Photo Courtesy: nenow
Kohima: Two entrepreneurs from Nagaland grabbed top honors at the Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026. The event ran from August 26 to 30 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. D Ledia Awomi took the prize for Best Cultural Performance. L Chuba Longkumer secured the award for Best Aromatic Plant.
Awomi heads the Ethnic Group of Nagaland. She organized a fashion show highlighting regional handlooms and attire at the festival. Her background includes local film production and extensive work with women's groups. She hopes future partnerships with Ideabaaz will boost the state's visibility. "I hoped that the rich culture of the state will be further promoted through her future collaborations with Ideabaaz," Awomi said.
Longkumer owns the L.C. Longkumer Agar Processing Unit. He founded the business in 2016. His father began growing agarwood trees in the 1960s. Longkumer now handles cultivation, sourcing, and the distillation of agarwood oil. He launched the firm to secure fair prices for local growers and shield them from bad market practices.
Nagaland offers perfect conditions for high-quality agar oil. The local product is resinous and carries a distinct, long-lasting sweet scent. Longkumer currently serves a large customer base in the Middle East. He intends to grow his retail reach into Dubai and Bangkok soon.
Updated at 1st September 2026 at 5:47am
The event, hosted in partnership with Film Expo India, functioned as a platform for startups to pitch ideas to venture capitalists and industry experts. Awomi credited the Tourism Department of the Government of Nagaland for their support during her participation.
Longkumer identified local employment and the protection of workers from bad market practices as primary drivers for his business. He noted that the reputation of the state's agarwood oil has drawn counterfeiters attempting to pass off inferior products as Nagaland-grown. To combat this, he is launching a new grade of oil distilled exclusively from locally grown trees.
Scaling the business remains a struggle due to limited distillation capacity within the state. Longkumer plans to boost infrastructure to handle larger volumes. He encourages local youth to join the sector, noting that while the distillation cycle demands extreme patience, the overhead costs remain low once the initial equipment is in place.
Updated at 1st September 2026 at 2:00pm
The Ideabaaz platform serves as a hub for startups to pitch directly to investors, mentors, and venture capitalists. It functions as an edutainment space where students and aspiring business owners access workshops and panel discussions. Awomi holds the title of President at the Ethnic Group of Nagaland.
Longkumer is launching a new grade of oil distilled entirely from local trees, a project he calls very close to his heart. He warns that the success of the regional product has triggered a wave of counterfeiters trying to pass off fake goods as Nagaland stock. While he notes that annual maintenance costs for the business remain low, he emphasizes that the distillation process requires immense patience to hit the required quality mark.
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