ITANAGAR, 21 Mar: NagaEd, a leading digital education company, recently acquired foreign direct investment (FDI) from Australia and Singapore, as well as domestically.
To date, only a handful of companies in the Northeast have made this achievement.
“NagaEd has pulled off a surprise by being the first to bring in FDI into Nagaland. This bunch of young people is indeed dynamic and enterprising,” Investment & Development Authority of Nagaland CEO Alemtemshi Jamir said.
“Apart from their novel intrusion into the area of education in the state – that strives to synergise the systems of education with the ‘new normal’ using the digital mode – they have brought in foreign funds into Nagaland, in the form of foreign direct investment. For a resource-starved state like Nagaland, this is music to the ears and heralds a new beginning for the youth,” Jamir said.
NagaEd founder Kevisato Sanyu said: “NagaEd is demonstrating Northeast companies are investment-ready with robust business models and the growth potential international investors are looking for. Our breakthrough in overcoming stringent compliance and regulatory requirements set by the Reserve Bank of India is creating a clearing for other Northeast companies to pursue global investment opportunities.”
“Digital education is not a question of if, but when. Students today have a great opportunity to leapfrog into the fourth industrial revolution. We are preparing the next generation for the future of work by bringing the world’s best technology and practices into their classrooms today,” Sanyu added.
Singapore-based public policy and international affairs adviser Laldinkima Sailo said that the arrival of foreign investors into Nagaland and the Northeast signals a new chapter for the region and is a testament to the changed situation on the ground.
“Foreign investments are sorely needed for the region where investment capital is scarce. Their expectation on returns can give a focus on creating efficiencies and give a boost to the startup and business ecosystem,” Sailo said.
Alsisar Impact, a frontier market incubation and impact advisory entity, has been instrumental in NagaEd’s growth journey and in facilitating investment in the Northeast region. Founder and CEO of Alsisar Impact, Anuj Sharma said: “We wanted to build a new model for the entrepreneurs from the region, so that they could derive inspiration from the extraordinary and indomitable entrepreneurial spirit that NagaEd founders Shiroi and Kevisato bring. This groundbreaking FDI also allows local people to believe that they can in fact lead a sustainable venture, and raise capital from the global investment community.”
Vineyard School principal Leneno Y Disong said the school’s teachers are trained in digital skills and have moved beyond WhatsApp, Google Classroom and Zoom.
“The NagaEd platform is enabling them to use a lot of tools to enhance the teaching-learning process. With digital learning now occupying a significant role in education, it is crucial that our teachers are trained in this area. We hope to move forward incorporating the best of both traditional methods and modern digital practices,” Disong said.
NagaEd, founded by Sanyu and Shiroi Lily Shaiza, seeks to uplift education quality in tribal and indigenous communities by delivering teacher training courses and implementing digital learning management systems in local schools.
It is also involved in national and international programmes that help build and scale startups such as the Alsisar Impact incubation programme, Amazon Web Services Ed-Start Accelerator and IAspire-India Accelerator’s first all-women technology accelerator programme.
