Kohima, Dec 8 (IANS) India’s digital economy, which accounted for about 6-7 per cent of the country’s GDP before 2010 and had doubled by 2014, is now expanding at twice the pace of the overall economy, Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary, S. Krishnan, said on Monday, citing a ministry study.

Addressing the Nagaland Digital Entrepreneurship and Startup Fest, Krishnan highlighted the abundant talent among Naga youth, particularly their creativity and English proficiency, and emphasised the role of institutions like the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) in nurturing this potential.

Out of 55 NIELIT centres in India, he said, 20 are located in the Northeast region.

The Nagaland Digital Entrepreneurship and Startup Fest was jointly organised by the NIELIT Kohima and the Department of Information Technology and Communication.

Sharing impressions from his first visit to Nagaland, Krishnan spoke about witnessing the Hornbill Festival, visiting the World War-II Museum at Kisama, and paying homage at the Kohima War Cemetery.

He reflected on Kohima’s historic significance and the potential Nagaland holds today.

Krishnan noted that the digital economy is expanding at twice the pace of the overall economy.

Speaking on cyber security, he stressed that India cannot depend on foreign technologies in this critical area. He described the Cyber Security Lab at NIELIT Kohima as state-of-the-art and among the best in the country, contributing significantly to cyber policing.

He also appreciated the strong impression made by NIELIT Kohima and NIELIT Mokokchung at a recent Artificial Intelligence (AI) event in New Delhi.

Underlining the importance of entrepreneurship, Krishnan said startups play a vital role in job creation. He expressed hope that more startups and collaborations would emerge from the region.

The official also highlighted the importance of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in mobilising private equity and appreciated the functioning of STPI Kohima.

He suggested exploring the possibility of setting up a Software Park due to space constraints at STPI Kohima. He urged the state to capitalise on its service-sector potential.

An interactive session with S. Krishnan followed, during which participants raised various queries. During the programme, Krishnan launched the Digital Learning and Simulation Hub, the Digital Delivery of Statutory Services initiative, and the Pulse App, an AI-powered news platform.

The Conference Report of NCCDFI 2025 was also released. The programme featured a presentation of the Nagaland Digital Startup Awards 2025 where Krishnan gave away the prizes to the winners.

Nagaland government’s Commissioner and Secretary, P&AR and Power, Mohammed Ali Shihab noted that as the state advances through a developmental phase with increasing engagement from development agencies, institutions like NIELIT hold an important role.

The event concluded with a panel discussion on ‘Nagaland’s Digital Opportunity – From Labs to Scalable Startups’.

–IANS

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