Tripura Launches India's First State Innovation Mission, Unveils AI Policy

The announcement came after the launch of the country's first State Innovation Mission in Agartala under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), an initiative of NITI Aayog to promote innovation-led development across states.

The Chief Minister said the AI policy is being designed with support from the Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog, and will help strengthen governance and technology-driven public service delivery.

Saha said Tripura will introduce AI-based solutions for city management in Agartala to address traffic congestion, parking issues, uninterrupted power supply, provision of safe and potable drinking water, flood control, and solid and liquid waste management, among other civic challenges.

He said the state is in the process of establishing an AI Centre of Excellence with assistance from the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to promote research, innovation and capacity building.

The state government is also planning to set up a Tripura IT and Data Economic Zone to promote the IT, IT-enabled services (ITES), and data centre ecosystem and attract investments in the digital economy.

Noting that demand for software enterprises is steadily growing in Tripura, the Chief Minister said IT parks would be developed to provide co-working spaces and integrated infrastructure within dedicated campuses.

Saha said Thursday marked a significant milestone in Tripura's IT reform journey with the launch of the country's first State Innovation Mission -- T-NEST (Tripura: Nurturing Entrepreneurship and Start-ups).

He said the state has the potential to emerge as a regional hub of innovation and technology-led entrepreneurship.

The Tripura State Innovation Mission, he said, aims to build a robust ecosystem to nurture talent and enterprises, promote adoption of cutting-edge technologies, and translate innovative ideas into impactful and scalable projects.

"I was delighted to participate in the launch ceremony held at the International Exhibition Centre, Hapania, in the presence of Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Suman Bery, and other dignitaries," Saha said.

Addressing the function, Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, said Tripura has taken the lead with the State Innovation Mission and set an example for other states and Union Territories.

Singh highlighted AIM as a visionary initiative conceptualised by Prime Minister Modi, noting that it has fostered a culture of innovation in governance and delivered tangible outcomes over the years.

He said the transition from the Planning Commission to NITI Aayog, along with the creation of AIM, marked a shift from traditional planning to innovation-led development, empowering states to become active drivers of growth.

Referring to Tripura, the Union Minister said the launch of the State Innovation Mission demonstrates how states can leverage the AIM framework to unlock local potential and position themselves as emerging engines of national growth.

Singh said NITI Aayog has decided to establish as many as 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs across the country, covering every district, and recalled that around 10,000 such labs had already been rolled out earlier.

He also praised Tripura for having about 150 functional startups, considering the state's size and development profile.

Singh noted that India now has nearly two lakh startups, a sharp rise from just 350-400 in 2014, reflecting the rapid expansion of the country's startup ecosystem.

He observed that State Innovation Missions are guided by the national innovation mission and stressed that when states innovate, the country's overall development accelerates.

The mission, he said, is a classic example of cooperative and competitive federalism.

Suman Bery said that in 2022, Prime Minister Modi called upon the nation to transform India into a modern and developed society by 2047 under the vision of Viksit Bharat.

He said achieving this goal requires sustained economic expansion and linked the State Innovation Mission to the country's broader economic development framework.

The State Innovation Mission is part of the approved AIM 2.0 programme under NITI Aayog's State Support Mission (SSM), aimed at strengthening innovation ecosystems at the state level.

Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, highlighted AIM's approach to strengthening state-led innovation systems.

"The Prime Minister's vision is to build an innovation-led Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The State Innovation Mission is our endeavour to realise that vision. By empowering states to lead innovation in their own context, we are ensuring that talent from every district, every classroom, and every community becomes a driver of national growth. This is how AIM is working to transform aspiration into action and ensure that India's innovation journey is truly inclusive," he said.

The mission is designed as a long-term institutional mechanism to support states and Union Territories in building robust, inclusive, and context-specific innovation ecosystems aligned with national priorities and local strengths.

- IANS