Start-up Nagaland
A programme by Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Nagaland
The department's startup initiative, offering seed grants, GST reimbursement, incubator support and school and college entrepreneurship centres from the Nagaland Start-up Corpus Fund.
At a glance
| Best for | Early-stage, innovation-driven enterprises in Nagaland, and Nagaland institutions that want to become incubators. |
|---|---|
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
About Start-up Nagaland
Start-up Nagaland is presented on the department's startup page as its own initiative for early-stage, innovation-driven enterprises. The page lists seed grants, GST reimbursement, sustenance allowances, incubator support and entrepreneurship development centres in schools and colleges, all paid from the Nagaland Start-up Corpus Fund. It also says evaluation and selection are handled by the Nagaland Innovation Society.
The incentives come from the Nagaland Start-up Policy 2019. That policy says it runs for five years from notification or until the State Government decides otherwise, and no extension was found. The department's page still presents the incentives without a date. Check with the department that applications are open before you plan around them.
What you get
- Seed grant, GST reimbursement and sustenance allowance for registered startups, as listed on the department's page
- The 2019 policy text provides a one-time seed grant at ideation stage, annual reimbursement of State GST for three years, and a one-time Innovation Catalyst Grant
- Support for Nagaland institutions to become recognised incubators, with separate support for new and existing incubators
- Entrepreneurship development centres in schools and colleges
Who can apply
- Early-stage, innovation-driven or scalable enterprises registered under Start-up Nagaland
- The department's pages give different age limits for the enterprise: under ten years on one line and incorporation within seven years on another. The 2019 policy says seven years, or ten for biotech.
- The department's page lists no residency condition, but the 2019 policy requires the founder or a co-founder to be an indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland and at least 60% of the qualified workforce to come from Nagaland's local population
How to apply: Register on the Start-up Nagaland portal, then apply for the benefit you want.
Where to apply
Other Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Nagaland programmes
- Soft loan for technology upgradation of existing unitsA bank-delivered loan at a concessional fixed interest rate towards plant and machinery, for existing tiny, micro and small units in Nagaland.
- Soft loan for new units in thrust areasA bank-delivered loan at a concessional fixed interest rate towards plant and machinery for new tiny, micro and small units in the state's thrust areas.
- Soft loan for small retail and service enterprisesA bank-delivered loan at a concessional fixed interest rate for setting up small and micro retail and service enterprises in Nagaland.
- State Capital Investment Incentive (SCII)A capital subsidy on plant and machinery, or on buildings and durable assets for services, for small and medium enterprises in Nagaland.
- State Capital Interest Subvention Incentive (SCISI)Interest relief on bank loans taken for plant and machinery or for buildings and durable assets, paid for five years.
- State GST (SGST) ReimbursementReimbursement of the State GST a new unit actually pays, for five years from commercial production.
- Quality certification assistanceReimbursement of part of the cost of getting quality certification from a recognised laboratory or institution.
- Market development assistance for trade fairsBack-ended reimbursement of half the rent or fee a unit paid to join a domestic trade fair or exhibition outside Nagaland.
- Power line drawal assistanceOne-time reimbursement of the cost of drawing a 33/11 kV line to an eligible unit sited outside notified developed infrastructure.
- Capital subsidy for 100% export-oriented unitsA capital investment subsidy, with a ceiling, for units set up in Nagaland as 100% export-oriented.
- Special capital subsidy for women entrepreneursA capital subsidy on plant and machinery for units owned and promoted by women entrepreneurs from Nagaland.
- Special capital and rental subsidy for persons with disabilitiesA capital subsidy on plant and machinery for entrepreneurs with a disability from Nagaland, plus a rental subsidy in government industrial parks and estates.
- Stamp duty and registration fee exemptionPart exemption from stamp duty and registration fee on documents for loans from financial institutions, including mortgage of fixed assets, for five years.
- Power tariff subsidyReimbursement of part of the actual power tariff for five years, for units with an installed capacity of 100 KVA or 134 HP and above.
- Brand building, IP, GI tag and patent filing reimbursementOne-time reimbursement of part of brand-building cost and the full cost of IP, GI tag or patent filing, for new enterprises set up in Nagaland.
- Transport incentiveReimbursement of part of the cost of sending goods outside Nagaland by road, rail or air, for five years.
- UNNATI 2024 (central scheme, processed by the department)A central DPIIT industrialisation scheme for the North East with capital investment, interest subvention and GST-linked incentives. Registration on the department's page ended on 31 March 2026.
- The Naga Weave Design Award 2026An open stole-design competition run by the Directorate for handwoven stoles that could become an official state gift, with applications closing 9 October 2026.
Everything about Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Nagaland