New Delhi, August 31 (MExN): Two entrepreneurs from Nagaland, D Ledia Awomi and L Chuba Lkr, have won awards in the categories of 'Best Cultural Performance' and 'Best Aromatic Plant', respectively, at the Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026.
The event was organised in association with Film Expo India at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from August 26 to August 30.
Ideabaaz is a startup-investment and edutainment platform designed to provide entrepreneurs and startups an opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas directly to venture capitalists, investors, mentors, and industry experts, while simultaneously creating a live learning environment for students and aspiring entrepreneurs. The multi-day fest featured exhibitions, presentations, networking sessions, awards, workshops, panel discussions, and showcases.
Awomi, who is the President of Ethnic Group of Nagaland (EGON), curated an ethnic fashion show during the event to showcase the rich attire and handlooms of the state. Sharing how she came into association with Ideabaaz, Awomi said that her previous body of work—including working with women's organisations, organising fashion events, and contributing to local film production—brought her into contact with the platform. She expressed hope that the state's cultural heritage will be further promoted through future collaborations with Ideabaaz, while also acknowledging the Tourism Department, Government of Nagaland, for their support.
Meanwhile, entrepreneur L Chuba Lkr received the 'Best Aromatic Plant' award. He is the proprietor of M/s L.C. Longkumer Agar Processing Unit, established in 2016. Taking forward an agarwood plantation started by his father in the early 1960s, Lkr set up the processing unit for agarwood oil production after his father's demise.
With decades of hands-on experience in the cultivation, sourcing, processing, and distillation of agarwood oil, Lkr shared that his core motivations for starting the enterprise were to secure fair prices for locally produced agarwood, support growers and plantation workers, protect communities from unfair practices, and generate local employment opportunities.
Highlighting the state's favourable soil, water, and climatic conditions for producing high-quality agar oil, Lkr noted that Nagaland's agarwood oil remains a prized commodity. He pointed out that the oil produced in the state is notably more resinous, with a distinct, long-lasting sweet aroma compared to alternatives; however, this distinctiveness has also led to counterfeit claims of oil originating from the state.
Lkr mentioned that the majority of his clientele is based in Middle Eastern countries. Outlining his future roadmap, he shared plans to expand the enterprise's retail footprint into key international markets like Dubai and Bangkok, alongside launching a new grade of oil derived exclusively from 100 per cent Nagaland agarwood—a project he described as "very close to my heart."
Underlining that limited distillation capacity remains a critical operational bottleneck in Nagaland, Lkr stated that augmenting distillation infrastructure will be essential to scaling up state-wide production.
Encouraging young entrepreneurs to enter the sector, he noted that the venture does not require extensive technical expertise and incurs comparatively lower annual maintenance costs after the initial capital investment, though he cautioned that the distillation cycle remains a tedious process requiring significant patience to produce premium-grade agarwood oil.
