1. First of all, I thank the Indian Embassies and the Indian Chamber of Commerce Calcutta for arranging this forum enabling the Eastern and North Eastern States of India to converge and create awareness of the investment opportunities of the region here in London.
2. For the States of North East India in general and for Nagaland in particular, this is a historic occasion, as it signifies the first step of our participation in the emerging global trade economy.
3. North East India may be seen as a remote corner of India. But when viewed from the context of Government of India’s ‘Look East Policy’ – with our diverse ethnic background, consisting mostly people who have migrated centuries ago from South East Asia – we see ourselves as the crucial economic and cultural links between India and South East Asia. The strategic importance of the region has been exemplified by the fact that it was the crucial ‘Battle of Kohima’, which changed the tide of World War-II. This historic battle was not a chance occurrence. It was the crucial battle to control the Moreh-Imphal-Kohima-Dimapur road that opens up South East Asia to the plains of India. Today, in the context of emerging global market economy the logistic importance of the region remains unchanged
4. Nagaland has made tremendous progress during the last 47 years of its Statehood. Our literacy level, at present standing above 70%, is higher than the Indian national average. Our growth in agriculture sector, especially in the last few years, has even surprised us. A quick look at the GDP of the State show that the State’s economy has been registered a healthy growth of about 15%. Such tremendous growth in agriculture sector requires corresponding entrepreneurial intervention to take advantage of the potentials, and turn them into economic opportunities.
5. Nagaland is a veritable Botanical Garden. Nagaland already has three entries in the Guinness Book of World records, namely, the hottest chilly, the tallest rice plant, and the tallest Rhododendron tree.
6. There are also tremendous increases in other Horticultural products, which are basically organic and chemical free. Floriculture is another emerging business enterprise in the State. Our flower production has crossed 1.6 million stems of high quality flowers such as anthurium, rose and lilium. Higher production levels are easily attainable.
7. Our rich mineral resources still lie largely untapped. The exploration and exploitation of oil have just begun. However, the mountains of chemical grade limestone, the huge reserves of coal, marble and decorative stones, along with the magnetite of nickel-cobalt-chromium, are yet to find takers for their commercial exploitation.
8. Nagaland also has a wide range of various species of bees such as rock bees, Apis cerena bees and the Trigona/Melipona (Stingless) bees that are found both in the wild as well as reared in homestead hives. The Government has established the Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission with the focus of drawing up a roadmap for promotion and development of honey. We have set targets of achieving honey production of 5000 MT by 2020.
9. Nagaland is rich in forest produces such as timber, cane and bamboo. Almost all the vacant fallow lands are being rapidly covered with various high value timber varieties as the people have fully realized the commercial and ecological importance of forests. Nagaland has been a major exporter of round logs, veneers, plywood and sawn timber to the rest of the country. Bamboo is another of Nagaland’s rich resource. Various technologies for wood substitution in the forms of construction, bamboo charcoal and other composite materials and products are being developed. Great opportunities are emerging in this sector, especially in the backdrop of global warming and climate change. Our target for bamboo cultivation is 50,000 hectares in the next five years. The wide scale tree plantation, rapid reforestation and extensive bamboo cultivation also opens up another scope for Industrial Houses to look into tangible Carbon Trading opportunities.
10. Nagaland is tailor made for tourism. The scenic beauty of the verdant hills, full of exotic flora and fauna, the picturesque landscapes and the vibrant tribal culture makes for breathtaking experiences. There are huge potentials for eco-tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, as also the scope for setting up of Hotels, Resorts, Air Taxi Service, tour operations and so on. The Government of India’s decision to remove the “Protected Area Permit” system for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram early this year will surely provide a much-needed impetus to the tourism industry.
11. Traditional crafts of Nagaland are unique in design reflecting the Naga people’s love of art and craft and have widespread appeal and demand in the domestic as well as offshore markets. There is substantial scope for growth in this sector.
12. Poor infrastructure, subsistence economy, social turmoil, insurgency and an environment of fear psychosis had engulfed our people for several decades. Despite these constraints, our youth have stood out as shining examples of success whenever windows of opportunity have been opened to them. With the fast spreading telecommunication network and information superhighway erasing almost all physical boundaries, and highly literate youth with a progressive outlook, fluent in English and IT savvy, Nagaland has much to offer.
