One of the top public sector banks in India, Bank of Baroda (Bank), collaborated with the Nagaland government to host the Hornbill Festival 2025, which took place at the Kisama Heritage Village, close to Kohima, from December 1st to December 10th, 2025. This partnership highlights Bank of Baroda’s ongoing initiatives to promote regional development and prosperity in Northeastern India, especially in the state of Nagaland.

Temjen Imna Along, the Honourable Minister of Higher Education & Tourism, Government of Nagaland, opened an engagement stall set up by the Bank in the presence of Dr Debadatta Chand, Managing Director & CEO; Beena Vaheed, Executive Director; and Shiba Pada Nayak, Zonal Head-Northeastern States, Bank of Baroda. Toka E. Tuccumi, Joint Director of Tourism, and Veyielo Doulo, Director of Tourism, were also present. In addition to providing product details and digital banking demonstrations, the full engagement exhibit allowed for direct communication with community organisations, tourists, business owners, and craftsmen. These initiatives support the government’s goals of increasing formal financial access throughout Nagaland, boosting digital payments, stimulating grassroots entrepreneurship, and advancing financial literacy.

The Honourable Union Minister of Communications and Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, was met by Dr Chand and Vaheed on the occasion. They talked about ways to strengthen the bank’s involvement in the Northeast through better financial inclusion. Dr Chand and Vaheed were invited as state guests by the Nagaland State Government. On the sixth day of the Hornbill Festival 2025, they were also congratulated.

Bank of Baroda’s partnership for the Hornbill Festival 2025 reflects our strategic focus on advancing credit flow, deepening financial inclusion, accelerating branch expansion, and fostering sustainable socio-economic growth in Nagaland and Northeast India,’ said Dr Debadatta Chand, Managing Director & CEO, Bank of Baroda, speaking at the event. Our goal is to empower local communities through better access to credit, digital banking, and customised financial solutions that promote employment, entrepreneurship, and inclusive prosperity. We intend to grow our branch network in conjunction with the new Guwahati Zonal Office.

“Hornbill Festival is not just a cultural platform but an opportunity for Bank of Baroda to reaffirm our dedication to serving the people of this state and the region and make banking more accessible, inclusive, and development-focused,” continued Beena Vaheed, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda.

Dr Chand and Vaheed also paid a courtesy visit to Sentiyanger Imchen, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Nagaland, where they discussed ways to increase financial inclusion, speed up credit inflow into priority sectors, and support local entrepreneurs, self-help groups, artisans, and youth-led businesses.

With three regional offices and 197 branches—61 per cent of which are in rural or semi-urban areas—Bank of Baroda has increased its footprint in northeastern India. In order to serve all of the Northeastern States, it recently opened a new zonal office in Guwahati. This will increase administrative efficiency and assist its plan to build its branches in tandem with its digital expansion.