Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday announced that the state government would soon unveil an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy, becoming the first state to have an individual AI policy.
He added that his government is also working to establish a Centre of Excellence to integrate AI into governance and development.
Saha was speaking at the inauguration 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 is working on an Artificial Intelligence policy and setting up an AI Centre of Excellence,” the chief minister said. “We will introduce a district innovator fellowship to identify grassroots innovators and launch AI-based city management in Agartala to automate services such as traffic management and billing.”
He said the proposed AI Centre of Excellence would be established with assistance from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. “We are also planning to establish the Tripura IT and Data Economic Zone to promote the IT ecosystem,” he added.
Highlighting startup initiatives, Saha said, “More than 130 startups have been recognised and provided financial incentives, while 50 student projects have been supported under the New Generation Innovation Network. This reflects a growing culture of innovation in the state.”
He noted that the Tripura State Innovation Mission is supported by the Atal Innovation Mission under NITI Aayog’s State Support Mission framework and aims to nurture technology-driven enterprises. “The mission seeks to translate ideas into viable projects,” he said.
Referring to the Probashi Tripura initiative, Saha said, “The state’s global diaspora is a big asset for us. We shall leverage this network for investment, mentorship, and market linkages.”
TNEST (Nurturing Entrepreneurship and Startups in Tripura) will function as the execution arm of the mission, providing incubation support and co-working facilities. “Innovation centres will be set up in all eight districts and linked with TNEST,” he said.
Addressing the event, Singh said, “Overall growth is not possible in isolation. Extensive private partnership is required for further development.”
He added that “fifty per cent of startups in the country are from tier-2 and tier-3 cities” and noted that bamboo could play a significant role in Tripura’s economic growth if utilised effectively.