Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Thursday said that his government was committed to building an innovation-driven, digitally empowered and future ready Tripura.
He was speaking at an event after launching three key initiatives on digital and youth empowerment in Agartala.
During the programme, the Chief Minister formally launched the Tripura Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026 and Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana (Academic Year 2025-26) and inaugurated Digi-SAPNE 3.0, reaffirming the Government’s commitment towards strengthening innovation, entrepreneurship and digital inclusion across the State.
The renovated and developed Matangini Pritilata Sabhagriha at Women’s College, Agartala was also formally opened by the Chief Minister.
Marking another significant milestone in Tripura’s journey towards becoming a leading hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and digital empowerment, the Directorate of Information Technology (DIT), Government of Tripura, today organized the launch programme at Women’s College, Agartala.
The key initiatives were launched reinforcing the Government’s commitment towards fostering innovation, empowering youth and strengthening the State’s startup ecosystem.
According to a press release, the programme reflects the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has consistently emphasized innovation, entrepreneurship, digital empowerment and youth-led development as key pillars for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Guided by this vision, the Government of Tripura is creating a robust ecosystem through progressive policies, digital infrastructure, startup support mechanisms and strategic partnerships to empower youth, promote innovation and drive inclusive economic growth, according to official sources.
Pranajit Singha Roy, Minister for Information Technology, Finance, Planning & Coordination, Kishor Barman, Minister for Higher Education, Kiran Gitte, Secretary to the Chief Minister, Information & Cultural Affairs Department, Dr. P. K. Goyal, Secretary, Information Technology & Finance, Jeya Ragul Geshan B., Director, Information Technology, Rajeshwar Singh Jenwar, Director & Head of Software Industry Promotion Division, Meity, Government of India and Dr. Gopalakrishna Prabhu, Vice Chancellor, Sikkim Manipal University, along with senior Government officials, startup founders, innovators, representatives of academic institutions, ecosystem stakeholders and students from across the State were present.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister emphasized the importance of fostering entrepreneurship, promoting technology adoption and empowering youth to become innovators and job creators.
The Tripura Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026, being organised under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, seeks to encourage students, innovators, researchers and startups to develop innovative solutions for governance and public service delivery challenges.
The initiative is expected to create a strong pipeline of ideas that can contribute towards improving citizen-centric services and developmental outcomes across the State.
The programme also witnessed the launch of the Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana (MYYY) for Academic Year 2025-26, reaffirming the Government’s commitment towards digital inclusion and youth empowerment.
Since its inception in Academic Year 2019-20, the scheme has benefited more than 63,000 students, with an outlay exceeding Rs. 31.62 crore.
The initiative has played a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide by enabling access to smartphones and digital platforms, thereby supporting education, skill development and digital learning opportunities for students across the State.
Another key highlight of the event was the inauguration of the third edition of Digi-SAPNE (Digital Startup Accelerator Program for North East), a flagship startup acceleration programme implemented by AIC-SMUTBI in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. As the third edition of the programme, Digi-SAPNE continues to support technology-driven startups across the North Eastern Region through structured mentorship, business acceleration, investor connect and ecosystem support.
The launch of Digi-SAPNE 3.0 from Tripura reflects the growing momentum of the State’s innovation and startup ecosystem.
Supported by the Sector Agnostic Tripura Start-Up Policy 2024, ongoing efforts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and strategic collaborations with national ecosystem partners, Tripura is steadily emerging as a promising destination for startup-led growth in the North Eastern Region.
Initiatives such as Digi-SAPNE complement these efforts by providing startups with access to mentorship, business acceleration, industry networks and market opportunities, thereby fostering innovation and promoting entrepreneurship-driven economic development.
The participation of startups from Tripura in initiatives such as Digi-SAPNE reflects the growing strength of the State’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and the increasing ability of local startups to leverage national and regional growth opportunities.
Notably, three startups from Tripura Cubo Bots, Acuvea Healthcare Technologies and HN Technovations LLP – were selected under previous editions of Digi-SAPNE, showcasing the entrepreneurial talent and innovation potential emerging from the State.
During the programme, the eight startups selected under Digi-SAPNE 2.0 were felicitated and recognised for their achievements, highlighting the impact of the initiative in nurturing promising technology-driven ventures across the North Eastern Region.
The State has witnessed significant progress in startup ecosystem development over the past year, reflected in the growing participation of innovators and entrepreneurs, expansion of mentoring and incubation support mechanisms, and stronger engagement with national innovation and entrepreneurship networks.
These developments are contributing towards positioning Tripura as an emerging destination for innovation and entrepreneurship in the North Eastern Region.
Emphasizing the importance of nurturing innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking among students, Kishor Barman, Minister for Higher Education, Panchayat, General Administration (Political), Government of Tripura, highlighted that initiatives such as the Tripura Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026 and the Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana are creating new opportunities for students to engage with technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
He noted that educational institutions have a critical role in developing future innovators and job creators and welcomed efforts to expand innovation and entrepreneurship activities across higher educational institutions in the State.
According to officials, the three initiatives collectively represent the Government’s integrated approach towards strengthening digital empowerment, innovation and entrepreneurship.
While the Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana is expanding digital access for students, the Tripura Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026 is encouraging innovation-driven problem solving, and Digi-SAPNE 3.0 is creating new opportunities for startup growth and entrepreneurship.
The officials further emphasized the Government’s commitment towards strengthening the startup ecosystem through the establishment of Regional Startup Hubs, expansion of the New Generation Innovation Network (NGIN) and continued support for innovators, startups and entrepreneurs across the State.
Earlier, the IT department encouraged students, innovators and startups to actively participate in these initiatives and contribute towards Tripura’s innovation-led growth journey.
Highlighting the progress achieved under the Sector Agnostic Tripura Start-Up Policy 2024, Dr. P. K. Goyal, Secretary, Information Technology & Finance, noted that the Government has been actively supporting startups through policy incentives, startup recognition, mentoring, incubation support, market access initiatives and ecosystem partnerships.
He stated that the encouraging response received from entrepreneurs reflects the growing confidence in Tripura’s evolving startup ecosystem and the effectiveness of the State’s efforts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
In his speech, Jeya Ragul Geshan B., Director, Information Technology, highlighted the various initiatives being undertaken by the Directorate to strengthen the State’s innovation and startup ecosystem through Startup Tripura, T-RISE, T-NEST and NGIN. He also highlighted collaborations with leading ecosystem partners to expand access to mentoring, incubation support, market opportunities and ecosystem linkages for startups and innovators.
The programme brought together startup founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, students, academic institutions, government departments and ecosystem partners, creating opportunities for collaboration, networking, knowledge exchange and ecosystem building while fostering stronger linkages between startups, academia, industry and government.
The launch of these initiatives, officials said, reflects the Government of Tripura’s continued efforts towards building a vibrant innovation and startup ecosystem through progressive policy interventions, strategic partnerships and focused support for youth, startups and innovators. Together, these initiatives are expected to strengthen entrepreneurship, promote innovation-led problem solving, generate new opportunities for youth and contribute towards the vision of a Viksit Tripura, while further positioning the State as an emerging destination for innovation-led growth in India.
