RAMP driving MSME growth in Nagaland; 49,000 enterprises benefit: Rio

Kohima, June 28: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) initiative is providing fresh momentum to Nagaland’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector by helping entrepreneurs scale up, access markets and build resilient businesses.

Marking World MSME Day, Rio took to social media platform X to acknowledge the contribution of MSMEs to the state’s economy, saying initiatives such as RAMP are strengthening Nagaland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The World Bank-supported RAMP programme, launched in Nagaland in August 2024, has already benefited more than 49,000 MSMEs across the state, according to Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC) Chairman Kvulo Lorin.

The scheme has also trained over 35,000 entrepreneurs through 882 workshops conducted across all districts, 55 subdivisions and 63 Rural Development blocks, making it one of the state’s largest capacity-building initiatives for small businesses.

Nagaland’s vision under RAMP is centred on fostering “human-centred entrepreneurship in an AI-driven future” by combining technology, infrastructure and grassroots innovation.

The programme has placed special emphasis on supporting women entrepreneurs, persons with disabilities and youth in remote areas.

The state government also used World MSME Day to deepen its push for entrepreneurship by signing a memorandum of understanding with Hyderabad-based innovation hub T-Works.

The agreement, signed by T-Works CEO Joginder Tanikella and Industries and Commerce Director P. Tokugha Sema in the presence of Industries Adviser Hekani Jakhalu, aims to provide intensive support to local enterprises and strengthen the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Jakhalu said the partnership sends a strong signal that the government is committed to bringing in leading experts and institutions to help Naga entrepreneurs compete in a rapidly changing economy.

RAMP, a central sector scheme backed by the World Bank, seeks to improve access to finance and markets, strengthen institutions and enhance Centre-State coordination for MSME development.

Nationally, the MSME sector contributes nearly 29 per cent of India’s GDP, 36 per cent of manufacturing output and 44 per cent of exports, while employing an estimated 11.1 crore people.

The United Nations designated June 27 as Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day to recognise the sector’s critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, noting that MSMEs account for more than 90 per cent of businesses and 60-70 per cent of employment worldwide.

At the state-level programme in Kohima, entrepreneurs Tsachola Sangtam of HillCraft Co and Neivi Khieya of Karmel Timber shared their success stories, saying training, mentoring and better market linkages under RAMP are translating into tangible business growth and opening new opportunities for local enterprises.

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