• Zero beneficiaries, no payouts 15 months on
• Outreach to internal communiqués
• D&IC acknowledges and ‘regrets lapses’
• Guidelines notified; IT portal and corpus fund under process
Moa Jamir
Dimapur | September 18
More than 15 months after the Nagaland Trade, Investment and Industrial Policy (NTIIP) 2025 was notified to replace the State’s 24-year-old industrial policy, on-ground implementation is yet to commence, with zero enterprises registered, zero applications approved, and zero financial incentives disbursed to date.
The figures were confirmed by the Directorate of Industries & Commerce (D&IC) in a written response to queries from The Morung Express, following an earlier report by this daily examining the delayed rollout and accessibility of the landmark policy.
While the policy was formally notified by the State Government on May 8, 2025, and published in the Nagaland Gazette on June 13, 2025, the D&IC stated that “actual implementation of the Policy has not commenced yet, as certain operational, financial and other requisite arrangements necessary for its effective implementation have been initiated and are currently under process”.
The Directorate stated that it “acknowledges and regrets the lapses in timely implementation of the scheme that may have occurred,” adding that efforts are underway to make it fully operational at the earliest.
Public outreach absent
When asked whether the department had issued any press releases, public notices, or conducted awareness and outreach programmes to inform prospective entrepreneurs and stakeholders about the policy provisions and available incentives, the D&IC indicated that no mass-media or public outreach had been undertaken.
Instead, the department stated that information regarding implementation was communicated down internal administrative lines on June 4, 2026, over a year after the policy's notification.
Instead, the department stated that information regarding implementation was communicated down internal administrative lines on June 4, 2026, over a year after the policy's notification.
However, the department maintained that the August 14 online publication was not the first step in dissemination, pointing to a March 31 request to the Directorate of Printing & Stationery for copies of the policy and guidelines, followed by the June 4 communication to district-level officials.
The directive was dispatched to General Managers of District Industries Centres (DICs), Functional Managers of Sub-DICs, and Deputy Commissioners across all districts “for dissemination and necessary action at the district level, it added.
However, the response did not identify a specific press release, public notice or separate public-facing awareness programme.
Explaining the administrative lag
The department explained that the time elapsed between notification and the framing of operational guidelines involved translating broad policy provisions into an actionable framework.
This process, the D&IC said, included finalising incentive terms, determining disbursement mechanisms, preparing document checklists, assessing financial outlays, consulting stakeholders, and obtaining necessary administrative clarifications.
According to the department, NTIIP 2025 was notified by the State Government on May 8, 2025, published in the Nagaland Gazette on June 13 and uploaded on the department’s website on July 7, 2025.
The General Guidelines for Incentives under NTIIP 2025, including the mechanism for disbursement, were formally notified on March 27, 2026.
Subsequently, the detailed operational guidelines and claim procedures were placed online on the department's website on August 14, 2026.
Key mechanisms still in the pipeline
Although the department maintained that the formal mechanism for registration, screening, and disbursement is in place through the March 2026 guidelines, core operational infrastructure remains incomplete.
Among others is the proposal to set up a dedicated corpus fund to facilitate credit support under the policy was submitted to the State Government on June 23, 2026.
For digital implementation, it said development of a dedicated online portal is being pursued, with the department having written to the Information Technology & Communication Department on August 5, 2026.
Steps are currently being taken to operationalise the policy, including financial, administrative and digital arrangements for registration, screening and incentive disbursement.
Acknowledges lapses
In its clarification, the Department said it remains committed to ensuring transparent and efficient access to the policy.
It also “acknowledges and regrets the lapses in timely implementation of the scheme that may have occurred” and said efforts were being made to make it fully operational at the earliest.
The department maintained that it remains committed to ensuring that the incentives and benefits envisaged under NTIIP 2025 are made accessible to eligible entrepreneurs and investors in a transparent and efficient manner once the pending financial, administrative, and digital arrangements are finalised.
Nagaland Trade, Investment and Industrial Policy (NTIIP), 2025 Responses from Director, Department of Industries & Commerce Nagaland to queries on NTIIP 2025 from The Morung Express |
REPLY: The Nagaland Trade, Investment and Industrial Policy (NTIIP), 2025 was notified by the State Government on 8 May 2025, published in the Nagaland Gazette on 13 June 2025 and subsequently the Notification was uploaded on the Department's official website on 7 July 2025. Thereafter, the Department initiated the necessary preparatory processes for operationalising its various provisions including formulation of the detailed guidelines, institutional mechanisms and other requisite implementation modalities. The General Guidelines for Incentives under NTIIP, 2025, along with the mechanism for disbursement of incentives, were formally notified on 27 March 2026. However, the actual implementation of the Policy has not commenced yet, as certain operational, financial and other requisite arrangements necessary for its effective implementation have been initiated and are currently under process.
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REPLY: The detailed operational guidelines under NTIIP, 2025 were formally made available online on the Department's website on 14 August 2026. However, this was not the first step taken towards dissemination of the guidelines. Following the notification on 27 March 2026, the Department also initiated measures for wider dissemination, including a request to the Directorate of Printing & Stationery on 31 March 2026 for printing of copies of the NTIIP, 2025 policy and guidelines. Further, on 4 June 2026, the guidelines and implementation-related information were communicated to the General Managers of the DICs, Functional Managers of the Sub-DICs and Deputy Commissioners of all the districts for information and necessary action at the district level. Accordingly, prior to the online publication, prospective entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders could approach the concerned DICs/Sub-DICs and the Directorate of Industries & Commerce for information and guidance regarding the Policy and its provisions.
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REPLY: The time taken between notification of the Policy and publication of the detailed operational guidelines should be viewed in the context of the work required to translate the broad policy provisions into an implementable framework. This period included finalising the incentive provisions, procedures for processing and disbursing incentives, preparing the checklist of documents and requirements for claiming incentives, assessing financial requirements, consulting stakeholders and obtaining necessary clarifications. These processes culminated in the notification of the General Guidelines on 27 March 2026. Thereafter, steps were taken for printing, dissemination and digital publication of the Guidelines. The Department also initiated the development of a dedicated NTIIP 2025 portal by writing to the Department of Information Technology & Communication on 5th August 2026. The Guidelines were thereby subsequently placed on the Department's website on 14 August 2026.
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REPLY: As Stated in Reply No. 2, Information regarding implementation of the Policy was communicated to all DICs, Sub-DICs and Deputy Commissioners on 4 June 2026 for dissemination and necessary action at the district level. |
REPLY: NIL |
REPLY: NIL |
REPLY: The department is presently taking necessary steps for operationalisation of NTIIP, 2025, including putting in place the required financial, administrative and digital arrangements for registration, screening and incentive disbursement. The mechanism for registration, screening and incentive disbursement is already in place through the NTIIP - 2025 guidelines notified on 27 March 2026. It may also be noted that a proposal for establishment of a corpus fund to facilitate credit support under the Policy was submitted to the Government on 23 June 2026, while the development of the NTIIP 2025 online portal is also being pursued. The Department remains committed to ensuring that the incentives and other benefits envisaged under NTIIP, 2025 are made accessible to eligible entrepreneurs and investors in a transparent and efficient manner. The Department appreciates the interest shown by "The Morung Express" in the implementation of NTIIP, 2025 and hopes that the above clarifications provide the necessary context regarding the steps taken since the notification of the policy. The department also acknowledges and regrets the lapses in timely implementation of the scheme that may have occurred but assures that all efforts are being made to ensure the scheme is fully operational at the earliest. |
