital access remains among the most underserved areas requiring greater corporate engagement, IDAN noted.
The roundtable aimed to strengthen dialogue between corporates and the State government, promote multi-sector collaboration, explore co-investment opportunities with government schemes, and develop a pipeline of investment-ready projects.
As the State's nodal agency for investment promotion and partnership management, IDAN also assured participating companies of comprehensive facilitation support, including project identification, regulatory clearances, partnership development, and ongoing monitoring of CSR initiatives, the DIPR added. The event concluded with closing remarks by Additional Secretary Vineet Kumar.
