The India Skills Nagaland Competition 2025 concluded with a prize distribution and closing ceremony on 10th December 2025 at the Directorate of Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (ESDE), Kohima.
Phuleshe K Yepthomi, NCS, Joint Secretary, Labour & ESDE, Government of Nagaland addressing the India Skills Nagaland programme, applauded the department for organizing the competition and urged that such initiatives be continued annually to strengthen the skill ecosystem in the state.
He encouraged the department to explore more trades and expand skill categories, so that more youth can showcase their abilities and build their potential. “Our young people are gifted in many fields. With the right opportunities, their talent can become their strength,” he said.
Congratulating all participants, Yepthomi emphasized that winning or losing is not important, as coming forward to compete itself reflects confidence and a willingness to grow. Comparing talent to raw material, he said that skills and training help refine and shape one’s abilities to reach higher standards.
“Everyone has talent, but without practice and training, it remains undeveloped,” he noted, urging youth to continuously work on upgrading their skills.
He also encouraged participants to spread awareness among their peers, so that more students can take advantage of platforms like India Skills. Expressing optimism, he hoped to see greater participation in the coming years and appreciated the department for providing young Nagas with an avenue to enhance and display their competencies.
Menguzelie Suohu, APO, presenting a summary of the India Skills Competition 2025, said that Nagaland has completed its state-level selections for India Skills as part of the national skill development initiative, with 22 candidates moving ahead to the next stage of the competition. He pointed out that the state had proposed participation in four skill categories namely Restaurant Service, Fashion Technology, Graphic Design Technology, and Free Skills.
He remarked that to support the competition, the Department of Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (ESDE) partnered with key academic institutions including SIHM Dimapur which served as the academic partner for Restaurant Service, Government Polytechnic Kohima and Government ITI Kohima partnered for Fashion Technology, and NEILIT Kohima for Graphic Design Technology.
He said that a total of 57 candidates registered, with 22 eventually participating in the state-level event. He further informed that following the conclusion of the state-level competitions, the selected candidates will now undergo intensive boot camps with expert mentoring, ahead of the Regional Competition likely to be held in Goa in February March 2026. Successful candidates from the regionals will qualify for the National Skill Competition in May 2026, leading up to the World Skills Competition scheduled for September 2026 in Shanghai, China. He added that all the expenses for training, travel, and participation at every level will be fully borne by the government.
Sharing on overview and key takeaways of the event Jury state Institute of Hotel Management, Ruth Jamir encouraged the youth of Nagaland to actively participate in skill development programmes, as they are platforms to learn, grow, and discover one’s potential. Government jobs may not always be available for everyone, but with skills, we can move forward and build our own future, she added.
Imtisangla SIHD, Dimapur and Keneilhoukhono Meru Government Polytechnic Kohima shared their insights of the competition.
Earlier Certificate of participation and medals were given away to winning participants. in the category of Restaurant Service first prize was bagged Imtisangla Kangshou State Institutes of Hotel Management Dimapur, Ngvuhilo Kent State Institutes of Hotel Management Dimapur, and Alo Zhimo Govt. Higher secondary school, Purana Bazar, Dimapur bagged second and third prizes respectively. Winners in the category of Fashion Technology were Vimeneno Phira (International University Nagaland, Dimapur), Tonikali Yeptho (Govt. Industrial Training Institute and Keneilhoukhono Meru (Govt. Polytechnic Kohima).
Savio Visa, Director, ESDE, in his concluding remarks acknowledged the efforts of participants, jury members, officials, and technical teams involved in the successful organization of India Skills Nagaland 2025.
(Esuihangle, IA)
