As Nagaland prepares for the 26th edition of the Hornbill Festival, the Department of Tourism has formalised a partnership with People Like Us Create (Pluc.TV) to document and preserve the state’s tribal and cultural heritage. The memorandum of understanding signed on 31 October 2025 sets out a framework for research-based and technology-supported archival work, in line with the Ministry of Tourism’s focus on sustainable and community-led tourism.
Nagaland Tourism has been working with tribal bodies, festival committees, and community custodians to support the transmission of indigenous knowledge and cultural practices. The collaboration with Pluc.TV brings digital tools, field research, and narrative approaches into ongoing cultural documentation. The initiative aims to organise and present material in accessible formats while ensuring that communities remain central to how their heritage is documented.
Toka E Tuccumi, Joint Director of Nagaland Tourism, said, “Digital documentation is no longer just a tool for visibility, it has become a responsibility. Our cultures evolve, our communities adapt, and our stories travel far beyond the places they originate from. This partnership allows us to preserve these narratives with care while making them accessible to the world. What matters most is that the people of Nagaland remain at the centre of how their heritage is researched, represented, and remembered.”
Tamseel Hussain, CEO of Pluc.TV, said, “Nagaland’s cultural landscape contains knowledge that still lives in oral traditions and community memory. Our goal is to work with local custodians to document these stories with rigour, using technology as an extension of tradition. This partnership provides an opportunity to build digital archives shaped by the people they represent and accessible to future generations.”
Under the partnership, Nagaland Tourism and Pluc.TV will establish an Influencer Advisory Panel comprising filmmakers, photographers, travel documentarians, and cultural researchers. The panel will guide digital storytelling, review cultural representation, and contribute to a narrative framework for Nagaland’s tourism approach. An Influencer Fest will accompany the initiative, enabling field-based learning and collaboration among creators.
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Digitisation of Morung Houses at the Hornbill Festival is another key component of the collaboration. Pluc.TV will carry out anthropological documentation, oral history interviews, visual and multimedia archiving, and contextual narrative development. QR codes linked to WhatsApp will offer visitors access to verified information, archival recordings, and interviews, forming a permanent digital resource.
Pluc.TV is also partnering with The Ultimate Travelling Camp (TUTC) to create a storytelling lounge at the TUTC Camp during the Hornbill Festival. The space will host cultural discussions, recordings, and live sessions.
Rajnish Rai, CEO of TUTC, said, “We are always looking for ways to promote Nagaland and share the stories that surround it. Our partnership with Pluc TV will allow us to continue this work. It has now been a decade of engaging deeply with the state, and our involvement remains consistent.”
The TUTC collaboration will feature a Fireside Chat Series with elders, musicians, artisans, and cultural custodians, recorded as podcasts. It will also include a live edition of “Served,” Pluc.TV’s food series with Chef Joel Basumatari, along with a rotating visual and archival showcase of films, photography, and documentation. TUTC will handle venue management and coordination, while Pluc.TV will lead content development, research design, production, technology integration, and digital dissemination.
Although the MoU is non-binding, it sets a structured outline for long-term collaboration in cultural and ecological documentation.
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