Former Chief Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Alemtemshi Jamir, has said the state is collectively unprepared for industrialisation. He highlighted structural challenges such as land laws, lack of investment, and low skill development. He urged youth to focus on agriculture-driven technologies as an alternative economic pathway.
Speaking at a workshop on “Career Opportunities in the Context of NEP 2020” in Dimapur on Friday, Jamir delivered a frank assessment of the state’s economic readiness, stating, “Perhaps collectively, maybe individually yes, but collectively, we are not as prepared for industrialization.”
The workshop, held at Livingstone Foundation International School was organised by the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) in collaboration with Nagaland University (NU) and North East Christian University (NECU). Top-performing students of the NBSE HSSLC Examination 2025 were also felicitated during the event.
Drawing from his own experience as a bureaucrat, Jamir cited failed attempts at reviving the Tuli Paper Mill and a sugar mill project as examples of how large-scale industrial ventures have struggled to take off in Nagaland. He noted that despite generous support from the central government for the paper mill at Tuli—including sanctioned amounts of Rs. 700 crore and Rs. 1200 crore—these efforts could not materialize into sustainable operations.
Jamir identified three key structural challenges that continue to hinder industrial growth in the state:
First, land ownership laws under Article 371A, which prevent outside investors from mortgaging land and thereby discourage investment;
“Now, industrialization requires investment. Lots of money – 100 crores, 200 crores, 1000 crores. But we have the drawback of the Article 371A, which sort of prevents investors from investing because they cannot own land, and because they cannot have land as a mortgage. So investment is not forthcoming,” he said.
Then talked about banking limitations tied to land mortgage issues;
“Secondly, we have the problems in banking. That is also linked up to the land mortgage issues,” he said.
Third, lack of skilled labour, which he said deters industrialists from viewing Nagaland as a viable destination for setting up industries.
“We don’t have skilled labour. Now, Mr. Adani, Mr. Ambani, we think of them as big characters and they’re having lots of money. But they also think and assess whether investment here in this place will be worth it. They’ll have to look for people who have the ability to work, the skill. Now Nagaland’s skill development has not reached an extent by which they can sustain any industry,” he said.
In view of these limitations, Jamir stressed the need for Nagaland to explore an alternative economic pathway, rooted in agriculture but driven by technology. “Agriculture has a lot of science and technology in it. There is a thing called post-harvest technologies. How the crops will be harvested, how it will be stored, how it will be transported, how it will be processed. These are the post-harvest technologies, if they can be combined together, it can form an industry. You don’t have to be a farmer. Now, in agriculture, more than 68% of Nagas are still involved. And that’s why I keep on talking that we should have focus on agriculture as a technology, and as an area for our vision, and an area for hope for the youth of Nagaland,” he said.
Citing Israel as an example, he spoke of the “desert nation’s” transformation into a global agricultural powerhouse through innovations like drip irrigation. “That’s all the work of technology. And that is what we need to adopt and translate into our context,” Jamir emphasised.
He called upon the youth to harness the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) to tailor their learning towards local needs, particularly in sectors like agriculture, where he sees untapped potential. “When I say agriculture, don’t think that we want you to become like your parents, your grandparents who work in the fields… Learn the technologies, bring them back, and apply them here,” he urged.
Reflecting on past initiatives like the 2006 Agri Expo, Jamir expressed hope that future generations would bridge the gap between available technologies and rural implementation. “There is interest in the people, but there’s nobody to translate the technologies for use to the people. It is up to you, youngsters, who can make use of the new education policy to help translate these technologies to the villages to make Nagaland into a thriving commercial economy. And that way, our economy and commerce will grow.”