Agartala, 1st October 2026 : Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha on Thursday called for creating a stronger ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship, saying the state’s youth should be encouraged to emerge as innovators and job creators through technology and digital empowerment.
Dr. Saha made the statement while addressing a programme organised by the Directorate of Information Technology at Women’s College, Agartala, where he launched the Tripura Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026, Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana (Academic Year 2025-26) and Digi-SAPNE 3.0.
The Chief Minister said the government is working towards developing an innovation-driven and digitally empowered Tripura by promoting entrepreneurship and wider adoption of technology. He also underlined the importance of empowering young people with opportunities to develop new ideas and create employment.
The Tripura Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026, being conducted under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, will provide a platform for students, researchers, innovators and startups to develop technology-based solutions to challenges related to governance and public service delivery.
Dr. Saha also launched the Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana for the 2025-26 academic year. The scheme, introduced in 2019-20, has so far benefited more than 63,000 students, with expenditure exceeding ₹31.62 crore. The initiative seeks to improve students’ access to smartphones and digital platforms for education, skill development and learning.
The programme also marked the inauguration of Digi-SAPNE 3.0, the third edition of the Digital Startup Accelerator Program for North East. Implemented by AIC-SMUTBI in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the programme provides technology startups with mentorship, business acceleration, investor connections and ecosystem support.
The occasion also saw the inauguration of the renovated and developed Matangini Pritilata Sabhagriha at Women’s College. The upgraded facility is intended to provide improved infrastructure for academic, cultural and institutional programmes.
Information Technology Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said the three initiatives together reflect the government’s approach to digital inclusion, innovation and startup development. He highlighted plans to strengthen the ecosystem through Regional Startup Hubs, expansion of the New Generation Innovation Network (NGIN) and continued support for startups and innovators.
Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman stressed the importance of educational institutions in nurturing creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking among students.
IT and Finance Secretary Dr. P.K. Goyal said the Sector Agnostic Tripura Start-Up Policy 2024 has enabled the government to provide policy incentives, recognition, mentoring, incubation support and market linkages to startups.
IT Director Jeya Ragul Geshan B. highlighted initiatives including Startup Tripura, T-RISE, T-NEST and NGIN, besides collaborations with national ecosystem partners.
Eight startups selected under Digi-SAPNE 2.0 were felicitated during the programme. Three Tripura-based startups—Cubo Bots, Acuvea Healthcare Technologies and HN Technovations LLP—had also been selected in previous editions.
The event brought together startup founders, innovators, students, academic institutions, government officials and ecosystem partners, with discussions focusing on strengthening collaboration between government, academia and the startup sector.
