Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Thursday said that his government was soon to unveil an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy and also set up a centre of excellence of the new age technology to integrate the use of AI in the governance and growth of the state.
Dr Saha was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Tripura State Innovation Mission and TNEST in the presence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.
“The state government was working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy and setting up an AI centre of excellence. We will introduce a district innovator fellowship to talent hunt grassroot innovators. We have plans to launch AI-based city management for Agartala city which is set to automate tasks such as traffic management, billings etc.”
He said the government was in the process of establishing a Tripura AI Centre of Excellence with assistance from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. “We are also planning to set up the Tripura IT and Data Economic Zone to promote the IT ecosystem,” he said.
The chief minister said more than 130 startups had been recognised and provided financial incentives with, while 50 student projects were supported under the New Generation Innovation Network. “This reflects a growing culture of innovation in the state,” he said.
Saha claimed that Tripura had launched the country’s first State Innovation Mission and added that the government had prioritised administrative and business reforms along with digital governance.
“Tripura has emerged as the only state where paperless governance has been introduced from the state cabinet to the gram panchayat level,” he said.
Stating that the Tripura State Innovation Mission was supported by the Atal Innovation Mission under NITI Aayog’s State Support Mission framework, he said, “The mission aims to nurture entrepreneurs working on technology-driven solutions and translate ideas into projects.”
According to Saha, the Tripura Institution for Transformation under the Information Technology department has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata, IIT Delhi, IIM Bangalore and T-Hub, Telangana, for conceptualising the mission.
He said the mission would support enterprises addressing challenges in agriculture, green technology and digital services, including tourism and healthcare. Referring to the Probashi Tripura initiative, Saha said, “Our global diaspora is a big asset for us. The State Innovation Mission will leverage this network for investment, mentorship and market linkages.”
Highlighting the state’s resources, he said Tripura was the second-largest rubber-producing state and cultivated 21 species of bamboo. “Economic activities around agarwood are also growing rapidly,” he added.
TNEST — Nurturing Entrepreneurship and Startups in Tripura — will function as the execution arm of the State Innovation Mission, Saha said. “It will act as a bridge between ideas and investment, and innovation and impact. In all eight districts, innovation centres will be set up and linked with TNEST,” he added, noting that specialised laboratories would be established in partnership with academic and research institutions. He said an MoU had been signed with T-Hub, Hyderabad, as a knowledge partner.
Referring to the state’s global diaspora, the chief minister said the government had created a structured engagement platform through the Probashi Tripura initiative to connect with people from the state living abroad.
“The state’s global diaspora is a big asset for us. They are like intellectual and financial capital for us who also have global exposure. We shall leverage this asset under the State Innovation Mission for investment, mentorship and market linkages,” the Chief Minister added.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, “This is the double engine effect which could be sensed in Tripura. The engine was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is now being put in top gear by Professor Dr Manik Saha.”
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He said the Northeast had received special focus from the Centre and referred to infrastructure development and improved connectivity in the region. “Overall growth is not possible in isolation. Extensive private partnership is required for further development,” Singh said.
The minister said that around 150 startups were registered in the state and noted that startups and MSMEs had grown significantly across the country. “Fifty per cent of startups founded in our country are from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Tripura is blessed with natural resources of many kinds. Bamboo is one of them which is widely used as a versatile raw material for industries. If utilized rationally and with prudence bamboo alone can write the growth story of Tripura,” he added.
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