ITANAGAR, 15 Jun: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday launched the online portal of ‘TRACTION 2026 – Residency and Film Challenge’, marking the commencement of a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at promoting tourism, culture, creativity, and the MSME sector through digital storytelling and visual content creation.
Describing TRACTION 2026 as a significant opportunity for the state, Khandu said that Arunachal Pradesh possesses immense potential in tourism, culture, ecology, traditional knowledge systems, and indigenous products that deserve wider visibility at the national and international levels.
“TRACTION 2026 is not merely a filmmaking challenge. It is a platform to tell the authentic stories of Arunachal Pradesh to the world. Through the creative lens of content creators and filmmakers, our rich cultural heritage, unique traditions, adventure tourism destinations, GI-tagged products, handicrafts, handmade paper, and MSME success stories can reach a global audience,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of the digital economy and the growing influence of social media in shaping public perceptions and consumer choices, the chief minister noted that the initiative would empower aspiring filmmakers, vloggers, and content creators from across the Northeast to become ambassadors of the region’s cultural and economic strengths.
He further stated that visual storytelling has emerged as one of the most effective mediums for promoting destinations and preserving cultural narratives.
“Through authentic and engaging content, creators can help project the true image of Arunachal Pradesh while generating greater awareness about its tourism potential, local enterprises, and indigenous products,” he said.
Khandu expressed hope that the initiative would significantly contribute to tourism promotion and strengthen the state’s creative economy.
The chief minister expressed gratitude to the Ministry of MSME for extending support to the initiative under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme.
He also lauded the collaborative efforts of the Department of Industries, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Centre for Cultural Research and Documentation (CCRD), department of mass communication, RGU, and other partner institutions for conceptualizing and organising the event.
Minister Nyato Dukam emphasised the transformative potential of the event in promoting Arunachal’s tourism and cultural assets.
He appreciated the collaborative efforts of the Department of Industries, RAMP, CCRD, Directorate of Urban Local Bodies (DULB), and the department of mass communication, RGU, for bringing together government institutions, academia, and cultural organisations to create a platform that blends creativity with economic development.
The minister said Arunachal possesses a diverse range of cultural traditions, indigenous practices, crafts, cuisines, and tourism destinations that can attract national and global attention when presented through compelling visual narratives.
Industries and Commerce Commissioner Amjad Tak elaborated the objectives of the RAMP scheme and the vision behind TRACTION 2026.
He stated that the initiative seeks to strengthen the creative content ecosystem by nurturing filmmakers, vloggers, and digital storytellers from Arunachal and the wider Northeastern region.
According to him, 25 emerging content creators will be selected from across the eight Northeastern states and provided with an opportunity to produce creative visual content highlighting Arunachal’s tourism destinations, traditional products, MSME enterprises, GI-tagged products, handicrafts, food processing sector, and entrepreneurial success stories.
Tak emphasised that creative storytelling can become a powerful tool for market development and brand-building for local entrepreneurs and startups. By leveraging the growing influence of digital creators, MSMEs and community-based enterprises can gain visibility beyond geographical boundaries and connect with wider consumer markets, he said.
Referring to the department’s pilot initiatives, including the traditional handmade paper project in Dirang, West Kameng district, he highlighted the immense potential of Arunachal’s GI-tagged and heritage products.
He noted that stories of artisans, entrepreneurs, and beneficiaries of various government schemes can be effectively communicated through films and digital content, generating national and international interest.
RAMP state project lead Dr Arinam Hazarikahighlighted the importance of building long-term institutional partnerships with the emerging community of digital creators.
He underscored the role that content creators can play in promoting startups, local enterprises, food processing units, and the state’s growing MSME ecosystem. He particularly highlighted the potential of Arunachal’s organic food products, gastronomy, and culinary traditions, noting that strategic collaborations with digital storytellers could significantly enhance market outreach and product visibility.
RGU Mass Communication Assistant Professor Moji Riba, who is also the course director of TRACTION 2026, provided a detailed overview of the programme.
He observed that social media has evolved into a powerful parallel economy, creating livelihood opportunities for millions of creators worldwide.
Given this reality, he said, establishing a productive and mutually beneficial relationship between public institutions and content creators can contribute substantially to tourism promotion, cultural documentation, and economic development.
He further noted that content creators today play an influential role in shaping travel choices, consumer behaviour, and cultural awareness.
TRACTION 2026 is a 15-day residency and film challenge designed to orient emerging social media content creators towards producing impactful visual stories on adventure tourism, ecology, culture, indigenous products, entrepreneurship, and the MSME sector of Arunachal.
The programme will bring together 25 selected content creators and social media influencers from all eight Northeastern states. The residency is scheduled to be held from 7 to 21 August at RGU, with participants undertaking field visits and filming assignments at selected tourism destinations across the state.
The programme will include skill-upgradation workshops, location-based filmmaking, editing sessions, mentorship, and film evaluation.
Participants will be required to produce a five-minute film along with regular digital content documenting their residency experience.
The top two films will receive cash awards of Rs 1 lakh each, along with trophies and citations.
In addition, outstanding works will be showcased through official government social media platforms to further amplify the stories and experiences captured during the residency.
The initiative is being implemented under the RAMP scheme and is expected to create a new generation of storytellers capable of projecting Arunachal’s tourism potential, cultural richness, ecological diversity, and entrepreneurial success stories to audiences across India and the world. (CM’s PR Cell)
