Rio makes strong sales pitch for private sector investment in NE

December 1, 2023 74 Views No Comment

Proposed planned city in Chathe valley named ‘Nagaki Global City’

Morung Express News
Dimapur | Dec 1

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio put on the sales coat pitching for private sector investment in the North-East region of India. According to him, there already exists a security environment conducive to investment, in addition to readily available quality workforce. Citing data from the National Crime Records Bureau, he held that the security scenario, today, has changed as opposed to the past.

The sales pitch from the CM came at the Regional CxO Meet 2023 hosted by the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission at the Noune Resort, Chümoukedima, on November 30, where industry leaders and state missions from the NE states brainstormed under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) banner.

CxO, short for Chief Experience/Executive Officers or industry leaders, and their conclaves are intended to serve as a platform where employers and potential employees meet, while establishing new industry linkages.

According to Rio, the industry leaders tied to the DDU-GKY already has the experience of employing youths from the region, and given the opportunity, the youths can outdo their peers. Noting what he said were a sizeable number of youths from the region working in the hospitality sector, he held that setting up academies in the NE, specialising in the hospitality sector portends well. Besides, he said that the environment is favourable for investment in the IT services sector.

While tapping into the traditional skill in bamboo, cane and wood crafts is one, he cited sports, music and other performing arts as another critical aspect in which the corporate and the Ministry of Rural Development can invest in skilling programmes. “Opportunities abound and I sincerely urge the RD Ministry and all corporate houses to come, explore and invest in the Nagaland and the region,” he said.

The Chief Minister further said that the state government is aggressively pursuing the “planned city” in the Chathe valley, announced earlier in August, this year. As revealed by Rio, the proposed planned city already has a name— Nagaki Global City. According to him, the concept is to facilitate ease of doing business and attracting potential investors to come and set up base and establishing “a sustainable commercial hub for the state and hopefully the region.”

Skilling in partnership
Karma Zimba Bhutia, Joint Secretary, Rural Skills, Union Ministry of Rural Development, underscored the importance of “partnerships,” in addition to training, for effective implementation of the DDU-GKY. According to him, interaction between candidates and employers provide candidates with a more realistic picture of the industry and that, “Informed choices made will go a long way in ensuring retention of these placed candidates.”

He though pointed out challenges in ensuring sustainable placements— lack of big employers /industries within the region and a perceived unwillingness of candidates to migrate to other states due to factors attributed to difference in food, language and culture.

At 55 percent placement rate out of 1,08,935 trained candidates, under the DDU-GKY banner, from the 8 states of the Northeast, Bhutia called for the CxO summits placing stronger focus towards creating robust labor market suiting the requirements of the region.