Imphal (Manipur)-based Founder-Chairman and Managing Director of the UNACCO Group of business enterprises, Ningombam Irabanta Singh is an entrepreneur, educationist and philanthropist whose career reflects entrepreneurial drive, institutional leadership and social commitment. Over the past two decades, he has built the UNACCO Group into a successful enterprise with interests in microfinance and education, contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of Manipur and the seven sister states of  North-East India.

A postgrad in Physics of Manipur University, Singh’s career began in 2010 with the promotion of UNACCO Financial Services Pvt. Ltd, a licensed NBFC (non-banking financial company) microfinance institution operating across Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal. The prime objective of the company is to expand access to financial services among underserved communities while promoting responsible and ethical microfinance practices.

However, education is a central pillar of Singh’s institutional vision. Under the aegis of the UNACCO Social Development Trust, he has promoted four primary-secondary schools and a college in Manipur, with an aggregate enrolment of 6,000 students mentored by 300 teachers. Moreover UNACCO schools, affiliated with CBSE and state boards, have earned plaudits for academic achievement and holistic development. UNACCO College complements this ecosystem through NEP 2020-aligned, skills-based higher education designed to prepare young people for the evolving world of work.

Singh’s commitment to the financial services sector is reflected in his association with several industry and professional agencies. He has served on the Steering Committee of AMFIRS (Assam Microfinance Incentive and Relief Scheme, 2021), and has been associated with Sa-Dhan, including its NBFC/NBFC-MFIs Task Force Committee, MFIN (Micro Finance Institutions Network), NEMFA (North East Microfinance Association), the Confederation of Indian Industry, Manipur Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and ASSOCHAM. These engagements have enabled him to contribute to industry dialogue on responsible finance and inclusive development.

For his contribution to the development of the NBFC services sector in the hitherto neglected north-east, Singh has been conferred numerous awards and accolades. Among them: NEDFi Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship in 2015; Economic Times Most Promising Business Leaders of Asia recognition in 2020-21; India’s Impactful CEO Award in 2023, presented by ET Edge and The Times Group; and the IIFA Best Educational Excellence Award in 2023. 

Singh’s dedication to society extends beyond academics to sports and community welfare. The UNACCO Group has supported sportspersons including Olympic medallist Mary Kom; rising badminton player Maisnam Meiraba Luwang; and sports stars K. Dingko Singh and K. Manjit Singh. During the Covid-19 pandemic, UNACCO School, Meitram served as a quarantine and Covid Care Centre.

In appreciation of his sustained efforts to build institutions that promote educational excellence, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and community development in North-East India, the Editors and Board of Directors of EducationWorld are pleased to present Shri Ningombam Irabanta Singh with the EW Lifetime Achievement in Education Leadership Award 2026-27 and induct him into the EW Hall of Fame of Indian Education.