Tripura to launch India’s first state AI policy; Agartala to get AI-based smart solutions

Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday, February 26, announced that Tripura will introduce India’s first State Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy with support from the Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog.

He said AI-based solutions will be implemented in Agartala for better city management, including traffic control and other smart city services.

The Chief Minister made the announcement while launching the Tripura State Innovation Mission at the International Exhibition Centre in Hapania, Agartala, in the presence of Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.

Saha described the State Innovation Mission as a first-of-its-kind initiative at the state level in India. He said Tripura has focused on administrative reforms, digital governance and startup-friendly policies. According to him, Tripura is the only state where government functioning — from the Cabinet and Secretariat to village councils and Gram Panchayats — is completely paperless.

The initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s State Support Mission, which aims to help states build strong local innovation ecosystems. The Tripura State Innovation Mission is supported by the Atal Innovation Mission to encourage entrepreneurship, adopt advanced technologies and convert ideas into projects.

The Tripura Institution for Transformation and the Department of Information Technology have collaborated with Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and T-Hub to set up the State Innovation Mission and T-NEST.

Saha said the mission will support enterprises working in agriculture, green technology, digital services, tourism and healthcare. He added that Tripura has the potential to emerge as a regional innovation hub in the Northeast.

Speaking about the AI policy, Saha said AI-based systems will be introduced in Agartala to manage traffic congestion, parking, power supply, drinking water, flood control, waste management and property assessment. He added that leading technology companies have shown interest in supporting the initiative.

The Chief Minister also informed that the state is planning to establish a Tripura AI Centre of Excellence with assistance from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Additionally, the government is planning to set up a Tripura IT and Data Economic Zone and an IT park with co-working spaces to promote the IT, IT-enabled services and data centre ecosystem in the state.