Itanagar, Jun 15: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday launched the online portal for “TRACTION 2026 – Residency and Film Challenge”, describing it as a transformative initiative that will showcase Arunachal Pradesh’s tourism potential, cultural richness and entrepreneurial success stories to the world.
The portal was formally launched at the Civil Secretariat in Itanagar, marking the official 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.
Speaking on the occasion, Khandu thanked the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for supporting 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 at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), and other partner institutions for conceptualizing and organizing the event.
The Chief Minister said TRACTION 2026 would provide a unique platform for filmmakers, vloggers and content creators to tell authentic stories about Arunachal Pradesh and bring greater visibility to its heritage, traditions, tourism destinations and indigenous products.
“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.
He noted that visual storytelling has emerged as a powerful medium for promoting destinations and preserving cultural narratives, adding that the initiative would help project the true image of the state while strengthening its creative economy.
Industries Minister Nyato Dukam said the programme has the potential to significantly boost tourism promotion and highlight the state’s diverse cultural traditions, indigenous practices, crafts and tourism destinations through compelling visual narratives.
Commissioner of Industries and Commerce Amjad Tak said the initiative aims to strengthen the region’s creative content ecosystem by nurturing filmmakers and digital storytellers from across the Northeast.
He informed that 25 emerging content creators from all eight Northeastern states will be selected to produce films and digital content on Arunachal Pradesh’s tourism, MSMEs, GI-tagged products, handicrafts and entrepreneurship.
TRACTION 2026, a 15-day residency and film challenge, will be held from August 7 to 21 at Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills. Participants will undergo workshops, mentorship sessions and field assignments across the state before producing a five-minute film and digital content documenting their experience.
The top two films will receive cash awards of Rs one lakh each, along with trophies and citations. Outstanding works will also be showcased through official Govt social media platforms to further promote Arunachal Pradesh to national and international audiences.