13. Music is an integral part of our life. Nagaland, with its distinct indigenous populace has music and dance firmly rooted into our social framework, which is reflected in the numerous festivals celebrated throughout the year. The State Government has conceived the Music Task Force as a conduit for the promotion of ‘Music as an industry’. There is a paradigm shift from “music as a hobby” to “music as a profession”. The initiative of the Music Task Force in the development of this industry require added participative support through creative Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to open up viable avenues for the vast pool of talent to develop music as their profession.
14. In the healthcare sector, Nagaland still lacks basic infrastructure as well as manpower. The absence of adequate diagnostic and treatment facilities in the State compels thousands of patients to seek medical treatment both outside the State and the region, resulting in a huge capital outflow. There are many others who cannot afford such referrals. We invite industry to consider setting up modern multi-specialty hospitals in the State with the latest facilities that will not only benefit the populace, but also attract patients from other parts of the country and abroad. Nagaland’s ideal climatic conditions and pollution free environment by themselves are therapeutic. In addition to healthcare, Engineering, Medical, Management and other technical institutions too have potential, including academies for promotion of music and the arts.
15. Unlike other North-Eastern States, Nagaland does not have much capacity for Mega Hydro Power. The quick flowing rivers and rapids down the hills however offer potential for small hydro-power generation. The State Government has drafted the Nagaland Renewable Energy Policy, 2011 whereby (a). Project Developer/ Independent Power Producer (IPP) can develop renewable energy projects be it Hydro, Solar, Biomass, Biogas, Bio-fuels or Wind. (b). The projects can be developed through direct investment in the form of BOO, BOOT, JV or PPP model. (c). Project land can be either Government own land or private and (d). Revenue sharing model to be integrated in the project proposal.
16. &nbs p;Significant policy interventions such as the Government of India’s North East Industrial & Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) and the State Government’s own Industrial Policy, Tourism Policy, IT Policy, Bamboo Policy and Policy for Organic Cultivation, etc all offering alluring packages of incentives.
17. Our policy on “Communitisation” of public institutions is one such effort, which has been hailed countrywide. Communitisation means entrusting the people, the actual beneficiaries and stakeholders, with the power and responsibilities of running and management of public institutions and services at the grass root level. For this effort, the State Government has won recognition and also awarded at National as well as International platforms.
18. I take this opportunity to provoke your sense of adventure and invite the captains of European industry and business to come and see for yourselves the vast potentials available in Nagaland.
2. For the States of North East India in general and for Nagaland in particular, this is a historic occasion, as it signifies the first step of our participation in the emerging global trade economy.
3. North East India may be seen as a remote corner of India. But when viewed from the context of Government of India’s ‘Look East Policy’ – with our diverse ethnic background, consisting mostly people who have migrated centuries ago from South East Asia – we see ourselves as the crucial economic and cultural links between India and South East Asia. The strategic importance of the region has been exemplified by the fact that it was the crucial ‘Battle of Kohima’, which changed the tide of World War-II. This historic battle was not a chance occurrence. It was the crucial battle to control the Moreh-Imphal-Kohima-Dimapur road that opens up South East Asia to the plains of India. Today, in the context of emerging global market economy the logistic importance of the region remains unchanged
4. Nagaland has made tremendous progress during the last 47 years of its Statehood. Our literacy level, at present standing above 70%, is higher than the Indian national average. Our growth in agriculture sector, especially in the last few years, has even surprised us. A quick look at the GDP of the State show that the State’s economy has been registered a healthy growth of about 15%. Such tremendous growth in agriculture sector requires corresponding entrepreneurial intervention to take advantage of the potentials, and turn them into economic opportunities.
5. Nagaland is a veritable Botanical Garden. Nagaland already has three entries in the Guinness Book of World records, namely, the hottest chilly, the tallest rice plant, and the tallest Rhododendron tree.
6. There are also tremendous increases in other Horticultural products, which are basically organic and chemical free. Floriculture is another emerging business enterprise in the State. Our flower production has crossed 1.6 million stems of high quality flowers such as anthurium, rose and lilium. Higher production levels are easily attainable.
7. Our rich mineral resources still lie largely untapped. The exploration and exploitation of oil have just begun. However, the mountains of chemical grade limestone, the huge reserves of coal, marble and decorative stones, along with the magnetite of nickel-cobalt-chromium, are yet to find takers for their commercial exploitation.
8. Nagaland also has a wide range of various species of bees such as rock bees, Apis cerena bees and the Trigona/Melipona (Stingless) bees that are found both in the wild as well as reared in homestead hives. The Government has established the Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission with the focus of drawing up a roadmap for promotion and development of honey. We have set targets of achieving honey production of 5000 MT by 2020.
