Nagaland beats RAMP targets: 13,676 Udyam, 3,423 FSSAI registrations

Nagaland has exceeded its targets for registering small businesses and food operators under the Centre's Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme, the state's Department of Industries and Commerce said.

The state recorded 13,676 Udyam registrations against a target of 12,800, or about 107% of the goal. Under the food safety intervention, it recorded 3,423 FSSAI registrations and licences against a target of 3,000, or about 114%. Of these, 3,321 were basic registrations and 102 were state licences.

Money back to small food businesses

More than 3,051 eligible beneficiaries were reimbursed a total of Rs 57 lakh under the FSSAI intervention, easing the cost of getting a food business registered or licensed.

The drives were run by the Department of Industries and Commerce with the Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC) and covered all 17 districts through the District Industries Centres. The Health and Family Welfare Department, the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission and the Women Entrepreneurs Network of Nagaland supported the effort.

Women lead the way

Women accounted for 48% of the Udyam registrations and 73.07% of the beneficiaries under the FSSAI intervention, showing how many of Nagaland's small and home-based food enterprises are run by women.

Why registration matters

Udyam registration is the government's official identity for micro, small and medium enterprises. It allows a business to tap priority-sector bank lending, government procurement preferences, subsidies and schemes meant for MSMEs. An FSSAI registration or licence is legally required for anyone who makes, sells, stores or transports food, and it is often a condition for selling through supermarkets, online platforms or government outlets.

In a state where much of the economy is informal, getting businesses onto these registers is a first step towards credit and wider markets.

About RAMP

RAMP is a World Bank-supported central sector scheme of the Union MSME Ministry. It aims to make small businesses more competitive by improving their access to finance and markets, strengthening the institutions that support them and helping them grow. States draw up their own strategic plans under the scheme and get funds for specific interventions such as these registration drives.

Officials said continued coordination among the departments and partner organisations is expected to help more enterprises in Nagaland reach government support.