The year 2020 saw the conceptualization of several innovative ideas to rely on one’s own natural resources, and the clarion call of the PM’s “Be Vocal for Local”  to meet the challenges that was brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several meetings and site visits have been held with relevant stakeholders to explore the potential to promote and develop a framework to build a robust natural fibre value chain in the State. As per data provided by the State department of Horticulture, the area and production of pineapples and banana in the State is approximately 115086 tonnes in a total area of 86975 hectares; and 6956.5 tonnes in total area of 7139.5 hectares.

Entities like the Nagaland Toolroom and Training Centre (NTTC), Kuda Tech Creations, Amity Skills Centre and The Banana and Co. are actively engaged in raw banana fibre extraction training, manufacture of fibre extraction machine, and fibre product making etc. Such like-minded individuals with the intervention of the IDAN have decided to leave aside personal agendas and come together to grow together. Greenhills, a three company collaboration (Kuda Teach Creations, Runway Nagaland and Amity Skills Centre) has joined hands in hopes to build a cottage industry based on banana fibre products with handmade paper. Founder, Runway Nagaland has taken a step further and started The Banana and Co. initiative that commenced operations in 2020 to harness the banana plant as a cash crop and promote it for community building.

The IDAN continues to engage with the natural fibre entrepreneurs and have facilitated these entrepreneurs to be a part of the training programmes such as the export-import through the Export Facilitation Cell (EFC) Nagaland of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) which will enable them to better promote their products; and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Flagship Capacity Building programme, Empretec for developing high impact entrepreneurs. Natural Fibre Value Chain Projects will be projected on the Shelf of Projects to be showcased in the State’s first of its kind streamlined upcoming Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conclave sometime towards the last part of the month of May 2022 where companies belonging to crucial sectors to the State will be attending the Conclave.

In the pipeline:-       

• Women Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Facilitation Centre (WEEFC)
• World Skills Centre
• Tourism Incubation Centre
• Youth Recreation Centre
• Animation and Overseas Placement Facilitation