A weaver shares a light moment with an attendee as they discuss the loom techniques before the start of a weaving competition during the Naga Loin Loom Festival in Diezephe village. (Morung file Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 10
Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday stated that the State Government is in the process of establishing a Yarn Bank in Nagaland, which has the potential to play a transformative role in strengthening the state's traditional textile sector while supporting artisans and weavers.
In addition, the initiative could serve as a platform for documenting, standardizing, and customizing traditional Naga designs and motifs for commercial applications without compromising their cultural authenticity, the CM said at the ongoing 8th session of 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly in Kohima on March 10.
Through collaboration with local weavers, designers, and relevant institutions, these distinctive patterns can be adapted for contemporary markets such as fashion, home décor, and handicrafts. This approach would not only help preserve Nagaland’s rich textile heritage but also generate sustainable livelihood opportunities, expand market access, and promote Naga identity in national and international markets, he said.
Further, the training programme being implemented under NSEDM (Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission) across multiple sectors in alignment with the Mission's objective of facilitating employment and livelihood opportunities of the youth of Nagaland.
In the current year as of February 2026 a total of 3091 candidates have been enrolled under various training programmes under NSEDM.
Out of these, 2365 candidates have successfully completed training, 495 candidates are currently undergoing training.
With the allocation of these additional training targets, 4193 training seats have been allocated under the Mission, leaving 807 candidates remaining to achieve the overall skilling target of 5000 youth under NSEDM.
The Drone School and Drone Centre of Excellence was inaugurated on January 26, under the Nagaland GIS & Remote Sensing Centre (NGISRSC), Planning Transformation Department, Government of Nagaland.
With this initiative, Nagaland becomes the second state in the entire North-East region to establish a Drone School, Dr Rio said adding that Nagaland was among the first states in the North-East region to adopt drone technology for mapping, surveying, geospatial data acquisition, and disaster management applications.
Agri & Allied Sector
Dr Rio informed the House that Nagaland has emerged as a top-performing state in the Northeast, ranking 3rd nationally among small states in NITI Aayog's Export Preparedness Index 2024 (EPI).
The state is identified as a “leader” with significant potential in exporting organic agricultural products, bamboo, textiles, and handicrafts, focusing on enhancing its export ecosystem and MSME competitiveness.
“We are also promoting enterprises in the Agri and Allied sectors. For instance, coffee is currently being exported to the UAE, with growing demand from Bahrain, Europe, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan, Dr Rio said adding that pineapple is being exported to the UAE, while processed King Chilli is being exported to several European countries.
