Peihauding Zeliang and Likyuse Sangtam with dignitaries of tEA and others during the launching programme of tEA Innovators’ Products 2022 in Kohima on November 30. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | November 30
The Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA) launched tEA Innovators Products 2022 in respect of Peihauding Zeliang and Likyuse Sangtam for the products – ‘Organic Healing Paste and a Bio-enhancer for floriculture (2022)’ and ‘Assembling of LED bulbs for sale in Nagaland’ respectively.
During the launching ceremony held at tEA office, Kohima on November 30, Gopen Moses, Management Team & Advisor, tEA, Manipur said that the first Entrepreneurs Associates Innovation Fund (EAIF) programme was launched on October 26, 2016. He said that this fund was created out of necessity to promote entrepreneurs in Nagaland and Manipur. Ahead of this fund, he said there was no appropriate platform for innovation in Nagaland and Manipur.
For innovators to survive, you have to play a role in the market, he said adding that the innovators and tEA has to work together. “One should be a contributor and not only a consumer or recipient,” he said and also stressed on the need to play a major role in the market.
EAIF Award
The Entrepreneurs Associates Innovation Fund (EAIF) Award first launched on October 26, 2018 pioneered the global movement of innovation in Nagaland. Through the EAIF award, tEA acknowledged ideas developed by innovators using innovative processes that have the potential to change the course of history, industry, business, and economy.
Understanding the critical need for capital resource, EAIF awards selected innovators with a grant of up to Rs 2 lakh spread over a period of 3 years.
This included mentoring and incubation support by tEA and experts in the field connected through the tEA network. The award was conceptualized with the main objective to support innovators to prototype, experiment, and realize their innovations.
The first edition of EAIF award, 2018 recognized the innovations of three innovators from Nagaland.
Innovators
The first threes innovators were: Zenwang Konyak - Innovation of the U-harvest or Umbrella harvest, Peihauding Zeliang-Organic Healing Paste and a Bio-enhancer for floriculture and Tsenshithung Yanthan – for the ‘Band Saw’ a portable saw mill assembled with scrap materials.
Over the years, the innovators have been regularly mentored and supported by the team from tEA.
Besides providing them support for their innovations, the tEA has also been linking them up to relevant networks and organizations to expand their horizons.
Today, tEA launched the Phase 1 products of its innovators- Peihauding Zeliang, namely ‘Organic Healing Paste and a Bio-enhancer for floriculture (2022)’.
Under the next phase, EAIF will support Peihauding to produce the Organic Healing Paste and a Bio-enhancer for mass plantations.
Likyuse Sangtam is another innovator with Phase 1 innovation- Assembling of LED bulbs for sale in Nagaland under the national brands of ‘Youlite’ and ‘Econova’ and Phase 2 Innovation: Conceptualizing and branding of his product.
Likyuse Sangtam is a 34 year old innovator who has taught himself how to assemble LED bulbs, after realizing that ‘fluctuating and erratic’ electricity continue to be a problem in Nagaland. After working is various industries in India for the last 10 years, Likyuse returned home and began experimenting with assembling the LED bulbs. The tEA under the EAIF program has awarded him Rs. 1.5 lakh zero interest loans to scale his initiative.
Likyuse was recipient of tEA FOME Award Environment Friendly product.
Currently, Likyuse Sangtam is assembling LED bulbs under the brand names of ‘Youlite’ and ‘Econova’ (lighting solutions); which are not his own brands. tEA will be helping him with conceptualizing his brands under the phase 2 of his Mentorship Program.
Peihauding Zeliang, Innovator, EAIF awardee 2018 said that the Bio-Enhancer was a result of the support from tEA and his personal hard work.”
He said that the current product is only for floriculture. The product is 100% organic, a truly biotic extract, activated carbon and it is mainly for the regeneration of the soil.
The bio-enhancer promotes chemical stability in the soil, he said adding that the bio-enhancer will play an active role in re-vitalising and promoting the micro-organisms in the soil.
“It will also help plants with more water absorption capability,” he said.
Earlier, Susan Angami, Advisor, Training & Skills, tEA chaired the programme while Zajamo Odyuo, Youth Pastor, City Church Kohima invoked God’s blessing. tEA CEO Neichute Doulo present at the function.