9. Nagaland is rich in forest produces such as timber, cane and bamboo. Almost all the vacant fallow lands are being rapidly covered with various high value timber varieties as the people have fully realized the commercial and ecological importance of forests. Nagaland has been a major exporter of round logs, veneers, plywood and sawn timber to the rest of the country. Bamboo is another of Nagaland’s rich resource. Various technologies for wood substitution in the forms of construction, bamboo charcoal and other composite materials and products are being developed. Great opportunities are emerging in this sector, especially in the backdrop of global warming and climate change. Our target for bamboo cultivation is 50,000 hectares in the next five years. The wide scale tree plantation, rapid reforestation and extensive bamboo cultivation also opens up another scope for Industrial Houses to look into tangible Carbon Trading opportunities.
10. Nagaland is tailor made for tourism. The scenic beauty of the verdant hills, full of exotic flora and fauna, the picturesque landscapes and the vibrant tribal culture makes for breathtaking experiences. There are huge potentials for eco-tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, as also the scope for setting up of Hotels, Resorts, Air Taxi Service, tour operations and so on. The Government of India’s decision to remove the “Protected Area Permit” system for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram early this year will surely provide a much-needed impetus to the tourism industry.
11. Traditional crafts of Nagaland are unique in design reflecting the Naga people’s love of art and craft and have widespread appeal and demand in the domestic as well as offshore markets. There is substantial scope for growth in this sector.
12. Poor infrastructure, subsistence economy, social turmoil, insurgency and an environment of fear psychosis had engulfed our people for several decades. Despite these constraints, our youth have stood out as shining examples of success whenever windows of opportunity have been opened to them. With the fast spreading telecommunication network and information superhighway erasing almost all physical boundaries, and highly literate youth with a progressive outlook, fluent in English and IT savvy, Nagaland has much to offer.
13. Music is an integral part of our life. Nagaland, with its distinct indigenous populace has music and dance firmly rooted into our social framework, which is reflected in the numerous festivals celebrated throughout the year. The State Government has conceived the Music Task Force as a conduit for the promotion of ‘Music as an industry’. There is a paradigm shift from “music as a hobby” to “music as a profession”. The initiative of the Music Task Force in the development of this industry require added participative support through creative Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to open up viable avenues for the vast pool of talent to develop music as their profession.
14. In the healthcare sector, Nagaland still lacks basic infrastructure as well as manpower. The absence of adequate diagnostic and treatment facilities in the State compels thousands of patients to seek medical treatment both outside the State and the region, resulting in a huge capital outflow. There are many others who cannot afford such referrals. We invite industry to consider setting up modern multi-specialty hospitals in the State with the latest facilities that will not only benefit the populace, but also attract patients from other parts of the country and abroad. Nagaland’s ideal climatic conditions and pollution free environment by themselves are therapeutic. In addition to healthcare, Engineering, Medical, Management and other technical institutions too have potential, including academies for promotion of music and the arts.
15. Unlike other North-Eastern States, Nagaland does not have much capacity for Mega Hydro Power. The quick flowing rivers and rapids down the hills however offer potential for small hydro-power generation. The State Government has drafted the Nagaland Renewable Energy Policy, 2011 whereby (a). Project Developer/ Independent Power Producer (IPP) can develop renewable energy projects be it Hydro, Solar, Biomass, Biogas, Bio-fuels or Wind. (b). The projects can be developed through direct investment in the form of BOO, BOOT, JV or PPP model. (c). Project land can be either Government own land or private and (d). Revenue sharing model to be integrated in the project proposal.
16. &nbs p;Significant policy interventions such as the Government of India’s North East Industrial & Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) and the State Government’s own Industrial Policy, Tourism Policy, IT Policy, Bamboo Policy and Policy for Organic Cultivation, etc all offering alluring packages of incentives.
17. Our policy on “Communitisation” of public institutions is one such effort, which has been hailed countrywide. Communitisation means entrusting the people, the actual beneficiaries and stakeholders, with the power and responsibilities of running and management of public institutions and services at the grass root level. For this effort, the State Government has won recognition and also awarded at National as well as International platforms.
18. I take this opportunity to provoke your sense of adventure and invite the captains of European industry and business to come and see for yourselves the vast potentials available in Nagaland.
Thank You
(The above is the full text speech of Imkong Imchen, Home
Minister, Government of Nagaland delivered at the Interactive
Session on Opportunities for UK Companies in Eastern
and North Eastern India at London on October 14, 2011)
